In 1780, Joel and John Callahan marched over the Appalachian Mountains with the Overmountain Men. Farmers. Hunters. Craftsmen. They left their homesteads to defend a revolution, helped break the British southern campaign at the Battle of Kings Mountain, and came home to settle the Nolichucky River region of East Tennessee. They brought copper stills and the craft of distilling with them from Cork County, Ireland.

Two hundred and fifty years later, their family is still making whiskey in these hills.

Tennessee Hills Distillery is proud to release its first Tennessee Whiskey: a wheated expression charcoal-mellowed through sugar maple, shaped by limestone water, and aged with the kind of patience the old ways demand. We made it to honor the Callahan family’s 11 generations of distilling heritage. And we made it as the official TN250 spirits product for the state of Tennessee’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

One family. Eleven generations. Our first Tennessee Whiskey. A True Taste of Tennessee.

Before Kentucky, There Was Tennessee

Most people hear "American whiskey" and think Kentucky. But the real history started here.

Early Scots-Irish settlers crossed these mountains with copper stills on their backs. They found everything they needed in the Tennessee highlands: limestone springs, abundant grain, endless hardwood, and the stubborn independence to perfect their craft without asking anyone’s permission.

By the late 1800s, Tennessee had over 500 distilleries, making it the whiskey capital of America.

Then came Prohibition. Tennessee started early, in 1909, and kept most of the state dry until 2009. For a hundred years, only three counties in western Tennessee could legally distill. The rest went underground.

Including the Callahans.

This bottle honors the distillers who kept the craft alive when they were told they couldn’t. Their legacy didn’t die in Prohibition. It waited. And in 2014, Stephen Earl and Jessica Callahan opened Tennessee Hills Distillery in a 180-year-old building in Jonesborough (Tennessee’s oldest town, and its first capital) that once served as the most heavily guarded structure in the region during the Civil War: the Salt House.

The family finally made legal what they’d been mastering for centuries.

What Makes This Whiskey Different

For a decade, Tennessee Hills has crafted bourbon, rum, vodka, gin, cream liqueurs, and award-winning beer. But Tennessee Whiskey is the one Stephen always had his eye on. The expression that closes the circle between the Callahan bloodline and the land that shaped it.

Our Master Distiller, Jason Franklin, built this whiskey around a few deliberate choices.

Wheated, not ryed. Most Tennessee whiskeys lean on rye for their secondary grain, which brings spice and heat. Jason went the other direction. He chose wheat because he prefers a smoother, rounder profile over rye’s sharp edge. He’d been working with wheat in his corn liquor recipes for years and liked what it did to the body of the spirit. The result is a Tennessee Whiskey that’s warmer and more approachable than most on the shelf.

Small barrel aged. We aged this expression in 30-gallon barrels rather’ than the standard 53-gallon. The smaller barrel means more surface area contact between whiskey and white oak, which pulls flavor faster. The tradeoff is that it leaves less time for oxidation during aging, making the process trickier to manage. Jason nailed the balance.

Charcoal mellowed through sugar maple. That’s the Lincoln County Process, and it’s what makes Tennessee Whiskey its own category. Every drop filtered through sugar maple charcoal before it ever touches a barrel.

Our yeast. We keep the strain close to the chest. It’s ours, and it matters more than most people realize.

Tasting Notes

Dried prunes, baking spices, smoked candy caramel, and vanilla on the nose. Rich roasted chestnut on the palate, with a deep, long finish that sticks with you in all the right ways.

It’s the kind of pour you take your time with.

The TN250 Partnership

As Tennessee marks 250 years of America’s independence, the state launched TN250: a statewide celebration of the people, places, and stories that helped define the nation. The Volunteer State has stood at the heart of the American story since the Revolutionary War, through the Civil Rights movement, through the music that moved the world, and through communities built on courage and service.

Tennessee Hills was asked to produce the official TN250 Tennessee Whiskey, and we don’t take that lightly. This partnership connects the Callahan family’s story to the state’s story in a way that felt inevitable. Joel and John Callahan were part of the generation that fought for this country’s independence. Their descendants are part of the generation building Tennessee’s future.

The whiskey will debut at Whiskey and Wags in Nashville on Saturday, March 28, and will be available at our Bristol distillery starting that same weekend. Coming soon to the Salt House in Jonesborough.

$49.99. Get yourself a piece of Tennessee history.

For the Inner Circle: The Helix Society

If Tennessee Hills has ever found its way into your glass, you’re already part of the family.
That’s why we built The Helix Society: for the ones who keep coming back. The ones who ask Stephen what’s in the barrel. The ones who know the difference between our 51 and the green label. The ones who want the bottles we don’t put on the shelf.

Members get limited releases, free cocktails, behind-the-scenes access, member-only events, skip-the-line at the restaurant, and a few surprises we haven’t announced yet.

And the TN250 Wheated Tennessee Whiskey is the first exclusive release for Helix Society members.

Enroll with the code SALTHOUSE before May 9 to become a founding member.

Tennessee Hills Distillery operates locations in Bristol, Jonesborough, and Johnson City, Tennessee. We're the largest privately-owned brewing and distillation company in the U.S., built on 11 generations of Appalachian craft heritage. Come visit. Stay rowdy. #ResponsiblyRowdy