Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey

Jack Daniels an American whiskey produced in Tennessee by the infamous Jack Daniel´s distillery. Founded in 1866 in the small town of Lynchburg, which then had only 361 inhabitants at the time, the company takes it´s name from it´s founder Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel, who was one of thirteen brothers from a family of Welsh roots. This whiskey has become unique thanks to a special production processes, success of its formula and, above all, the delight of the senses for those who enjoy it.

Jack was interested in whiskey from a very young age. When he was only 7 years old he met Dan Call, a Lutheran minister, who devoted his time to two passions: his faith and devloping whiskey. Jack was inspired, watching his mentor use the Lincoln County Process to develop his whiskeys. This consisted of freshly distilled liquor passing through a maple carbon filter, a tree whose sap is sweet. This form of production, which is slow and expensive, was very rare at the time. However, the end result was exceptional: it´s mellowness is unique.

It’s so good that even Frank Sinatra, one of the best singers in history and a lover of Jack Daniel’s, referred to it as the “nectar of the gods”. Keith Richards, guitarist of The Rolling Stones, is another notable fan. Finally in the film Scent of a Women, the character Frank Slade (potrayed by Al Pacino), approaches a bar only to ask for a glass of his favorite whiskey.

Some people confuse this Whiskey with a bourbon, and they are not completely wrong. Jack Daniel’s follows exactly the same processes, the same guideliines. But it’s Jack Daniels that goes one stop further, because Jack decided to follow in the footsteps of Dan Call. As the distillery states, this whiskey is softened at your feet by the hard maple charcoal.

Born from distilling malt from fermented rye and corn and always aged without exception in first use barrels produced by the distillery. But how many months is the whiskey aged before being marketed? Well however long it takes. Because according to the distillery, it is not how long a whiskey ages for that is important, but rather how and under what conditions it does. A team at the distillery taste the whiskey to decide when the time is right. Perhaps it could take 250 years, but surely we can trust their judgement, no?

Another factor which contributes to the success of Jack Daniel’s is the special climate of Tennesse. Influenced by the nearby Gulf of Mexico, the subtropical climate of the area experiences frequent rainfall. Summers, which are generally warm and humid, contrast with the softness of the winters.

For a long time now we have associated the name Jack Daniels with the whiskey, not the man, perhaps the most precious legacy of its founder. The small town of Lynchburg today is home to just over 6000 inhabitants, and if this town sounds familiar to anyone accross the globe, its because it is printed on the one of the most recognizable labels on the planet: Jack Daniel’s label.