Then, of course, there’s the use of different yeasts, unique water sources, and varying climates for aging that make it a different beast too. This is - in part - is what gives the Tennessee sauce a bit more sweetness. Both still use wheat, rye, barley, and other grains at will to make up the rest of the mash. Where Kentucky bourbons very generally have a mash bill with 70 to 74% corn, Tennessee bourbon whiskeys generally will have a corn component closer to 80 to 84%. A lot of Tennessee whiskey is far more corn-forward than the juice from up north in Kentucky. We’re just not here to dive into that aspect right now. That’s not to say nothing is happening during filtration either before or after aging, it is. Go look at your bottle of Evan Williams a little more closely and you’ll see mention of “charcoal filtration.” So, this is actually less of a variable than most think. Moreover, most bourbon is filtered in one way or another anyway but usually after aging, unless it specifically says otherwise. The state of Tennessee also added that to be called a “Tennessee whiskey,” the juice has to go through charcoal filtration - or the famed Lincoln County Process, which sees hot juice off the stills slow-dripped through several feet of sugar maple charcoal.īut even that has exceptions in the state, making the definition pretty much moot outside of Tennessee. Tennessee whiskey is, by law, a “straight bourbon that was made in Tennessee.” According to the feds and international trade, that’s it, that’s the definition/law. This is so unequivocally true that a lot of distillers/blenders/brands just release their Tennessee whiskey as “Tennessee bourbon” or just “straight bourbon whiskey.” In fact, if Jack Daniel’s wanted to release a “Jack Daniel’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey” tomorrow, they could take any barrel of Old No. All of that makes it a type of bourbon, because those are the exact same rules for bourbon. Tennessee whiskey has to be made with at least 51% corn in the mash bill, aged in new oak, and has specific proof points along the way for distilling, aging, and bottling. The style is a sub-category of bourbon by definition and by law. Here goes: All Tennessee whiskey is bourbon (unless it’s called Tennessee rye whiskey). Okay, at this point you’re probably wondering what makes a “Tennessee whiskey” Tennessee whiskey. Either way, there are enough great new Tennessee whiskeys coming out that I decided it was time to blind taste some.

Plus, a lot of Tennessee whiskeys are simply released as “straight bourbons,” so some do get lost in the mix. While there aren’t nearly as many Tennessee whiskeys as there are, say, Kentucky bourbons, there’s still some amazing work being done in the Volunteer State.

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