Kentucky and Tennessee are hubs of American whiskey, and the two styles are rivals of sorts. Sweetens Cove Spirits Company is combining the two in a new bourbon called “Kennessee.”

Sweetens Cove was founded by Hall of Fame football player Peyton Manning, tennis player Andy Roddick and Mark Rivers. Rivers is a real estate developer and friend of Roddick.

This isn’t an April Fool’s joke — as far as we know.

Sweetens Cove Master Distiller Marianne Eaves understands Kentucky vs. Tennessee very well, having worked and lived in both states. The process behind Kennessee whiskey is “the curating and blending of Kentucky and Tennessee bourbons and the finishing of this blend with toasted sugar maple wood,” according to The Whiskey Wash. Eaves created a base blend and finished it in a stainless steel tank with wood spirals made from sugar maple wood.

“The use of toasted sugar maple to me is like a Kentuckian’s take on Tennessee’s Lincoln county process, adding flavors (mostly sweet and nutty) through the intentional deep toast instead of the way charcoal removes flavors and ‘mellows’ the whiskey,” Eaves told The Whiskey Wash. “We make it bolder.”

Sweetens Cove Kennessee is bottled at 55.35% ABV. It launched April 1 to Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Its suggested retail price is $60 per 750-milliliter bottle. Sweetens Cove plans to expand Kennessee to more states across the U.S. this year.

“Each state has its own legacy and lore, characters and culture, with a common state line,” Rivers said. “Kennessee is a delicious harmony of the two, crafted by Master Distiller Marianne Eaves, one of the world’s most highly regarded talents in bourbon and the spirits industry as a whole.”

Sweetens Cove Kennessee Whiskey Tasting Notes

Aroma: Warm toasted oak, graham cracker, rich mulled spice and orange peel, hint of dried pome fruit
Palate: Sweet warm caramel, vanilla and baking spices, hint of citrus, gentle chewy oak, easy creamy mid palate
Finish: Long, lingering warmth, sweet soft woodsy finish

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