The Tennessee Whiskey Trail announced the launch of the Tennessee Collective — a collaboration bringing together a dozen distilleries and their hand-selected barrels for a one-of-a-kind release. This special bottling of approximately 2,000 bottles is more than just a whiskey; it’s an expression of craftsmanship, community and the shared spirit that represents Tennessee.

 “The Tennessee Whiskey Trail was developed to foster collaboration across the state’s distillers and to help consumers experience the variety of spirits crafted statewide,” Charity Toombs, executive director of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, said in a news release. “The Tennessee Collective Bottle Series illustrates the collaborative spirit of Tennessee distilling, the camaraderie between distillers and the skillfulness of these 12 representatives to craft a product that proudly appeals to whiskey enthusiasts.”

For the inaugural edition, the participating members selected 12 barrels representing 12 distilleries, which were then thoughtfully blended at Sugarlands Distilling Company under the leadership of Sugarlands’ Master Distiller Greg Eidam, who also oversees the acclaimed Roaming Man Rye Whiskey to create a unique expression that celebrates the diversity and depth of the state’s dedication to craft spirits. The release marks the first time the Tennessee Whiskey Trail has offered a collective bottling, resulting in a complex spirit reflecting the rich heritage and tradition of its makers. 

For Eidam, the challenge to blend 12 varied whiskeys was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

“Blending whiskeys is an artform that challenges the blender to really pay attention to the nuances, notes and characteristics of the barrels,” he said. “Each participating distillery carefully selected their barrel based on its own unique flavor to meticulously create this collaboration of Tennessee spirits.” 

Participating distilleries contributing a barrel include: 

• Big Machine Distillery
• Company Distilling 
• Jack Daniel Distillery 
• Leiper’s Fork Distillery
• Lost State Distillery 
• Nashville Barrel Co. 
• Old Forge Distillery 
• Old Glory Distilling Co. 
• Ole Smoky Distillery 
• Sugarlands Distilling Company
• Tennessee Hills Distillery 
• Tennessee Legend Distillery 

Each barrel included in the blend was aged for a minimum four years and met bottling industry standards. The 2025 Tennessee Collective is bottled at cask strength. Additional partners in the project include NimbleJack, PGP Glass, Thoroughbred Spirits Group, Belmark Inc, Pacific Packaging and Aware/Proof It Technologies. 

The Tennessee Collective commemorative blend will be available for pre-order only at tnwhiskeytrail.com/tn-collective/ on Oct. 1 for $79 per 750 mL bottle. Due to the limited amount of product, fans are restricted to purchasing two bottles per person. Each bottle must be picked up Saturday, Nov. 1 from 1-3 p.m. EST at the Townsend Visitors Center, 7906 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Townsend, TN 37882 by the purchaser. Any bottle not picked up at the festival will be refunded back to the card on file. 

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ABOUT THE TENNESSEE WHISKEY TRAIL

Six years ago, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail was launched by the Tennessee Distillers Guild as a celebration of the state and its signature spirits. Today, the trail hosts more than 30 stops across the state, offering a taste of Tennessee and a road map for adventure. For more information, visit www.tnwhiskeytrail.com.