Lincoln County Process
Encyclopedia
The Lincoln County Process is a process used in making some Tennessee whiskey
s such as Jack Daniel's
and George Dickel
. The whiskey is filtered through a column of charcoal
chips before going into the casks
for aging. The process is named for Lincoln County, Tennessee
, which was the location of Daniel's distillery at the time of its establishment; subsequent redrawing of county lines
means that neither distillery currently using the process is located in the county for which the process is named.
The charcoal used by Jack Daniel's
is created on site, from stacks of two by two inch sugar maple
timbers called "ricks." They are primed with 140 proof Jack Daniel's, and then ignited
under massive hoods that help prevent sparks. Once they have reached the char
state, the ricks are sprayed with water to prevent complete combustion
. The resulting charcoal
is then run through a grinder to reduce it to consistent bean-size pellets. These are then packed into 10 feet (3 m) vats, where they are used to filter impurities from the 140 proof whiskey, after which the whiskey is reduced with water to 125 proof for aging. This process lends a darker color and "richer" taste.
The George Dickel
distillery uses shallower vats, chills its whiskey before it enters the vats, and allows the whiskey to fill the vats instead of just trickling it through. The distillery claims that these differences yield a better filtering process.
Some producers claim that according to a 1941 Internal Revenue Service
ruling issued at the request of the Jack Daniel's distillery, the Lincoln County Process is what distinguishes "Tennessee Whiskey" from "Bourbon
". However, not all producers of products labelled as Tennessee Whiskey use the process. (In particular, it is not used for production of Benjamin Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey.)
To be labeled as a "Straight Bourbon", it is prohibited for flavoring or coloring compounds to be added to the spirit after the fermenting process. While it is a common misconception that this requirement prohibits the use of the Lincoln County Process for bourbons, it is actually not uncommon for bourbons to be charcoal filtered, and the decision not to label whiskies that use the process as "bourbon" may only be a choice of marketing strategy.
The term Tennessee Whiskey does not actually have a legal definition in the U.S. Federal regulations that define the Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits. The only legal definition of the term Tennessee Whiskey in U.S. federally-recognized legislation is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
, which states only that Tennessee whiskey is "a straight Bourbon Whiskey authorized to be produced only in the State of Tennessee". This definition is also recognized in the law of Canada
, which states that Tennessee whiskey must be "a straight Bourbon whisky produced in the State of Tennessee". None of these regulations require the use of the Lincoln County filtering process (or any other filtering process).
Tennessee whiskey
Tennessee whiskey is Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced in the state of Tennessee. This definition is legally established under the North American Free Trade Agreement and at least one other international trade agreement that require that Tennessee whiskey be "a straight Bourbon Whiskey authorized...
s such as Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
and George Dickel
George Dickel
George Dickel is the name of a brand of Tennessee whisky distilled and aged in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee, near Tullahoma and bottled in Stamford, Connecticut and Canada. The brand is now owned by Diageo PLC. Four whiskies are produced at the George Dickel Distillery: George Dickel Cascade Hollow,...
. The whiskey is filtered through a column of charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
chips before going into the casks
Barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Traditionally, the barrel was a standard size of measure referring to a set capacity or weight of a given commodity. A small barrel is called a keg.For example, a...
for aging. The process is named for Lincoln County, Tennessee
Lincoln County, Tennessee
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. , the population was 31,340. Its county seat is Fayetteville. It is named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
, which was the location of Daniel's distillery at the time of its establishment; subsequent redrawing of county lines
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
means that neither distillery currently using the process is located in the county for which the process is named.
The charcoal used by Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
is created on site, from stacks of two by two inch sugar maple
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum is a species of maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario, and south to Georgia and Texas...
timbers called "ricks." They are primed with 140 proof Jack Daniel's, and then ignited
Combustion
Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can result in the production of light in the form of either glowing or a flame...
under massive hoods that help prevent sparks. Once they have reached the char
Char
Char is the solid material that remains after light gases and tar coal tar have been driven out or released from a carbonaceous material during the initial stage of combustion, which is known as carbonization, charring, devolatilization or pyrolysis.Further stages of efficient combustion are...
state, the ricks are sprayed with water to prevent complete combustion
Combustion
Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can result in the production of light in the form of either glowing or a flame...
. The resulting charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
is then run through a grinder to reduce it to consistent bean-size pellets. These are then packed into 10 feet (3 m) vats, where they are used to filter impurities from the 140 proof whiskey, after which the whiskey is reduced with water to 125 proof for aging. This process lends a darker color and "richer" taste.
The George Dickel
George Dickel
George Dickel is the name of a brand of Tennessee whisky distilled and aged in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee, near Tullahoma and bottled in Stamford, Connecticut and Canada. The brand is now owned by Diageo PLC. Four whiskies are produced at the George Dickel Distillery: George Dickel Cascade Hollow,...
distillery uses shallower vats, chills its whiskey before it enters the vats, and allows the whiskey to fill the vats instead of just trickling it through. The distillery claims that these differences yield a better filtering process.
Some producers claim that according to a 1941 Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
ruling issued at the request of the Jack Daniel's distillery, the Lincoln County Process is what distinguishes "Tennessee Whiskey" from "Bourbon
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
". However, not all producers of products labelled as Tennessee Whiskey use the process. (In particular, it is not used for production of Benjamin Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey.)
To be labeled as a "Straight Bourbon", it is prohibited for flavoring or coloring compounds to be added to the spirit after the fermenting process. While it is a common misconception that this requirement prohibits the use of the Lincoln County Process for bourbons, it is actually not uncommon for bourbons to be charcoal filtered, and the decision not to label whiskies that use the process as "bourbon" may only be a choice of marketing strategy.
The term Tennessee Whiskey does not actually have a legal definition in the U.S. Federal regulations that define the Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits. The only legal definition of the term Tennessee Whiskey in U.S. federally-recognized legislation is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
, which states only that Tennessee whiskey is "a straight Bourbon Whiskey authorized to be produced only in the State of Tennessee". This definition is also recognized in the law of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, which states that Tennessee whiskey must be "a straight Bourbon whisky produced in the State of Tennessee". None of these regulations require the use of the Lincoln County filtering process (or any other filtering process).