Category Archives: Tennessee Whiskey

Review: George Dickel Rye Whiskey

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Christopher Null| 10 Comments

DG RyeWhisky 250x300 Review: George Dickel Rye WhiskeyEveryone is getting in on the rye game, and the latest to join the party is George Dickel, which has crafted this whiskey from 95% rye and 5% malted barley, then aged it for five-plus years. Sourced from Indiana (where plenty of rye is being produced for just about everyone), it’s still made to Tennessee whiskey specifications: Chilled, filtered through charcoal, then bottled at 90 proof.

As with Dickel’s corn-based whiskeys, Dickel Rye is very silky smooth, that “charcoal mellowing” having done its duty admirably. But there’s ample rye character here — chewy raisin bread with ample cinnamon notes. Vanilla a-plenty. Cocoa powder finish. Overall, the body is light and easygoing, a pleasant and sweet rye that would work well in any cocktail.

Compare to Bulleit Rye.

Shipping in November 2012.

A- / $25 / dickel.com

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Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Rye, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey

Review: Jack Daniel’s Unaged Tennessee Rye

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Christopher Null| 5 Comments

How do you know when white whiskey has become a Big Thing? When Jack Daniel’s, the largest spirits brand in the world, gets into the game.

By way of backstory, Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 uses a fairly traditional Bourbon-style* mashbill, 80% corn, the other 20% rye and malted barley. This is the way it has been, and (undoubtedly) the way it shall always be.

But that doesn’t mean JD can’t make other products. Gentleman Jack is charcoal filtered twice instead of just once, like Old No. 7 is, for example. Not a big difference, but it’s something.

Now JD is working on its biggest line extension since Prohibition, with its first wholly new mashbill: an honest-to-god rye whiskey. Made of 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley, it’s unlike anything JD has ever offered before.

It’s also not going to be ready for a few years.

JD is taking an interesting step in deciding not to wait until 2015 or so to release its new whiskey and is instead giving the unaged version a limited release. You’re reading this correctly: For its next trick, JD is releasing a white whiskey based on this future product. This is actually the first time I’ve ever heard of this being done, but it makes sense, a kind of sneak preview of a whiskey to come.

Looking at JD Unaged Rye as it stands today, you won’t find any massive surprises or departure from the current state of white whiskeys. Lots of grain on the nose, very raw, and typical of unaged whiskey no matter what the mashbill is. The body is surprisingly mild, and the funkiness of most white whiskeys is almost absent here. Instead, touches of chocolate (cocoa powder), coconut, and some tropical notes, particularly banana, dominate. The finish is smooth and light, almost harmless — that JD charcoal mellowing process really does strip out a lot of the more unpleasant flavors. The overall effect is interesting, but it’s honestly far from earth shattering.

The biggest problem with this is that Jack is suggesting a $50 price tag for this 80-proof spirit, which puts it at roughly three times the price of a bottle of JD that’s spent years in a barrel. That would also suggest that, once this rye comes out of barrel for its official, aged release, it should cost on the order of $75 or more. Both of those are crazy ideas, and I suspect that calmer heads will prevail such that Jack Daniel’s Rye (or whatever it’s called), when it’s finally released, won’t hit more than $25 or $30 at your local liquor store.

That aside, how can you get it? Per the company: Jack Daniel’s Unaged Rye is scheduled to be available in December at select retail outlets throughout Tennessee including the White Rabbit Bottle Shop at the Jack Daniel’s Visitor Center in Lynchburg, Tenn.  In January 2013, it will be available in limited quantities in other select markets throughout the U.S.

Update: Reader Matt Bradford says JD expects to sell the new whiskey beginning (around) December 15, 2012.

* I know, JD isn’t Bourbon.

B+ / $50 / jackdaniels.com

jack daniels unaged rye Review: Jack Daniels Unaged Tennessee Rye

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Rye, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey, White Whiskey

Review: George Dickel Tennessee Whiskys – Cascade Hollow, No. 8, and No. 12

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

Like Jack Daniel’s, George Dickel is not Bourbon. That’s not because, like Jack, it’s made in Tennessee instead of Kentucky; you can still make Bourbon down there (or anywhere in the U.S. now). Rather, like Jack again, it is filtered through charcoal before it goes into the barrel, a no-no in the Bourbon world.

George Dickel, from Tullahoma, Tenn., comes in some surprisingly diverse varieties, three of which we’re reviewing below. For all, the basic approach and recipe are the same. The whiskey is chill-filtered before charcoal “mellowing,” and that charcoal is made by Dickel itself from locally-sourced maple wood. Aging occurs in single-story warehouses (those must be huge), to limit variability over time, and the final product is blended with water from Cascade Springs — the same source used when the original George Dickel started making whiskey in 1870.

