Arnett joined the firm at the turn of the century and he was appointed master distiller in April 2008. He previously worked in warehousing, maturation, distillation, charcoal mellowing management, barrel quality and bottling.
As master distiller he introduced Sinatra Select, Single Barrel Barrel Proof, Single Barrel “Heritage Barrel” and the Tennessee Tasters’ limited edition series, along with flavored variants such as Honey, Apple and Fire.
Arnett said: “The last 20 years at the Jack Daniel Distillery have been an incredible chapter in my life and I look forward to spending some time to think about what the next chapter will hold.
“I wish everyone in Lynchburg the best, and I am appreciative of the support and confidence they have shown in me to represent Jack Daniel’s to the world during my time there.
“It has been an honor and privilege to be one of only a handful of people to have served as the master distiller of this wonderful brand known around the world as simply Jack.”
Jack Daniel’s said it would announce his replacement in the coming weeks.
Larry Combs, Jack Daniel Distillery senior vice president and general manager, said: “When Jeff became the Master Distiller, we said that he would carry on the long tradition of folks who have made the world’s best whiskey for more than 150 years, and that’s exactly what he’s done.
“He has worked tirelessly on behalf of the distillery and brought with him the creativity and the expertise that makes Jack Daniel’s the most valuable whiskey brand in the world. We thank him for his leadership not only at Jack Daniel’s but in the whiskey industry and wish him all the best.”
