Tennessee Whiskey
The subject of eternal debate among whiskey enthusiasts, Tennessee whiskey is technically a type of bourbon. It must be produced to the same specifications as bourbon: at least 51% corn, aged in new, charred oak containers, and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof. Unsurprisingly, it must also be produced in the state of Tennessee. The most unique requirement, however, is that it must use the Lincoln County Process in its production. While most whiskey is filtered through activated charcoal before bottling, the Lincoln County Process is a more elaborate filtration procedure that uses sugar maple charcoal before it goes into the barrel. The result is a “mellowing” of the whiskey, as well as unique maple and smoke notes in many expressions. The most famous Tennessee whiskey, and also the best-selling American whiskey in the world, is Jack Daniel’s. There are only a few other Tennessee whiskey producers today, partly owing to Jack Daniel’s dominance of the category and also because Tennessee, until the 2010s, heavily restricted the production of alcohol in the state.
Top Tennessee Whiskey Posts:
A Visit to Jack Daniel’s Distillery
A Visit to Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery
George Dickel Tennessee Whiskies – Cascade Hollow, No. 8, and No. 12
Can lightning strike twice? 2019’s 13 year old Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whiskey from George Dickel won all kinds of raves, including from yours truly — proving that a $35 bourbon could go toe to toe with some of the best whiskeys in America. This follow-up edition arrived in mid-2020, an 11 year old made…
Entry #6 in Jack Daniel’s experimental Tennessee Tasters’ Selection lineup is here and it’s perhaps the most unusual of the series to date. Per JD: “The Jamaican Allspice product takes Jack’s Old No. 7 and finishes the whiskey with Jamaican allspice wood for 180 days. It features a nose of fruit, smoke, and sweet tobacco…
Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door Whiskey got a limited edition release late last year with the launch of the Bootleg Series — the 2019 bottling being a 26 year old bourbon finished in mizunara oak. We didn’t get a chance to taste it, but we did get a sample of the 2020 edition in the Bootleg…
On the heels of the Bobby Jones-inspired The Clover Whiskey comes yet another golf-themed bourbon: Sweetens Cove. Admittedly, this one has a little more star power behind it (apologies to Bobby). For starters, this Tennessee bourbon whiskey gets its name from a golf course outside of Chattanooga so magical that a group of well-heeled friends,…
The famed golfer Bobby Jones won all of his big tournaments during Prohibition, including the only Grand Slam title anyone has ever won, so it’s safe to assume he had an illegal, celebratory tipple or two off of the course (and maybe on it, too). He may have had to be discreet back then, but…
This is our third go-round with Roaming Man, Sugarlands Distilling‘s attempt to move beyond sugary liqueurs and into the world of craft whiskey. Like all the other Roaming Mans (Roaming Men?), this edition was offered in minuscule amounts and sold out immediately upon release. Oddly, it’s got the same amount of age as Edition Six:…
Jack Daniel’s experimental releases continue to roll along, including the second release in the Barrel Reunion series, itself part of the Tennessee Tasters’ Selection line. These whiskeys are only available at the distillery proper. For those in need of a refresher, Barrel Reunion #1 (aka Reunion Barrel #1) was Tennessee Whiskey finished in local wine…
Following up on expressions like its Tennessee Fire and Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s continues to tinker with adding flavored expressions to its repertoire. The latest: Tennessee Apple, which is exactly what you think it is, a heavily flavored mix of JD and apple liqueur. It tastes exactly like you’d expect, too, starting with a nose…
We’ve been writing about Tennessee-based Chattanooga Whiskey for years now, and while we’ve been upbeat about their products, they have, for better or worse, all been sourced products. Now Chattanooga is out with its own house-made spirit — or rather, a pair of them with names based on their proof levels — made in what…
The Uncle Nearest brand only got its start in late 2018 with the launch of Uncle Nearest 1856, but the brand has already launched a second and third expression. We missed #2, Uncle Nearest 1820, and we’re skipping ahead to #3: Uncle Nearest 1884. Like 1856, it’s a sourced, Tennessee-distilled whiskey that doesn’t formally…