Er: Whisky. Like Maker’s Mark, Dickel is one of just a few distillers in the U.S. that spells whisky the Scottish way. But whatever you call it, thoughts follow. JD drinkers, give Dickel a whirl next time out and see how it stacks up.

George Dickel Cascade Hollow Tennessee Whisky (red label) – Intended to mimic the flavor of Dickel’s original whiskey from the 1870s. You’d expect that to be rough and rustic, but Cascade Hollow is actually a smooth and quite sweet whiskey, with a bold vanilla character, creamy body, a touch of black pepper spice, and a simple, somewhat short finish. Not long on complexity, but it’s really easy-drinking and an amazing value on a quality product. 80 proof. A- / $16 (discontinued in 2013)

George Dickel No. 8 Tennessee Whisky (black label) - Aged about 6 years. Clearly a bolder flavor profile here, with plenty more spice to go around, and a burly finish that packs in lots of citrus, tobacco, and creme brulee notes than the Cascade Hollow. The charcoal finishing makes itself known in the end, where some smoky notes are evident. 80 proof. B+ / $18

George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Whisky (parchment label) – Aged 8 to 9 years on average. Dickel blends in older stock to the No. 12 version of its whiskey, and ups the alcohol to 90 proof. Good call on both fronts: No. 12 is a touch smoky like the No. 8, but the body comes across as deeper in the way it pulls the spiciness out of the grain used in the mashbill. Still a modest amount of sweetness in the finish, but whiskey fans looking for a more frontier-like experience will probably veer toward No. 12. B+ / $20

dickel.com

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Rated A-, Rated B+, Reviews, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey

Jack Daniel’s Responds to Claim that Its Original Formula Has Been Discovered

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

You can rest easy. According to JD, the famous Tennessee whiskey is still a 100% American creation.

Jack Daniel Distillery Says Welshman’s Claimed Discovery Of Jack Daniel’s Original Formula Contrary To History

LYNCHBURG, Tenn., June 19, 2012 – The Jack Daniel Distillery responded to recent headlines in the United Kingdom that a Welshman has uncovered Jack Daniel’s original whiskey recipe by saying, “It’s a good story, but one based in fancy rather than fact – as the dates don’t match historical record,” according to Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Jeff Arnett.

As told in the U.K. story, businessman Mark Evans claims a book of herbal remedies written in 1853 by his great-great-grandmother contains the original recipe for Jack Daniel’s whiskey.  The story cites as proof that one of Mr. Evans’ relatives left Wales for America around 1853 and traveled to Lynchburg, Tenn., where the Jack Daniel Distillery was opened later, and that relative was known as “John ‘Jack the Lad’ Daniels.”

“The people and dates just don’t match up,” said Arnett.  “Jack Daniel’s family was living in America for two generations prior to the 1853 date Mr. Evans suggests his relative came to the United States.  His John ‘Jack the Lad’ Daniels is not our Jasper Newton ‘Jack’ Daniel.

“We also know that Jack Daniel learned to make whiskey from a local Lutheran minister here in Lynchburg and not an herbal remedies book,” added Arnett.

“Jack Daniel’s has always benefited from the fact that people liked to talk about it,” said Arnett.  “Its remarkable, small-town founder and the fact it’s made in a dry county intrigue people and get them talking.  And so, through the years, it’s drawn all kinds of legend and lore to it.  Mr. Evans’ story falls into the category of lore.”

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Posted in Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey

Review: Jailers Tennessee Whiskey, Breakout Rye, and Forbidden Secret Cream Liqueur

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

Today we look at three new whiskey products brought to us by  a new company, the Tennessee Spirits Company, a division of Capital Brands. Formed by a group of spirits industry veterans, the focus here is (obviously) on Tennessee whiskeys, with this trilogy the inaugural releases.

TSC doesn’t have its own distillery (yet) but plans to build one, including a visitor’s center. These three spirits are obviously private-label creations for now (one doesn’t just start a business and sell an 8-year-old rye the next day), and it will probably take a few stabs at this to hit the right groove while that distillery gets up and running.

