// Bourbon Region
Tennessee
Key Characteristics
- Type
- Geographic (state-based)
- Distinguishing Rule
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-2-106 (enacted 2013): whiskey labeled "Tennessee Whiskey" must be mashed, distilled, and aged in Tennessee, aged in new charred oak, and filtered through maple charcoal before barreling; the Lincoln County Process; with a single grandfathered exemption for Benjamin Prichard's Distillery.
- Related Styles
- Tennessee Whiskey
Why This Region Matters
Strip away the Lincoln County Process and most Tennessee whiskey would qualify as bourbon outright; same corn-forward mash bills, same new charred oak, same federal proof rules underneath. What sets the state apart is one extra step written into state law: fresh distillate dripped slowly through vats of sugar-maple charcoal before it ever touches a barrel, mellowing harsh congeners out of the spirit early rather than relying on the wood to do all of that work later. Jack Daniel's built the category's global visibility; George Dickel and a growing crop of smaller distillers have kept it from being a one-brand story.
Related terms: Lincoln County Process
Production & Aging Environment
- Climate Effect
- Seasonal cycling similar in shape to Kentucky's, running slightly warmer on average.
Distilleries
Bottles
31 real core-lineup expressions from Tennessee's own distilleries.
Gentleman Jack George Dickel Barrel Select George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond George Dickel Bourbon (Aged 8 Years) George Dickel Classic No. 8 George Dickel Single Barrel 15 Year George Dickel Straight Rye George Dickel Superior No. 12 Huling Station Blend of Straight Whiskeys Huling Station Single Barrel Bourbon Huling Station Straight Bourbon Huling Station Straight Wheat Whiskey
Explore Bottles from Tennessee →