USA — spirits
Tennessee Whiskey Region
Tennessee Whiskey is legally distinct from Bourbon by the Lincoln County Process — mandatory filtration of new-make spirit through maple charcoal before barrelling. The process was pioneered at what became Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, Moore County, where the whiskey-making knowledge was held by Nearest Green, an enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel the craft. This history was suppressed for 150 years and only restored to public knowledge through the Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey brand (founded 2017 by Fawn Weaver) and subsequent historical research.
Benchmark products
Vintage assessments
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 83 | Return to more balanced conditions; good natural grain quality with classic Tennessee character. |
| 2022 | 88 | Extreme heat year; record grain sugar levels. Tennessee whiskey distillates of exceptional richness. |
| 2021 | 86 | Warm, dry Tennessee summer; excellent corn concentration. One of the finer recent grain harvests. |
| 2020 | 82 | Hot, humid summer; reliable grain quality. Consistent Tennessee whiskey production. |
| 2019 | 84 | Good Tennessee summer; classic corn and rye crop quality. Well-balanced new make with characteristic Tennessee smoothness. |
| 2018 | 90 | Excellent Tennessee grain harvest; hot, dry summer produced exceptional corn with high fermentable sugar. Lincoln County Process filtering enhanced the already superior base. |