Tennessee Whiskey Trail Continues Tennessee Collective Bottle Series with Sophomore Release

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After the award-winning 2025 release sold out, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail is proud to announce the second annual release of the Tennessee Collective, a limited-edition bottle series that brings together distilleries across the state to celebrate Tennessee’s thriving spirit industry through a one-of-a-kind collaborative blend.

Available beginning Sept. 1, this year's Tennessee Collective features a cask-strength American whiskey created from hand-selected barrels contributed by eleven Tennessee distilleries from along the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. The annual project highlights the craftsmanship, collaboration and innovation that define the Tennessee Whiskey Trail while offering whiskey enthusiasts a truly special bottle that cannot be replicated.

“The Tennessee Whiskey Trail is thrilled to continue the Tennessee Collective, bringing together a new group of distilleries to showcase our state’s exceptional craft spirits,” said Charity Toombs, executive director of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. “After the success of last year's inaugural release, we're excited to continue making the Tennessee Collective an annual tradition that showcases the strength of our distilling community and gives whiskey enthusiasts something new to discover each year.”

This year's blend was created at Old Glory Distilling Co. under the direction of owner and distiller Matt Cunningham. Representatives from each participating distillery gathered for the ceremonial barrel dumping, where they shared the details behind their barrel selections, mash bills and tasting notes before blending them into a single expression.

According to Cunningham, “It was a pleasure to host the other ten participants for this experience. Coming together like this is a reminder that while each distillery has its own unique story and style, we're all working toward the same goal: elevating Tennessee spirits and showcasing what makes our industry so special. Everybody brings something different to the table, and blended together it makes for something better than any of us are able to do alone.”

Participating distilleries contributing a barrel include:

• Big Machine Distillery

• Gate 11 Distillery

• Jack Daniel Distillery

• Leiper’s Fork Distillery

• Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery

• Old Dominick Distillery

• Old Glory Distilling Co.

• Peg Leg Porker Spirits

• Short Mountain Distillery

• Sugarlands Distilling Company

• Tennessee Legend Distillery

The 2026 Tennessee Collective is bottled at 120 proof, with every contributed barrel aged a minimum of four years and selected to meet the highest quality standards before being incorporated into the final blend. Rich and full-bodied, this whiskey opens with notes of oak, nuttiness and a hint of mint, followed by vanilla, tobacco and spice on the palate, and finishes with a lingering touch of spiced honey. Each bottle also features an individual neck label, made with Proof-It, equipped with proprietary technology that allows purchasers to claim their bottle digitally, explore the story behind the blend and the distillery from where it was purchased, as well as participate in a Tasting Notes Contest to win tickets to the 2027 Grains & Grits Festival.

Beginning September 1, each participating distillery will offer a limited number of bottles for purchase at its tasting room or bottle shop for $79.99. Consumers are encouraged to contact participating distilleries directly for availability and purchasing information.

The Tennessee Whiskey Trail released the inaugural bottle in September 2025, collaborating with a dozen distilleries to create an American Whiskey. The release was highly sought after among fans and regarded among the experts, receiving multiple accolades including Double Platinum at the ASCOT Awards and Gold Medals in the SIP Awards, Barleycorn Awards and London Spirits Competition.

For more information on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail or the Tennessee Collective launch, visit tnwhiskeytrail.com.

ABOUT THE TENNESSEE WHISKEY TRAIL

Where the whiskey meets the road. In 2017, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail was launched by the Tennessee Distillers Guild as a celebration of our state and its signature spirits. Today we host more than 30 stops across the state, offering a taste of Tennessee and a road map for adventure. Visitors to the Trail can soak up the sights and sounds that have been shaped by Tennessee whiskey, whether stopping by for a sip or making a weekend of it. For more information, visit the website and the Tennessee Whiskey Trail’s Instagram.