May 21st marks International Tennessee Whiskey Day and here at UPROXX we’re definitely game to celebrate. Tennessee whiskey is one of the more misunderstood subsects in the American whiskey world with people often wondering, for instance, what separates it from bourbon. The eternal debates about whether or not Jack Daniel’s in particular is a bourbon can be maddening for anyone who cares about the category.
To quickly dispense with that question — yes, the method used to produce Jack Daniel’s means it can call itself a bourbon per Federal law. “Tennessee whiskey” is a category that was enshrined as a state law back in 2013 and it says essentially that for something to be labeled Tennessee whiskey, it must meet all the same requirements as bourbon and the liquid must undergo the Lincoln County Process before aging. Bourbon with an extra step, if you will.
You can argue until the blue in your face is the same hue as George Dickel’s Bottled in Bond label, but Tennessee whiskey, for the most part, is a category of bourbon. Yes, that includes Jack Daniel’s.
With that out of the way, you should also know that the world of Tennessee whiskey extends much further than just Lynchburg — with over 30 whiskey-producing distilleries in the state. Some of the country’s best whiskeys are being made in the Volunteer State and there’s no better time than today to explore everything it has to offer. To help with that, we picked the 10 best whiskeys that we’ve tried from Tennessee and ranked them just for you.
10. Uncle Nearest Rye Uncut/Unfiltered Straight Whiskey
ABV: 59.8%
Average Price: $63
The Whiskey:
Uncle Nearest’s best whiskey comes from…Canada? Sourced from Canada, aged in New York, and rested for an undisclosed period in used Uncle Nearest barrels in Tennessee, this whiskey is made from a 100% rye recipe.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Orange peel, singed mint, and chili pepper comprise the initial nosing notes but those are soon supported by some grain-forward aromas accented with a drizzle of honey. Overall the nose is very reminiscent of the lightness one expects with Canadian rye but aided by an additional punch of earthiness.
Palate: On the palate this whiskey stays true to its nosing notes but there’s also a flash of red pepper flakes at the outset that surprises. Furthermore, at midpalate there is a touch of bubblegum, and the notes of honey turn into sticky bits of butterscotch — making for a richer sipping experience than the aromas would have you believe.
Finish: The finish is flush with allspice and slightly drying oak tones that replace the light sweetness that was so evident at the front of the palate.
Bottom Line:
While this Uncut/Unfiltered rye may have taken the long road home the results are something that Tennesseans can be proud of. Uncle Nearest might be best known for their flagship whiskey but their rye is really where you should place your attention.
9. Sweetens Cove 22 Tennessee Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Speyside Scotch Casks
ABV: 57%
Average Price: $200
The Whiskey:
Sweetens Cove 22 is a bit misleading in that the big ol’ number on the bottle is indicative of the year this was first released, and not an age statement. Comprised of Tennessee bourbons aged for 10, 8, 6, and 5 years star blender Marianne Eaves curated, the whiskey was then finished in Speyside casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Clove-studded orange wheels greet the nose at first along with the aroma of raisins and a strikingly grainy undertone. It’s full of light sweet notes along with some peanut shells and a sturdy oak backbone.
Palate: On the palate it’s the citrus-and-clove accent that stands out. Honeyed toast and apricots also really pop at midpalate and as this transitions away from bright sweetness there’s a slight tartness that gives way to almond butter and mellow oak spice.
Finish: The long-lasting finish showcases the oak tones and baking spices as cracked black pepper provides a prickly mouthfeel allowing you to appreciate the robust proof without being overwhelmed by it.
Bottom Line:
Sweetens Cove 22 features a bevy of flavors but impressively it never becomes too muddled to pick them apart and appreciate. While the impact of the Speyside finishing cask is surprisingly difficult to pick up on, the whiskey itself is none the worse for it and the finished product is an undeniable success.
8. Rattle & Snap Tennessee Straight Whiskey Aged 8 Years
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $93
The Whiskey:
Rattle & Snap Tennessee Whiskey gets its name from an old Southern game of chance with one such game leading to the brand’s founding. It should be noted that this Tennessee whiskey is produced by Kentucky’s Log Still Cabin Distillery.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Full of caramelized bananas, brown butter, and maple candy, the nose on this whiskey is indicative of the Lincoln County Process deployed in its creation.
Palate: On the palate those notes of maple candy and caramelized banana detonate across the tongue before that overt sweetness is joined by allspice, black tea, and cinnamon bark.
Finish: The finish is surprisingly lengthy thanks to the baking spices growing in prominence while brown sugar supplants the rest of the sweet notes to offer balance on the back end.
Bottom Line:
While Rattle & Snap’s 4-year expression is surprisingly delicious in its own right, the 8-year version exceeds it by providing additional depth and a far longer finish. Taking a chance on this delicious whiskey won’t leave you snakebitten — it’s dangerously easy to drink.
