Leiper's Fork

Leiper’s Fork Distillery is a craft whiskey producer in the rolling countryside of Williamson County, Tennessee, dedicated to reviving the state’s rich pre-Prohibition whiskey-making traditions. Founded in 2016 by Lee Kennedy, the distillery combines historic methods, locally sourced ingredients, and patient maturation to create small-batch Tennessee whiskey and bourbon with an emphasis on authenticity and flavour.

Located just outside the village of Leiper’s Fork, the distillery sits on a 27-acre property that includes a restored log cabin visitor centre, giving it a distinctly Southern charm. Its design and ethos are rooted in the idea that great whiskey is made slowly, in harmony with the land and the local community.

Production at Leiper’s Fork is firmly grain-to-glass. The team uses non-GMO grains sourced from Tennessee farmers, including corn, rye, and malted barley, ground on site. Water is drawn from the property’s own limestone-filtered spring, prized for its purity and mineral balance — a key ingredient in both Tennessee and Kentucky whiskey-making.

The mash is fermented in open-top cypress wood fermenters, an old-fashioned approach that encourages a rich, complex fermentation through natural interaction with the environment. Distillation takes place in a custom-built 500-gallon Vendome copper pot still, which produces a robust, characterful spirit with a heavier body than column still distillation.

Leiper’s Fork is one of the few distilleries in Tennessee to employ the Lincoln County Process, a traditional charcoal mellowing step in which new-make spirit is filtered slowly through sugar maple charcoal before entering the barrel. This softens the spirit’s edges while retaining depth and complexity.

Maturation occurs in full-size, charred new American oak barrels, stored on site in rickhouses exposed to Tennessee’s seasonal temperature swings. This climate accelerates interaction between spirit and wood, allowing flavour to develop steadily. While most of the distillery’s releases are young due to its recent founding, they are deliberately matured to the point where grain, oak, and charcoal influence are in harmony.

Flavour-wise, Leiper’s Fork whiskeys tend to be full-bodied yet approachable, with a balance of sweet corn richness, baking spice, and oak-driven structure. They are crafted to be sipped neat or with a splash of water, though they also shine in classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned or Whiskey Sour.

For visitors, the distillery offers guided tours and tastings, sharing insights into Tennessee’s whiskey heritage and the hands-on methods that define the brand. This transparency and openness are part of what has earned Leiper’s Fork a growing reputation among whiskey lovers looking for integrity and craftsmanship in every bottle.

Our Leiper’s Fork selection highlights the distillery’s core expressions and occasional limited releases. Whether you’re exploring Tennessee whiskey for the first time or seeking a small-batch producer with deep respect for tradition, Leiper’s Fork offers an honest, flavour-driven taste of the Volunteer State’s whiskey renaissance.