Nashville Barrel Company · Whiskey 101
The short version: all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. Here's the longer version, in plain English — the six rules, what bourbon's made from, and where Tennessee whiskey fits.
Bourbon isn't a brand or a place — it's a legal standard. To be called bourbon in the United States, a whiskey has to clear all six of these.
Bourbon can be made in any U.S. state — not only Kentucky.
The grain mash must be majority corn. The rest is usually rye, wheat, or malted barley.
Aged in brand-new charred-oak barrels — never used ones. Most of the color and flavor comes from here.
Off the still at no more than 80% ABV, so it keeps grain character instead of coming out neutral.
Entered into the barrel at no more than 62.5% ABV.
Bottled at 40% ABV or higher. There's no minimum age to be bourbon — but "straight" bourbon must age at least two years.
Bourbon starts with a mash bill — the recipe of grains. Corn does the heavy lifting (the required 51%+) and brings the sweetness. The supporting grains set the personality: rye adds spice and pepper, wheat makes it softer and rounder, and malted barley helps convert the starches during fermentation. Change the ratio and you change the whiskey — which is the whole idea behind a single barrel.
Bourbon is distilled from grains that contain gluten, but distillation leaves the gluten proteins behind, so the spirit itself has no measurable gluten. Most people who avoid gluten drink it without trouble. If you have celiac disease, talk to your doctor, and watch for anything added after distillation, like flavorings. This is general information, not medical advice.
Here's the part most people miss: Tennessee whiskey meets every requirement to be bourbon — and then adds one more step. Before it goes into the barrel, the spirit is filtered through sugar-maple charcoal, a step called the Lincoln County Process. That mellowing is what sets Tennessee whiskey apart. Technically it could wear the bourbon label; by choice and by law it's sold as Tennessee whiskey.
| Whiskey | Bourbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | The broad family | A type of whiskey |
| Where | Anywhere in the world | United States only |
| Main grain | Any grain | At least 51% corn |
| Barrel | Any oak, new or used | New, charred oak only |
| Bottling | Varies by style | 80 proof or higher |
We make single-barrel bourbon, which means every bottle comes from one barrel rather than a blend of hundreds — so the mash bill and the barrel actually show up in the glass. It's the same reason our barrels finished #2 and #4 in Fred Minnick's 2024 blind tasting and earned a 2026 single-barrel Double Gold: when you don't blend the differences away, the good barrels speak for themselves.
A guided flight is the fastest way to learn your own palate. Walk-ins welcome at both Nashville locations.
Book a Whiskey Flight · $35Yes — bourbon is a type of whiskey. All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon, because bourbon has to meet a specific set of legal requirements.
Whiskey is any spirit distilled from fermented grain and aged in wood. Bourbon is whiskey that's American-made, at least 51% corn, and aged in new charred oak — plus the proof rules above.
A grain mash that's at least 51% corn, rounded out with rye, wheat, and/or malted barley. The supporting grains decide whether it leans spicy, soft, or rich.
Distilled bourbon has no measurable gluten, since distillation leaves the proteins behind. Many gluten-avoidant people drink it fine; those with celiac should check with a doctor. General info, not medical advice.
It meets every bourbon requirement, then adds charcoal mellowing (the Lincoln County Process) before barreling — so it qualifies as bourbon but is labeled Tennessee whiskey.