Jailers Premium Tennessee Whiskey – A mashbill of 80% corn plus assorted rye and malted barley go into this whiskey, which is double distilled, steeped in maple chips, then aged for 4 to 5 years in charred white oak barrels. It is chill-filtered and bottled at 86 proof. Very fruity, it’s got distinct macerated Bing cherry character, then the wood — charred cherrywood — comes along after a bit. This is a hot whiskey with a moderate body, quite sharp, with a warming finish. It’s a Tennessee whiskey that’s hard to peg: It’s not the easy drinker of, say, Jack Daniel’s, but there’s so much fruit here it’s hard not to imagine it in a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned. B+ / $25

Breakout American Rye Whiskey – A mashbill of 51%-plus rye (plus corn and malted barley) goes into a double-distilled whiskey that is put into white oak barrels for eight years. Like Jailers, it’s bottled at 86 proof. This is a tricky and unexpected rye. Malty and dusty, this has the distinct character of a whiskey that’s spent too long in wood. Some buttery toffee character lives on the nose, but it’s quickly subsumed by all that wood, coming together with a bit of a sawdust character. In the end Breakout just doesn’t have a great rye body to it, and the whiskey doesn’t ever come together the way it should. C+ / $45

Forbidden Secret Dark Mocha American Cream – A Bailey’s clone, though the “artificial liqueur” label on the bottle doesn’t instill confidence. Essentially this is a blend of Jailers Whiskey, cream, chocolate, and espresso, and it tastes like you think it does: Sweet, creamy, and and much like a boozy version of something you’d order at Starbucks. All the elements listed above are here, in a pretty good balance. If you like whiskey/cream liqueurs, you’ll dig this one, “artificial” or no. 30 proof.  A- / $25

tennesseespiritscompany.com

tennessee spirits company Review: Jailers Tennessee Whiskey, Breakout Rye, and Forbidden Secret Cream Liqueur

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Posted in Liqueurs, Rated A-, Rated B+, Rated C+, Reviews, Rye, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey

Greetings from Frankfurt, Germany

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

I’m spending a week in southern Germany and just finished a wonderful meal with Lenz Moser of Laurenz V at the Schlosshotel in Kronberg. Check out what I encountered earlier today at Frankfurt’s mammoth Christmas fair. Anyone else ever seen this? Off to the Rheingau tomorrow!

jack daniels winter jack Greetings from Frankfurt, Germany

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Posted in Tennessee Whiskey, Travel, Whiskey, Wine

Tasting Report: WhiskyFest San Francisco 2011

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

WhiskyFest remains the whiskey enthusiast’s festival to beat. With hundreds of whiskeys, it is a mad dash for all sorts of great stuff — if only you can find it in the scattered auditorium and muscle your way to the front of the line. Don’t worry, you can do it, and even though the 2011 installment of this awesome event had more than its share of no-shows from the advance whisky list — Isle of Jura Shackleton, Tomatin 30 Year Old, Pierre Ferrand Ancestrale Cognac, the entire Usqueabach table — there were so many amazing whiskeys here it is hard to complain.

Favorites were unilaterally from the private bottling companies, including Duncan Taylor’s killer 36 Year Old Lonach Blend, Gordon & MacPhail Glen Grant 21 Years Old — all that time in ex-sherry butts — and maybe by new favorite whisky ever, Samaroli Evolution 2011. Notes on all of these follow, plus comments (however brief) on everything else I sampled during the evening.

Thanks again to Whisky Advocate (nee Malt Advocate) for putting on such a terrific show (and inviting me).

Scotland

Samaroli Evolution 2011 / A+ / this Rome-based private whisky bottler was a fave at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, and this bottling was a revelation; a vatting of whisky stocks dating back to 1957, it is incredibly supple, complex, and impossible to put down

Samaroli Glenlivet Top Class 1977 / A- / amazing elegance

Samaroli Linkwood Top Class 1983 / B+ / bit tougher

Samaroli Glenburgie 1989 / B+ / rich and chewy

Samaroli Highland Park 1989 / B+ / has an edge to it

Samaroli Bunnahabhain 1990 / B+ / surprising sweetness

Auchentoshan Valinch / B / hard finish

Auchentoshan Bordeaux 1999 / B+ / sweetness up front leads to a rough finish

Auchentoshan 21 Year Old / B+ / my fave of the Auch line, better balance

Glen Garioch Founder’s Reserve / B

Glen Garioch 1994 Vintage / B / big nougat notes lead to a strange, funky finish

Tomatin Highland Single Malt 25 Year Old / B+ / almost American in styling, sweet finish

Tomatin Highland Single Malt Decades / A- / a vatting of 5 decades’ worth of whisky; complex and lots of fun

Isle of Jura Superstition / A- / nice balance with the peat here

Isle of Jura 16 Year Old / B / big grain notes, exotic

Laphroaig Triple Wood / B+ / finished in sherry, which adds just a touch of citrus to standard Laphroaig’s peat and iodine; interesting but could go farther

