Sugarlands Distilling Company is located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, at 805 Parkway in the downtown area. The distillery is a popular tourist destination that offers tastings, tours, and a cocktail lounge. They are known mostly for their large array of moonshines, which are quite popular. The distillery also produces rum, cream liqueurs, vodka, and rye whiskey.
Sugarlands claims, "Roaming Man is a cask-strength pot distilled whiskey, made from locally sourced grains and crafted in the largest copper pot whiskey still in the United States." I have been a fan of this whiskey since it's first release in 2017 when I wrote about it in my books Big Whiskey and The Spirit of Rye. Roaming Man has won more than 20 medals, including multiple Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Best Whiskey in the 2019 American Craft Spirits Association Awards. When I first started drinking this whiskey, you could only get it in 375ml bottles - for years.
The whiskey is made from 100% Tennessee grown rye, white corn, and malted barley. The whiskey, after being pot still distilled, is then aged a minimum of four years before the distillery considers releasing it. The other thing I love about this whiskey is that it is always released at high proof (51.9 ABV/103.8 PROOF). They also release a bottle-in-Bond release every year as well.
I recently tasted at the Desmond in Albany at the New York State Retailers Association the most recent releases. The latest releases of Roaming Man Straight Rye Whiskey are the Roaming Man Tennessee Cask Strength Straight Rye and the Roaming Man 10 Years Old, both released in May 2025. The Cask Strength version is a blend of 4 and 5-year-old ryes bottled at 109.2 proof, while the 10 Years Old release is 132.6 proof.
Roaming Man Tennessee Cask Strength Straight Rye was release on May 2025 at 109.2 proof. It was a blend of 4 year, 8 month and 5 year, 10 month rye. The mashbill was 51% Rye, 45% White Corn, 4% Malted Barley.
There was also the Roaming Man 10 Years Old released at 132.6 proof. You can also find the Roaming Man Bottled-in-Bond at 100 Proof on store shelves as well.
This is a rich whiskey, with notes of spice, caramel, green apple, vanilla, toast, finishing with a mix of toffee and white pepper. A classic, smooth, delicious whiskey. One of my absolute favorites. No matter which bottling you find - you will not be disappointed. A terrific tasting experience.