Irish Vs Tennessee Whiskey: What's The Difference?

Whiskey offers a globe-spanning selection of regional varieties. From Indian and Japanese expressions to centuries-old types like Scotch and the great American tradition of different whiskey and bourbon, just about every continent is covered. Intriguingly, areas with abundant distillation offer even more specific styles; take the many whiskey types found in the United States and British Isles.

Compare a bottle of Irish and Tennessee whiskey side by side, and lots of nuanced differences come about — evincing terroir and tradition in the process. Both types employ distinct mash bills, with Tennessee whiskey featuring a corn-heavy mix, as opposed to Irish whiskey's barley and cereal base. Production comes with unique techniques, like Tennessee's distinct charcoal filtration, as opposed to the triple-distillation and blending common in Ireland. Subsequently, it comes as no surprise there's some differences in taste, too. The Tennessee style packs in gentle, lightly sweet notes, while the Irish is known for its malty, floral, and delicate character. Both are on the mellower side of whiskey types, but with distinguished flavor palates, making them intriguing spirits for side-by-side comparison.

Irish whiskey is an especially historic style; production on the island dates to at least the 16th century. Subsequently, distillation comes with lots of historic pride, upheld by federally-regulated requirements for production. The spirit must employ yeast for fermentation, utilize specifically malt and cereal, and be distilled in Ireland. Strength out of the still caps just under 120 proof, and the liquor next ages in wooden barrels for at least three years.

While not legally required, Irish whiskey can be triple-distilled, a popular explanation for its smooth and floral palate. However, this isn't a defined quality of the substyle — rich and spicy peated or pot-distilled Irish whiskeys exist, too. What's more common is the practice of blending; the vast majority of whiskeys in the country are created through such a technique. Merging varying grains, malts, distillation techniques, and even distilleries, this practice is the characteristic attribute of the style, akin to the charcoal filtration of Tennessee whiskey.

Irish distilleries created impressively balanced spirits, with flavor profiles that cover a range of fruit, grain, cereal, and barrel. Such dedication is witnessed by huge brands like Jameson, which makes Irish whiskey that tastes the same no matter where you buy it. Plus, you can explore delicious expressions from small-batch distilleries like Teeling and historic Bushmills, which was established in 1608.

Like with Irish whiskey, the Tennessee style also comes with a few legally binding regulations. In addition to production occurring only in the state of Tennessee, the liquor must use a 51% corn mash base, and spend time in charred oak barrels (these are both regulations for bourbon, too). The strength is capped at 140 proof post distillation, but must be at least 40% ABV once bottled. While Irish whiskey seldom tops 60% ABV, the Tennessee counterpart does come in stiffer expressions.

However, what really sets this American style apart is the Lincoln County process. In the southern part of the state, distillers employ a unique filtration technique using local materials. Prior to barreling, the spirit passes through specifically sugar maple tree-derived charcoal. This immersion sieves certain compounds and alters the mouthfeel, thereby creating a more polished spirit with mellower notes.

Both Irish and Tennessee whiskey share such a lighter composition, but their initial grains are reflected in the tasting notes. The American style still showcases the spiced, vanilla-like, richly caramelized notes characteristic of bourbon, just rounded out. And the barrel character also shines through — although opposed to Irish whiskey, there's no designated resting duration. As a result, Tennessee-style whiskey makes for an enthralling subgenre of American distillation. Around since the mid-19th century, the style features production by a must-know whiskey brand — the world-famous Jack Daniel's. However, there are also several dozen craft distilleries to explore, too.