Gordon & MacPhail Benromach 10 Year Old / B / young but charming

Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila Port Finish 10 Year Old / B+ / nice mix of smoke and sweet, needs more aging

Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood 15 Year Old / A-

Gordon & MacPhail Glen Grant 21 Years Old / A / spends all 21 years in sherry casks, an amazing whisky, deep and rich (by far the darkest Scotch I saw all night)

Gordon & MacPhail Tamdhu 30 Years Old / B+ / a bit over the hill, wood-wise

Compass Box Great King Street / A- / a masterful blended whisky

Springbank 14 Year Old Manzanilla Cask / B+ / big olive notes

Springbank 18 Year Old / B+ / not feeling it tonight; too much of a coal character

Kilkerran WIP 3rd Release / B+ / like Kilbeggan, Kilkerran is doing releases as its whisky ages; at 3 years old it is young but exciting, lots of promise ahead

Duncan Taylor Banff 35 Year Rich and Rare / A / amazing fruit and wood here, lovely finish

Duncan Taylor Lonach Blend 36 Year / A / cinnamon and apple pie, all sorts of fun

GlenDronach 21 Year Old Parliament / B+ / curious wood and spice notes

GlenDronach 15 Year Old 1995 Pedro Ximenez Cask #2045 / B

Macallan 18 Year Old / A-

Highland Park 25 Year Old / A- / musky finish

Bruichladdich Black Art 2 / B+ / finish delves deep into grain character

Bruichladdich Octomore 3/152 / A- / the new “most peated” whisky in the world, actually quite pleasant and not the bowl-you-over dram I was expecting; more like a barbecue than a smoke bomb

Ardbeg Corryvreckan / A

Ardbeg Alligator / A- / Ardbeg’s latest, aged in ultra-charred oak barrels; the wood really does battle with the peat here, giving it a curious but less enthralling character, I think

Ireland

Redbreast 12 Years Old / B+ / really woody kick; the reputation exceeds the whisky

Redbreast 15 Years Old / B+ / not terribly different

United States

Bardstown Riverboat Rye Whiskey / B / a younger version of Redemption Rye

Bardstown Temptation Bourbon / A- / good sweetness, balance

Bardstown Barrel Proof High Rye Bourbon / A / intensely rye-focused, and intensely alcoholic; not released (the company is hoping for 2012)

Koval Lion’s Pride Spelt Whiskey / B+ / aged 2 years; not bad, lots of grain character

Wild Turkey Russell’s Reserve 10 Years Old / A- / love the rye kick; probably better since it was poured by Jimmy Russell himself (picture below!)

George Dickel Barrel Select / A- / nice rye going on here

Not Whiskey

Frapin Cognac VS / A- / 4 years old; surprisingly clean for a $49 Cognac

Frapin Cognaac Chateau de Fontpinot XO / A- / big nose on it, great citrus and sherry finish

Frapin Cognac  VIP XO / A- / quite similar to the Fontpinot

Frapin Cognac Extra / A / 75 years old, extremely complex, mellow, and lingering

Pierre Ferrand Cognac Selection des Anges / A- / beautiful, smooth

Pierre Ferrand Cognac Cigare / A / not smoky, and in fact not as big a body as you’d expect with a name like that; very well crafted and lush; drink with or without a cigar

Tequila Corrido Extra Anejo Barrel #2 / A / a killer, and the only tequila here; lovely chocolate finish

chris null and jimmy russell Tasting Report: WhiskyFest San Francisco 2011

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Posted in Bourbon, Brandy, Cognac, Irish Whiskey, Reviews, Scotch, Tennessee Whiskey, Tequila, Whiskey

Jack Daniel’s Changes Its Label and Bottle

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Christopher Null| 24 Comments

Heresy? The changes are bigger than you’d think. Here’s the press release, and a before & after photo. I have to say, I think JD fans are going to hate this — mainly over the new bottle design.

LYNCHBURG, Tenn., May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Jack Daniel Distillery announced today that it is making minor refinements to the familiar Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 bottle to accentuate the bottle’s square shoulders and also to simplify the front and side labels.

The company is quick to note that even though the bottle and label have been refined, the whiskey inside remains unchanged.  The bottle will begin shipping this month and will be on most shelves by July.

“Mr. Jack Daniel was proud of the craftsmanship and care that went into his whiskey and wanted a bottle as unique as its smooth, mellow character,” said John Hayes, Senior Vice President, Managing Director Jack Daniel’s.  ”That’s why in 1895, Jack made the decision to put his whiskey in a square bottle, unlike other whiskeys of his day.  He wanted to make sure his whiskey stood out.  The refinements today are meant to honor Mr. Jack’s desire that his bottle reflect the distinctive character of the whiskey.”