7. George Dickel Tennessee Bottled in Bond Whisky
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
Made up of a mashbill that’s 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley, this offering from George Dickel is an atypically well-aged Bottled in Bond expression. This latest version comes from the fall 2005 distilling season, making it 13 years old.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm brown sugar, sticky maple syrup, and fruity notes like stewed red apple and ripe bananas are abundant on the nose. There’s an almost smoky undertone that goes well with the mellow oak aromas here. Finally, there’s a touch of milk chocolate that gives this whiskey the distinct impression of being artfully aged.
Palate: On the palate you can expect to taste toasted pecans with more subdued brown sugar as the maple syrup aroma notes become more distinct in the mouth. Bruised banana notes and a faint bit of wet tobacco, nutmeg, and cornbread taste also stand out. The mouthfeel is surprisingly rich and robust despite being only 100 proof, a welcome surprise as you take a second and third sip.
Finish: On the finish there’s a growing influence of leather but also more fruit as a bit of waxy fig comes to the fore along with a few shakes of allspice.
Bottom Line:
George Dickel whisky is often maligned (and at times celebrated) for having a distinct waxy fruit note thanks to the yeast they use. That prototypical flavor is far more restrained in their older releases, with this 13-year expression featuring the note sparingly and instead pushing mature oak notes forward. Melding their classic flavor profile with the added depth from hyper-aging makes George Dickel Bottled in Bond an impressively rich and exceedingly affordable option.
6. Nelson’s Green Brier Maple Cask Finished Bourbon
ABV: 52.9%
Average Price: https://greenbrierdistillery.com/pages/distillery-exclusives
The Whiskey:
For its first special release of 2024, Nasville’s Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery opted to release this maple cask-finished bourbon as a distillery-exclusive small batch. Despite being sourced from Kentucky and Indiana bourbon, the whiskey in this blend rested in maple syrup casks for an undisclosed period in Tennessee.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramels and dark chocolate are immediately evocative on the nose before the maple syrup wafts in over the top of them. Rich oak notes, complete with bits of barrel char, are also obvious at the heart of this whiskey’s panoply of sweet aromas.
Palate: A big dose of vanilla extract lands on the palate before chalky dark chocolate and rich maple syrup notes tingle the tongue. There are polished leather notes that help to restrain the sweetness from becoming too prominent and flavors like tomato paste and black pepper further round out each sip.
Finish: On the medium-length finish you’ll find more tomato paste and some torched red pepper to go with chocolate-covered coffee beans, barrel char, and overarching maple syrup flavors.
Bottom Line:
This is a pour that forces you to pay attention as the initial expectation of heavy-handed maple syrup sweetness is instead met with nuanced semi-bitter chocolate notes. The fact that the maple syrup is buried beneath other sweet tones goes a long way as it undulates beneath every sip and only truly unveils itself on the finish. In the end, though this release wasn’t distilled in Tennessee it’s still an excellent example of Nelson Bros blending prowess and penchant for deftly deploying finishing casks.
5. Chattanooga Whiskey Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $61
The Whiskey:
Chattanooga Whiskey’s Founder’s Blend is always an intriguing peak into founder Tim Piersant’s mind. For this 12th edition, Piersant sought to blend past, present, and future. By combining 12% of Chattanooga’s original mashbill, 60% of their signature Tennessee High Malt recipe, and 28% of the liquid comes from their Infinity Solera barrel which is filled with a blend of malt and rye malt whiskeys from Chattanooga’s Experimental and Riverfront Distilleries.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is effusive with peanut brittle, malted chocolate, and jammy berries reminiscent of a blackberry compote. The malted liquid really forms the backbone of the aroma of this whiskey.
Palate: On the palate those notes become far richer and the velvety texture holds flavors like caramel cake, ginger candy, and creme brulee with a candied orange peel on top. A faint bit of spearmint and cinnamon also complements the chocolate wafer note that slowly grows in prominence as this pour transitions to the finish.
Finish: The finish is where the caramel, malted chocolate balls, and custard-like creaminess crescendo. The finish is rich and long-lasting, coating the palate in such a satisfying way that you can’t help but oblige repeat sips.
Bottom Line:
This unique blend from Chattanooga Whiskey does an excellent job of fusing the brand’s history into a flavor-packed pour. The depth of the aromas is only matched by the richness found on the palate, and with this being such an affordably priced pour it’s more than worth exploring the nuanced profusion of well-rounded whiskey notes.
4. George Dickel 15-Year Tennessee Single Barrel Whisky
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $73
The Whiskey:
This 15-year-old offering from George Dickel is notable for both its price and its age. With bottles regularly clocking in well over the 15-year age statement, its modest cost makes it an incredible value. Made from the same mashbill that goes into Dickel’s Bottled in Bond expression, this hyper-aged single barrel version is bottled at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose there are notes of leather, toffee, coffee beans, and maple syrup to entice the senses. Spin the glass then return to it to find an abundance of stewed stone fruits, vanilla extract, and waffle cones as well.
