Like tequila in Mexico or cognac in France, bourbon is defined by specific rules and regulations. These official standards go beyond geography. Even though Jack Daniel’s appears to meet them, it’s not labeled as a bourbon. Why is that?
I’ve been writing about alcohol for more than twenty years. And I can understand the argument for why it’s a bourbon as well as the argument for why it absolutely isn’t. Below, we’ll get into the debate, including one key difference between Old No. 7 (and other Tennessee whiskeys) and every bourbon on the market.
What makes a bourbon?
As we briefly mentioned above, there are specific rules and regulations governing what constitutes a bourbon. Even though it’s been distilled since the 1700s, it wasn’t until 1964 that Congress declared bourbon a “distinctive product of the United States.” Known as “America’s native spirit”, it must be made in the US.
This includes Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. This might be contrary to what your whiskey-obsessed friend tried to tell you. That is to say that even though 95% of bourbon is made in Kentucky, it’s produced all over the US from Tacoma to Tampa.
After the geographic rule, bourbon must also have a mash bill of at least 51% corn (other secondary grains include wheat, rye, and barley). It must be aged in new, charred American oak barrels, distilled to a proof no higher than 160, enter the barrel at no more than 125 proof, bottled at a minimum of 80 proof, and have no artificial colors or flavors added. As an extra rule, to be referred to as a “straight” bourbon, it must be matured for a minimum of two years.
The Jack Daniel’s confusion
Now that we’ve learned about the rules that regulate bourbon, it’s time to get into Jack Daniel’s whiskey itself. If you crack open a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and you pour it into a glass next to a glass of your favorite bourbon whiskey, you’d be hard-pressed to find any difference between the two in terms of aroma and flavor.
From a technical standpoint, Jack Daniel’s fits the criteria for a bourbon whiskey, including being made with a mash bill of at least 51% corn and its maturation in new, charred American oak barrels. Obviously (just like George Dickel and many other Tennessee-based brands), it’s listed on the bottle (and in the marketplace) as a “Tennessee Whiskey” as opposed to a bourbon. Besides the fact that it’s produced in the “Volunteer State”, there’s one major difference that differentiates the style from bourbon.
The Lincoln County Process
The one main thing that differentiates Tennessee whiskey (besides the geographic marker) from bourbon is the Lincoln County Process. At its essence, it’s an extra step in the whiskey-making process directly after distillation. The unaged whiskey is filtered through charcoal (usually sugar maple charcoal). There are several reasons this is done. For one thing, it’s legally required if you plan to label the spirit as “Tennessee Whiskey” (except for a handful of exceptions).
Often referred to as charcoal mellowing, distillers first burn sugar maple wood to create the charcoal. The spirit is then slowly filtered through the charcoal in vats in a slow, dripping trickle. The technique, created by former slave (and the man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey) Nathan “Nearest” Green, is used to remove impurities and harsh flavors from the whiskey. After charcoal filtering, the whiskey is aged in charred American oak barrels just like bourbon.
Is Jack Daniel’s a bourbon?
This brings us to one question: Is Jack Daniel’s a bourbon? If you want to get technical, it probably is. But there are also a few reasons why it isn’t. For one thing, Old No.7 and many other whiskeys made in the state don’t want to be referred to as bourbons. They are Tennessee whiskeys for a reason. This is the state they’re made in, and there’s a lot of pride and history behind the style.
The second reason is the aforementioned Lincoln County Process. This extra step, while not officially illegal when crafting bourbon, just isn’t the norm for the Kentucky-based spirit. Many bourbons are filtered after maturation, rather than before.
Bottom line
We’re not here to tell you that you’re wrong or to tell you how to feel about a product. We can debate all day over whether Jack Daniel’s is a bourbon. The way we see it: if you want to treat it as a bourbon, that’s up to you. If you don’t want it to be a bourbon, that’s up to you, too. At its essence, it’s a corn-based whiskey that’s labeled as Tennessee whiskey, but definitely appeals to bourbon drinkers. If you enjoy the likes of Elijah Craig, Old Forester, and Michter’s, you’ll likely enjoy the flavor profile of Old No. 7 and many of the brand’s other expressions.
