Tennessee whiskey or
Tennessee whisky is a
sour mashSour mash is the name for a process in the distilling industry that uses material from an older batch of mash to start fermentation in the batch currently being made, similar to the making of sourdough bread. It was developed by either Dr. James C. Crow or Dr. Jason S...
of
American whiskeyAmerican whiskey is a distilled beverage produced in the United States from a fermented mash of cereal grain.- Types :The most common types listed in the federal regulations are:*Bourbon whiskey, made from mash that consists of at least 51% corn ....
that undergoes a filtering stage called the
Lincoln County ProcessThe Lincoln County Process is a process used in making Tennessee whiskeys such as Jack Daniel's and George Dickel. The whiskey is filtered through a column of charcoal chips before going into the casks for aging...
, in which the whiskey is filtered through a thick layer of
mapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification, favour inclusion in Sapindaceae...
charcoalCharcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood, sugar, bone char, or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
before it is put into
casksA barrel or cask is a hollow conical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Traditionally, the barrel was a standard size of measure referring to a set capacity or weight of a given commodity. For example, a beer barrel was originally a 36...
for aging. This step gives the whiskey a distinctive flavor. The process itself is named for
Lincoln County, TennesseeLincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. , the population was 31,340. Its county seat is Fayetteville. It is named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
, which is where the
Jack Daniel'sJack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors and is known for its square bottles and black label. It has been prominently featured in movies, songs, and novels, and is strongly linked to rock and roll, country music, American biker culture, Jimmy...
distillery was originally located. In 1871, the Jack Daniel's distillery and the
surrounding areaLynchburg is a city in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is governed by a consolidated city-county government unit whose boundaries coincide with those of Moore County. Lynchburg is best known as the location of the Jack Daniel's distillery, whose famous whiskey is...
became part of the newly created
Moore CountyMoore County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 5,740. It forms a consolidated city-county government with its county seat of Lynchburg....
.
Presently, there are only two brands of Tennessee whiskey on the market:
Jack Daniel'sJack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors and is known for its square bottles and black label. It has been prominently featured in movies, songs, and novels, and is strongly linked to rock and roll, country music, American biker culture, Jimmy...
and
George DickelGeorge Dickel is the name of a brand of Tennessee whisky manufactured in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee, near Tullahoma. The brand is now owned by Diageo PLC. Three whiskies are produced at the George Dickel Distillery: George Dickel Old No. 8 Brand, Superior No. 12 Brand, and Barrel Select Tennessee...
.
List of contemporary Tennessee whiskeys
- George Dickel
George Dickel is the name of a brand of Tennessee whisky manufactured in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee, near Tullahoma. The brand is now owned by Diageo PLC. Three whiskies are produced at the George Dickel Distillery: George Dickel Old No. 8 Brand, Superior No. 12 Brand, and Barrel Select Tennessee...
– Open to the public as part of the American Whiskey TrailThe American Whiskey Trail is a cultural heritage and tourism initiative of the Distilled Spirits Council in cooperation with historic Mount Vernon...
.
- Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors and is known for its square bottles and black label. It has been prominently featured in movies, songs, and novels, and is strongly linked to rock and roll, country music, American biker culture, Jimmy...
– Open to the public as part of the American Whiskey TrailThe American Whiskey Trail is a cultural heritage and tourism initiative of the Distilled Spirits Council in cooperation with historic Mount Vernon...
.
See also
- Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is an American whiskey, a type of distilled spirit, made primarily from corn and named for Bourbon County, Kentucky. It has been produced since the 18th century.- Legal requirements :...
- Corn whiskey
Corn whiskey is an American whiskey made from a mash made up of at least 80 percent corn . The whiskey is distilled to not less than 40 percent alcohol by volume. It does not have to be aged but, if it is aged, it must be in new or used uncharred oak barrels. Aging usually is brief, e.g., six months...
- Moonshine
| align="right"||}Moonshine is a common term for home-distilled alcohol, especially in places where this practice is illegal.The name is often assumed to be derived from the fact that moonshine producers and smugglers would often work at night...
- Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in their volatilities in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
- American Whiskey Trail
The American Whiskey Trail is a cultural heritage and tourism initiative of the Distilled Spirits Council in cooperation with historic Mount Vernon...
External links