Tennessee Whiskey
American whiskey meeting bourbon requirements plus the Lincoln County Process — charcoal mellowing through sugar maple.
Tennessee whiskey is an American whiskey produced in Tennessee that meets all the federal requirements for bourbon and additionally undergoes the Lincoln County Process — filtration or steeping through sugar maple charcoal before barrelling. Tennessee state law (passed in 2013) codified the requirements: produced in Tennessee, made from a grain mash of at least 51% corn, filtered through maple charcoal, aged in new charred oak. Jack Daniel's and George Dickel are the two major producers; smaller distilleries include Prichard's (which is exempt from the Lincoln County Process by historical grandfather clause).
Quick facts
- Type
- Style
- Style
- tennessee
- Origin
- Tennessee, United States
The Lincoln County Process
The Lincoln County Process is named for the Tennessee county where Jack Daniel's was originally located before subsequent county boundary changes. Newly distilled spirit is dripped or steeped through a thick column of sugar maple charcoal (Acer saccharum, locally burned) before entering the barrel. The process removes certain congeners and is credited with the characteristic smoothness of Tennessee whiskey. Jack Daniel's filters for several days; George Dickel chills the spirit before filtration.
Sources & further reading (1)
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-05-15
Frequently asked questions
Is Tennessee whiskey a kind of bourbon?
Tennessee whiskey meets all the federal requirements for bourbon, but most producers (and Tennessee state law since 2013) distinguish it as a separate category because of the additional Lincoln County Process. Some labels, such as Benjamin Prichard's, are technically Tennessee whiskey but exempt from the maple charcoal step under a grandfather clause.
Who invented the Lincoln County Process?
The maple charcoal mellowing process predates Tennessee whiskey as a category and was practised in 19th-century Tennessee distilling more broadly. Jack Daniel learned the method from Nathan 'Nearest' Green, an enslaved master distiller who taught the young Jack Daniel; Green's role was formally recognised by the Jack Daniel's company in 2016.