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Since the days that Jack Daniel first introduced his Tennessee Whiskey to the rest of the world, there have been many stories passed down about the significance of Old No. 7. Some say that he had seven girlfriends or the way he wrote his "J" looked like a 7. Some say he chose the number seven simply because it's lucky. The truth is, only Mr. Jack knows for sure. Current Jack Daniel's Master Distiller Jeff Arnett doesn't pretend to know the answer, but he has quite a few reasons why he considers the number seven his favorite. For starters, in 2008 Arnett was named the seventh master distiller in the history of the Jack Daniel Distillery, which has been in operation since the mid 1850s. As master distiller, Arnett oversees the entire whiskey-making process of milling, yeasting, fermentation, distillation, charcoal mellowing and maturation. "It was certainly an honor to be named the seventh master distiller in the history of the company," said Arnett. "I'll always strive to carry on the Jack Daniel's tradition and follow Mr. Jack's guiding words of 'every day we make it, we'll make it the best we can.'"Considering his number of choice, it should come as no surprise that Arnett began his career at the Jack Daniel Distillery in 2001 - seven years before being named the master distiller. His first job at the distillery was in quality control and overseeing Jack Daniel's Single Barrel. Since that time, he has worked in a variety of capacities throughout the distillery, including warehousing, maturation, distillation, charcoal mellowing management, barrel quality and bottling, as well as being a member of the Master Tasters' panel. "I was very fortunate to learn the trade under some very skilled individuals who also shared their passion for our product," said Arnett. "It's my job to see that nothing changes and that we continue to deliver a consistent product that is now known the world over." And not that he needs another reason, but Arnett also calculated that at the time he was named master distiller, he was seven years younger than the previous master distiller was when he assumed the title. Of the six who held the position before him in the 140-plus years of the distillery, it was Jack Daniel himself who held it first, serving from 1866 to 1911. The other five were Jess Motlow (1911-1941), Lem Tolley (1941-1964), Jess Gamble (1964-1966), Frank Bobo (1966-1988) and Jimmy Bedford (1988-2008). "That number has obviously been special to this brand for a long time, but I usually get looks of awe when I tell others all of the reasons why it's significant for me," said Arnett. "It certainly has been lucky for me." 
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