Tennessee vs. Bourbon

[funknik]

I swear by the Dickel No.12, although it has a distinct grain flavor that I get to a much lesser degree in bourbons. Both TN whiskies have a high corn mashbill with very little rye, so they are less balanced than many bourbons -- also, they seem to have much less of a barrel presence in the finish than most bourbons. JD has a little more barrel than GD to me, but that's not enough to recommend it -- the proof is too low and the price is too high. Even Dickel No.8 is better than JD Black for half the price. I would offer that none of the TN whiskies I've had are especially complex (maybe due to the virtual lack of flavor grain), but they are pretty easy drinking. The closest TN/Bourbon comparison I can think of would be GD12 vs. WLW SR -- they remind me very much of each other.....the bottom line is there is much more variety in bourbon than TN whiskey, so it can't hurt to find a TN you like and just keep it around.