// Style · Tennessee Whiskey
Tennessee Whiskey
A bourbon-style mash bill filtered through sugar-maple charcoal before barreling; the Lincoln County Process.
At a Glance
- Category
- Tennessee Whiskey
- Flavor Direction
- Oak & Wood, Sweet & Dessert-Like, Smoky & Earthy
- Related Styles
- Traditional Bourbon
What Makes It Different?
- Tennessee whiskey generally starts from a bourbon-style mash bill and production process, then adds a charcoal-mellowing step (the Lincoln County Process) before the spirit enters the barrel.
- Exact charcoal-filtering methods and equipment vary by producer, so it's worth treating this as a shared production convention rather than a single fixed recipe every Tennessee whiskey follows identically.
Individual Tennessee whiskey brands can vary in exact charcoal-mellowing methods and resulting profile; treat style-level notes here as a starting point, not a universal description.
Flavor Profile
Production
Everything about the mash bill and barrel is bourbon-shaped -- what sets it apart is one extra step written into Tennessee state law: fresh distillate is filtered slowly through sugar-maple charcoal before it ever touches a barrel, mellowing the spirit early rather than leaving all of that work to the wood. See Bourbon Regions' Tennessee page for the full legal detail.
Explore Bottles
This style spans too many distilleries' own mash bills to reliably match specific bottles here without guessing. Explore real core-lineup expressions in the Distillery Directory, or build your own grain bill in Find Your Perfect Pour.
Related Distilleries
Try It Yourself
Trying a tennessee whiskey? Use the Guided Tasting experience to walk through aroma, palate, and finish while it's actually in the glass -- a more useful way to learn what this style tends toward than reading about it alone.