Jack Daniels Old No. 7 - Bourbon or not?

Any person new to whiskey going into a liquor store will be drawn to Jack Daniels. This brand is one of the most recognizable bottle on the shelf due to the massive marketing campaign behind it. Jack Daniels is the biggest selling American whiskey in the world by a huge margin. The popularity and availability of Jack Daniels all over the world also makes it the most likely first American whiskey people try. It was my first whiskey when I was mixing it with Coke. Sales volume alone makes Jack Daniels special in a sense that it has introduced millions of people into the world of whiskey. I know a lot of whiskey geeks look down on Jack Daniels but there is no denying the importance of this brand to whiskey as a whole. This is why my first post will be about the all time favourite Jack Daniels Old No. 7.

Jack's History

According to the bottle, Jack Daniels is made with quality & craftsmanship since 1866. Jack Daniels distillery was stablished during that year by a guy named Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel who learned the art of distilling from a preacher and a slave. That slave, Nathan "Nearest" Green, also became Jack Daniel's head distiller. The brand and the distillery survived the Prohibition and two World Wars which is proof of the brand's resiliency, quality and the savvy marketing behind it. Today, Jack Daniels is a behemoth in the whiskey industry selling 12 million cases last year alone. What makes it so popular? Is it the quality of the product or just marketing? To answer this we will first look at the label and see what the company claims make it unique and special.

The Lincoln county process = Not Bourbon? 

Jack Daniels prides itself as a Tennessee Whiskey, not Bourbon. There is a huge debate among Jack fans and even with in haters on whether or not Jack Daniels is Bourbon or not. So let us start with that question. Is Jack Daniels Bourbon? If we look at the legal definition of Bourbon, Jack Daniels meets all the requirements:

1. Produced in America - Jack Daniels is produced in Tennessee USA.
2. From a mash bill of at least 51% corn - Jack Daniels Mash Bill is 80% corn, 12% barley and 8% rye.
3. Distilled to no more than 160 proof - Jack Daniels is distilled to 140 proof.
4. Matured in charred new oak containers - Jack Daniels is matured in charred new oak containers they make themselves.
5. Bottled at no less than 80 proof - Jack Daniels is bottled at exactly 80 proof.
6. No artificial flavouring and/or colouring - Jack Daniels has no artificial flavouring and/ or colouring.

So Jack Daniels qualifies as a Bourbon, but why doesn't the bottle mention that? What sets Jack Daniels apart? The marketing message from Jack Daniels is the Lincoln County Process makes them special. The Lincoln County process is what the bottle refers to as "mellowed". The Lincoln county process means the whiskey, after it is distilled, is run through a charcoal filter made of Sugar Maple charcoal. It takes the whiskey approximately 3-5 days to go through 10 feet of Sugar Maple charcoal. This process supposedly gives Jack Daniels a more mellow and smoother character and is what makes it unique to Bourbon. Notice that the message is that the process mellows the whiskey instead of filters it. There is a huge difference in meaning between filtering and mellowing. Mellowing sounds better, like they are refining the product instead of taking out some impurities. To say it is filtering out impurities defeats the other marketing message they are so proud of; the fact that they use only the finest ingredients and the finest limestone water. To say the Lincoln Country process is a process of filtering makes one doubt the quality of the ingredients used because filtering sound like they are taking something away. Mellowing on the other hand sound like they are just enhancing the flavour by removing the harshness of the alcohol. The term Tennessee Whiskey is not recognized in Federal law but it is a legal definition in the state of Tennessee. Tennessee Whiskey in simple terms is a whiskey that meets the Federal requirements of a Straight Bourbon whiskey produced only in Tennessee using the Lincoln County process. This one extra step (Lincoln County process) is what allows Jack Daniels and its fans to claims that it is not Bourbon and make the argument that it is better than Bourbon. That however is a debate I do not want to enter.

Sour Mash or hot gas?

