legal
Tennessee whiskey
Whiskey manufactured in Tennessee from a mash of at least 51% corn, distilled to no more than 160° proof, filtered through maple charcoal before ageing, barrelled at no more than 125° proof in new charred oak in Tennessee, and bottled at not less than 80° proof.
Where it is defined
Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-2-106(a) (2013); recognised as a distinctive US product under NAFTA Annex 313, carried into USMCA. NOT defined in 27 CFR part 5.
Often confused with bourbon
Federally, Tennessee whiskey has no standard of identity — TTB treats it as bourbon with a state name. The distinction lives in Tennessee state law, which adds maple-charcoal filtering (the Lincoln County Process) and requires production and ageing in Tennessee.
Worth knowing
Two nuances almost everyone misses: the state statute sets no minimum ageing period, and § 57-2-106(c) exempts one distillery from the charcoal-filtering requirement. Producers may lawfully call qualifying product 'bourbon' instead — the statute restricts the phrase 'Tennessee Whiskey', not 'bourbon'.
Related terms
Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · All glossary terms