Old Hickory Hermitage Barrel Proof Whiskey

If you’ve been in the Bourbon Buyers Club for a while, you know that it’s really once in a blue moon that I offer up a Tennessee Whiskey. In the past if I’ve done one, it’s been from our friends at George Dickel, but today’s is every bit as worthy as offering up.

This one comes from Old Hickory – who have been players in the Whiskey market since the 1860s when they were originally making Bourbon in Fayette County. They would move to Tennessee at the tail end of the century, and have remained a fixture in the southern Whiskey for generations.

Tennessee Whiskey and Kentucky whiskey aren’t all that different. They’re both made with at least 51% corn and aged two years in new American charred oak barrels. The major difference is that almost all Tennessee Whiskey goes through the “Lincoln County Process” where the whisky is filtered through sugar maple charcoal before aging in the barrel. This adds a smoky tone but also makes the whiskey lighter on the palate & much more mellow.