The bottle also mentions the term Sour Mash. What does this mean and does it make Jack Daniels unique? Sour Mash is a technique where part of the mash from the previous batch is used as a "starter" mash for the next. Think of it like you are making sour bread using a "starter" dough. Sour Mash as a technique is common in most whiskey distilleries because it allows them to maintain consistency from batch to batch and also allows them to help the yeast strain be more efficient in producing alcohol in the fermentation process. Sour mashing is not unique to Jack Daniels but not all distilleries prominently display it in their bottles because it is so common and does not really impart any additional flavour to the product. It is all about consistency.

What's with the year but no age statement?

The bottle has only one "date" (the year 1866) but it does not mention how old the Whiskey is. What does 1866 in the bottle mean? That year as mentioned at the start of the post is when the distillery was first built. That year however does not say anything about how long the whiskey in Jack Daniels is matured. In fact the year only serves one purpose, to show that the brand has a long heritage which to some people could mean quality. Imagine drinking a whiskey with roots going back to the mid 1800's. They must be doing something right. But it does not answer a very important question - how old is the whiskey in Jack Daniels?  Remember our definition of Bourbon earlier? That it has to be matured in charred new oak containers? How long is Jack Daniels matured? The Bottle does not carry an age statement but it offers a very vague promise - "matured...and tasted...until deemed ready". In short, don't ask but just trust them. Does the bottle offer any other clue to the age of the whiskey in Jack Daniels? Yes it does and the answer is in its silence about it. Remember that Tennessee Whiskey must meet all the Federal requirements of a Straight Bourbon Whisky with the extra step of the Lincoln County process. One of the requirements in Federal law for a whiskey to be called Straight is its age. According to Federal Law, a Straight whisky must be matured for at least 2 years. If Jack Daniels is a Straight Tennessee Whiskey, then we know for sure that it is at least 2 years old. Mystery solved then!

Wait, there is more. According to Federal law, all American whiskies must carry an age statement if it is less than 4 years old. The fact that Jack Daniels does not carry an age statement on the bottle tells me that it is at least 4 years old. This means that the youngest whiskey inside Jack Daniels is 4 years old. So Jack Daniels may try to hide the truth behind its age but their silence actually tells us more than it conceals.

Why whiskEy?

Jack Daniels really does not want to be called Bourbon and one clear proof of that is the fact that it calls itself whiskEy with an E. Bourbon whisky is usually spelled without the E but Jack Daniels, in a sign of defiance, spells it differently just to prove a point. With everything Jack Daniels does to differentiate itself from Bourbon I just have to agree with them. Whether the Lincoln county process makes it better is a totally different question - it does however make it different from bourbon.

Taste the difference

According to the bottle and Jack Daniel's website, every step in their process contributes to their own unique and world class product.  Before I share my tasting notes of the Whiskey, let us hear from Jack Daniels themselves about the flavours we should expect from their Whiskey. Watch their video here: Jack Daniels Tasting Notes

My Tasting Notes

Appearance: The whisky looks really pale in the glass. It is pale gold with very little of the traditional deep caramel colour most bourbons have. It also has very little legs on it which is expected for an 80 proof.

Nose: Sweet and fruity up front. Light fruit notes of peach dominates the front of the nose followed by very slight hints of vanilla and honey.

Palate: The light fruit notes of peach carries to the palate but now mixed with hints of banana and almonds. Very little heat in the palate with very slight hints of black pepper.

Finish: Short with very little heat lingering and sadly very little flavour lingering too.

Price: CAD$ 32.99 + tax for a 750 ml.  The price is decent and should qualify it as a bottom shelf whiskey but you will seldom see Jack Daniels in the bottom shelves. It is usually on the top shelf and sometimes mid-shelf which makes me think they pay the liquor stores to be where they are displayed. The shelf location, the marketing and great label of the bottle makes it attractive to anyone new to whiskey.

Overall: Very easy to drink. Very smooth and light but also very little complexity. It is good to sip on when you are in a party and talking to a lot of people. This whiskey does not ask for too much attention but has enough character to keep you conscious that it is there in your hands. It does not have the typical vanilla and caramel character expected from most bourbons but then again it never said it was.