Articles Tagged Tennessee Whiskey

Tennessee whiskey is a lot what it sounds like: whiskey that’s produced in Tennessee. It shares close similarities to bourbon, and many Tennessee whiskeys legally adhere to bourbon’s strict set of rules, but they also undergo an additional step called the Lincoln County Process prior to aging. This is a process in which the whiskey is filtered through charcoal before going into barrels. Legislation has ensured that Tennessee whiskeys prescribe to these requirements to ensure quality and production standards similar to those of other geographically-designated drinks like scotch and champagne.

There are two major producers of Tennessee Whiskey—Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel—but as of 2017, the state featured more than 25 distilleries and a dedicated Tennessee Whiskey Trail. A recent boom in local distilling has resulted in many fine new whiskeys and other spirits in a state that was hit hard by Prohibition, and continued to suffer under an imposed statewide prohibition that, as of just a few years ago, still outlawed the distillation of alcohol to only a small handful of counties. Fortunately, distillation laws as well as alcohol sales laws have loosened in recent years, allowing delicious Tennessee whiskeys to wind up where they belong: in the hands of thirsty drinkers.