Nashville Barrel Company sits in a converted industrial building on Heathcote Avenue, about ten minutes south of downtown Nashville. Founded by Chad Carlson in 2017, the operation combines a working distillery with a full whiskey bar that pours selections from around the world alongside their own spirits. Carlson, who spent years in the construction business before pivoting to distilling, opened NBC after falling down the whiskey rabbit hole and deciding Nashville needed another serious player in the bourbon game. The 6,000-square-foot facility houses copper pot stills, fermentation tanks, and aging barrels, plus a tasting room that feels more like a neighborhood bar than a tourist trap. They’re producing bourbon, rye, and vodka, with plans to expand their whiskey lineup as barrels continue aging. The whole operation reflects Carlson’s hands-on approach—he’s often around chatting with visitors about mash bills and barrel char levels. What started as one guy’s obsession with making quality spirits has grown into a legitimate Nashville distillery that locals actually frequent, not just tourists looking for Instagram shots.
