Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey is wretched swill...ersatz bourbon. Defend or refute

[gfweb]

When I fly Southwest at least I can get a Wild Turkey 101.

These days I've been filling small 2oz plastic bottles with my favorite whiskey and tossing them in my carry on. Drinking well at 30,000 feet. Never had a problem in security or in the cabin

Just wanted to add, it's amazing how many 2 oz bottles you can cram in a 1 qt. zip bag. I just ask for a bottled water to take high proofers down a notch and two cups during drink service. Three if my wife is drinking with me. Bless her heart, she can sip em neat right along with me!

Technically this is illegal. FA can give you a hard time about it. They are supposed to be in control of all the booze consumed. I'd be furtive.

[scubadoo97]

Yeah I know. Thanks for the warning but have never had a problem. I keep it low key and obviously don't get wasted. Just some civilized sipping. But you are correct

[KD1191]

Jack's mash bill is greater than 51% corn so it meets the definition of bourbon as well as it being aged in new American oak charred barrels

Is that a change?

Tennessee whiskey must be a straight bourbon under the North American Free Trade Agreement

The "it's bourbon or not" stems from the prebarrel Lincoln County Process charcoal filtering. Lord knows they chill filter Kentucky Bourbon after dumping without issue

My understanding (perhaps erroneous) was that the specific charcoal filtering process is considered to add flavor, and thus Jack might not be eligible to be called straight bourbon (which precludes added flavors).

Allow me help in clearing this up for you

http://bittersandtwisted.com/content/tennessee-whiskey-other-bourbon

Clear as mud.

[patrickamory]

When I fly Southwest at least I can get a Wild Turkey 101.

These days I've been filling small 2oz plastic bottles with my favorite whiskey and tossing them in my carry on. Drinking well at 30,000 feet. Never had a problem in security or in the cabin

Just wanted to add, it's amazing how many 2 oz bottles you can cram in a 1 qt. zip bag. I just ask for a bottled water to take high proofers down a notch and two cups during drink service. Three if my wife is drinking with me. Bless her heart, she can sip em neat right along with me!

But how on earth do you get the liquids past the TSA?

[gfweb]

You can fill a 1qt zip lock bag with mini bottles and put it in the tray. Or if you have precheck just leave it in your bag. Legally.

[KD1191]

You can fill a 1qt zip lock bag with mini bottles and put it in the tray. Or if you have precheck just leave it in your bag. Legally.

One additional caveat I'd add is to make sure it's under 140 proof...that's the FAA's cut-off for 'Hazardous Material' as applied to alcohol. So, no Everclear, 151 Rum, or George T. Stagg (some years) on the plane.

[patrickamory]

Fascinating. I had no idea.

[janeer]

Plantes Vertes - hilarious!

I enjoy Jack Daniels. Harsh, yes, but so much less sweet than, say, Maker's Mark.

My preference is Bulleit Rye, or even better, Templeton Rye, but I'll take Jack over most of the premium KY bourbons that you get in your average upscale bar.

I need to try others' recommendations but have to agree I am not a fan of the big KY brands. And I had a horrible and expensive Japanese whiskey a few weeks ago at a bar on Whiskey night.

[annabelle]

Suntori?

[gfweb]

Suntori? Barf.

Speaking of which; somebody gave me a Canadian Club a while ago. I couldn't drink it. It tasted like college.

[annabelle]

Black Velvet tastes like college, to me.

I was trying to think of a bad Japanese whiskey and Suntori is the one that I thought of first.

[Adam George]

What Suntory product was barf apart from Midori? Really, inquisitive minds would like to know.

[gfweb]

What Suntory product was barf apart from Midori? Really, inquisitive minds would like to know.

Been so long I don't remember. Scotch, I think.

[scubadoo97]

Plantes Vertes - hilarious!

I enjoy Jack Daniels. Harsh, yes, but so much less sweet than, say, Maker's Mark.

My preference is Bulleit Rye, or even better, Templeton Rye, but I'll take Jack over most of the premium KY bourbons that you get in your average upscale bar.

I need to try others' recommendations but have to agree I am not a fan of the big KY brands. And I had a horrible and expensive Japanese whiskey a few weeks ago at a bar on Whiskey night.

What is it about the big KY brands that puts you off?

[janeer]

Suntori?