Palate: While the nosing notes travel to the palate, the real fun is in discerning the degrees to which they’re amplified or muted. Stewed stone fruits seem to pop along with flavors like maple candy, marzipan, and vanilla extract. There are also elements of hazelnut, barrel char, and rosewater to be found.
Finish: The finish has plenty of hazelnut spread, vanilla, and marzipan to offer before tapering off with moderate length.
Bottom Line:
George Dickel’s 15-Year Tennessee Whisky might just be the best value on this entire list — indeed it’s one of the most underrated values in all of American whiskey. There aren’t many if any other 15-year-old single barrel offerings out there and the ones that come close aren’t typically offered at cask strength. Value aside, George Dickel’s 15-Year-Old Tennessee Single Barrel Whisky is a delicious spirit that shows finesse and nuance, taking an iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove approach in a marketplace that too often reaches for unrepentant bludgeons.
3. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey
ABV: 64.3%
Average Price: $62
The Whiskey:
If you thought Jack Daniel’s was all Old No. 7 then their single barrel barrel strength offerings are just what the doctor ordered to cure you of your ignorance. Made from a mashbill with 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley this expression was released on the heels of Jack Daniel’s wildly popular Single Barrel Special Release Barrel Proof Rye.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: While it comes off a bit hot at first, it soon settles down and the aroma of gingerbread cookies, spanked mint, cinnamon bark, and sassafrass emanates from the glass. There are also chunks of butterscotch, a big hit of nutmeg, and a touch of black tea on the nose.
Palate: A total revelation on the palate, there’s a heavy dose of sticky caramel to go with some fresh mint and clove. The mouthfeel is truly robust on this chewy whiskey that coats your palate and makes you salivate courtesy of that high ABV.
Finish: The finish is slightly drying and introduces elements like Smarties candy part tart, part sweet flavor profile as the caramel cascades away. Look for an increased oak presence which is tempered by the herbaceous piquancy of fresh mint.
Bottom Line:
Another absolute stunner when it comes to value, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey doesn’t deserve to be confined to the rye category or even just the Tennessee whiskey category. This is one of the best American whiskeys on the market today and the fact that it can almost always be found for less than $100 is an absolute gift to consumers. Don’t skip out on its sibling, the Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey either, but know that the rye flies a little bit higher.
2. Nashville Barrel Company Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 61.6%
Average Price: $115
The Whiskey:
Nashville Barrel Company has been up to no good since 2018 — that is to say, they’ve been great since the beginning. Using a model of sourced whiskey to bring incredible single barrels to market is their modus operandi and this particular bottle — selected by founders Mike Hinds and James Davenport — is proof positive that it’s working. This is cask-strength bourbon from Kentucky, stored in Tennessee, and released after 7 years of maturing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has a healthy helping of sweet maple and caramel on the sweet end of the spectrum with vanilla, butter, and oak serving to prop those up.
Palate: The thick and oily mouthfeel on this bourbon lends itself well to the notes of brown sugar, dark cherry, and cocoa that wash over your palate. If you stick with it, you’ll also find flavors like tobacco and oak creeping through as well.
Finish: Bold and long-lasting is the best way to describe the finish on this bourbon with maple, oak, and hints of leather all having their say.
Bottom Line:
Checking back on the notes you’ll see that boldness with balance is the name of the game here. Nashville Barrel Company does an excellent job of sourcing great whiskey, and the quality of their single-barrel bourbons speaks to this, with their superlative small batches providing supporting arguments. With Lynchburg so far out of the way, you’d be wise to visit NBC when in Nashville and discover their single-barrel bourbon and much more at their tasting room downtown.
1. Jack Daniel’s 12-year-Old Tennessee Whiskey Batch 2
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $92
The Whiskey:
Jack Daniel’s Age Stated Series began with a 10-year-old expression and has since blossomed to include this stellar 12-year-old Tennessee Whiskey as well. Now on its second batch, this whiskey clocks in at an elevated ABV of 53.5% showcasing Old No. 7’s classic grain recipe at both a higher age and proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Jack Daniel’s 12-Year is bolstered by a tobacco leaf and leather backbone which provides cover for pralines, brandied raisins, and brown sugar. Further exploration exposes a touch of blackberry and molasses to go with a bit of black tea and mature oak.
Palate: Blackberry jam and brown sugar seep into your tongue almost immediately as the viscous texture allows waves of sweetness to crest against the shores of your palate. The balance of each sip is the most remarkable feat of this whiskey along with the depth of the flavors it showcases. On the lengthy finish, you’ll find the maple candy sweetness transitions to a spice-laden extravaganza with clove and Aleppo red pepper flakes taking the lead before brûléed bananas usher you into your next sip.
Bottom Line:
If you want the perfect Tennessee whiskey you don’t have to look much further than Lynchburg, where they’ve been making masterful liquid since 1866. Jack Daniel’s Age Stated Series isn’t just superfluous fan service to modern tastes, it represents the pinnacle of the distillery’s current output. If International Tennessee Whiskey Day is all about celebrating the Volunteer State’s best, then it was almost inevitable that Jack would top the list.