No.but ccan't remember. 2 words I think. Will check next time I am there

[janeer]

And not sure what it is about KY bourbons...dull? I will have to do a study so I can be more specific

[gfweb]

The wheated bourbons lack punch sometimes.

[scubadoo97]

The wheated bourbons lack punch sometimes.

That punch being the rye

For an off the shelf wheater that's easy on the wallet I'm partial to Old Weller Antique. A lot more flavor than Makers IMO

Currently seeing 6 yr olds being bottled since there appears to be a shortage of BT wheated barrels with the Pappy crazy. This will blow over in another few years and well all be drinking better

[Dakki]

Black Velvet tastes like college, to me.

Starving student days! Anything and Coke, cheap mezcal/charanda/aguardiente consumed ironically but also because that's all we could afford.

Chivas tastes like weddings, negronis taste like things that only seem like a good idea while you're on a truly massive bender.

[Blether]

What Suntory product was barf apart from Midori? Really, inquisitive minds would like to know.

"Barf" ? Suntory's single malts and Hibiki blend get good press, but for those of us drinking lower down the market, there's the likes of Suntory Old and "Kakubin". It's a matter of taste of course, but I like Black Nikka & Super Nikka a lot better. Funnily enough, amongst the big volume Japanese lagers, Suntory Malts is the only one I'll try to avoid. Pappy, I say.

I've posted this before, I think, but both whisky operations were set up by the same guy - a Mr. Taketsuru. Heartwarming - and nicely crafted - story of love, loss and life in the drug trade.

What I want to know, is how long do they leave the bubble gum in Jack Daniels while it's maturing ?

Edited November 12, 2013 by Blether (log)

[bostonapothecary]

I've posted this before, I think, but both whisky operations were set up by the same guy - a Mr. Taketsuru. Heartwarming - and nicely crafted - story of love, loss and life in the drug trade.

that is a great story I had never heard. Masataka came to Scotland with a book on whisky making and was seeking out the author, Joseph Nettleton who actually denied him help and said the Japanese would never make great whisky. When I learned about the book I came across his name but no real back ground so I loved the article. The six hundred page book is one of the rarest on spirits production but I was lucky to get one of a few hundred gorgeous reproduction whisky writer Ian Buxton had made. There are all sorts of newly digitized works from the early 20th century that paint fun pictures of scotch production and the names that really advanced it.

[Adam George]

What Suntory product was barf apart from Midori? Really, inquisitive minds would like to know.

"Barf" ? Suntory's single malts and Hibiki blend get good press, but for those of us drinking lower down the market, there's the likes of Suntory Old and "Kakubin". ?

I have not tried anything I would consider "lower down the market" so I wouldn't know.

[Blether]

... I have not tried anything I would consider "lower down the market" so I wouldn't know.

I had a girlfriend called Midori for a while. She at least was classy.

[KD1191]

Jack's mash bill is greater than 51% corn so it meets the definition of bourbon as well as it being aged in new American oak charred barrels

Is that a change?

Tennessee whiskey must be a straight bourbon under the North American Free Trade Agreement

The "it's bourbon or not" stems from the prebarrel Lincoln County Process charcoal filtering. Lord knows they chill filter Kentucky Bourbon after dumping without issue

My understanding (perhaps erroneous) was that the specific charcoal filtering process is considered to add flavor, and thus Jack might not be eligible to be called straight bourbon (which precludes added flavors).

Allow me help in clearing this up for you

http://bittersandtwisted.com/content/tennessee-whiskey-other-bourbon

Clear as mud.

I disagree with Mr. Priseman's statement from the above with regard to Jack's charcoal mellowing that, "[a]s this is a filtration process it would remove impurities as opposed to adding any flavour or colour." And, as it happens, so does Jack Daniel's master distiller. In a video on their site called, "It's Not Bourbon," he notes that charcoal mellowing, "imparts a distinctive flavor." Now, he also claims it meets or exceeds the requirements for bourbon (though, not straight bourbon), and rephrases the 'nothing added' requirement as no "artificial flavors." Still, his language is a bit interesting, saying they, "draw all of our color and most of our flavor from the barrel." (emphasis added).

[Adam George]

Whether technically one process adds or subtracts character, I'm not interested in in this instance, I'm just pointing people's attention to an interesting article that highlights the legal standing of the Whisky.