This is not the first time the Jack Daniel’s bottle and label have been updated.  The first refinements go back to Jack Daniel who originally sold his whiskey by the barrel.  He then moved from barrel to jug to the familiar square bottle.  Over the years, during Mr. Jack’s day and after, refinements were made to the bottle and label:  Gold medals were added to the side label as they were won; Lynchburg sayings were added and dropped; and, room was made for more information.  Over time, so many things were added that the label began to look more cluttered than it was under Mr. Jack’s watch, according to the distillery.

“We think Mr. Jack would be proud of the refinements and how they honor his wish that his Old No. 7 whiskey be as distinctive in the bottle as it is in taste,” said Hayes.

PRN12 JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY BOTTLE 1yHigh Jack Daniels Changes Its Label and Bottle

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Posted in Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey

Review: Ole Smoky Distillery Apple Pie Moonshine

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Christopher Null| 6 Comments

You say apple pie, I say apple pie moonshine. Yes folks, it’s two great tastes that taste great together, with Tennessee’s Ole Smoky Distillery moonshine — 80% corn and 20% mystery — making up the backbone of a classic yet indescribable spirit.

The nose and body scream cinnamon and apples, in that order. This is as close to apple pie in a bottle as I’ve ever experienced (and yes, I’ve experienced other attempts), with an authentic sweet-and-spicy character that is — shockingly — far from cloying. It helps that Ole Smoky kept the alcohol to a mere 40 proof, which drains all the heat out of the spirit and makes it wholly suitable for sipping or for use as a grown-up dessert topping. There’s even a hint of the “moonshine” aspect of the spirit in there… somewhere.

I know, this sounds like it can’t be good, and for sure it’s nothing I’d drink every night, but something I’d drink once in a while… maybe with a banjo by my side.

B+ / $25 / olesmokymoonshine.com

ole smoky mountain Apple pie moonshine Review: Ole Smoky Distillery Apple Pie Moonshine

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Posted in Liqueurs, Rated B+, Reviews, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey, White Whiskey

Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Liqueur

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Christopher Null| 4 Comments

Gotta say, Jack Daniel’s knows how to launch a product. The sample bottle of its new honey-and-whiskey liqueur came in a refrigerated box, for no particular reason — it certainly doesn’t need to be kept chilled at all times — except that it is intended to be served cold.

Well, it’s been in my fridge ever since. I figure if they’re going to go to that kind of trouble, I better do as I’m told.

Honey+whiskey liqueurs have been coming out in absurd quantities over the last few years, so it comes as no surprise that JD would get in the game. Its version is as credible as anyone else’s: Honey kills the whiskey, but the whiskey leaves its mark. JD’s 70 proof version is pretty light on the honey — this is more of a smooth bourbon than a syrupy liqueur — but the adulteration makes it clear what the aspiration is here: Rocks, after dinner, maybe an ingredient in a cocktail.

The palate offers more than just honey: There is wood, vanilla, lavender, and notable lemon character as the finish fades away. Charcoal touches come on as the finish disappears completely. As honey liqueurs go, this has a lot going on, and that’s, as they say, a good thing. Who would’ve thought that in the realm of honey liqueur, it would be Jack that came up with the best of the lot.

A / $22 / jackdaniels.com

Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Review: Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Liqueur

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Posted in Flavored Whiskey, Liqueurs, Rated A, Reviews, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey

Review: Jack Daniel’s Whiskey & Cola / Ginger & Cola

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Christopher Null| 11 Comments

Lately a backlash has been brewing (no pun intended) against pre-mixed, ready-to-drink cocktails, cocktails which actually have nothing to do with the products advertised on the label — whether it’s vodka, rum, whiskey, or something else — and are in fact simply flavored malt liquor pawned off to an unsuspecting audience.

Now some savvy drinkmakers are taking an alternate — if astonishingly obvious — alternate tack: Putting the actual ingredients promised on the label into the bottle. Shocking, huh?

Jack Daniel’s (which has had its own line of semi-nasty flavored malt beverages, Country Cocktails) is the latest to join the fray, adding its iconic Tennessee whiskey to cola, ginger ale, or diet cola, to give you these new, eponymous ready-to-drink spirits.

The recipes should not come as a shock: JD, plus one of the aforementioned ingredient flavorings (ah, plus carbonated water and caramel color), and that’s it. The flavors are authentic and legitimate: Whiskey & Cola (A-) tastes like just like you added Jack to a can of Coke. Whiskey & Ginger (B+) is also completely real, if a little less successful because the ginger ale used is a little on the sweet side, and lacks much in the way of bite. (We didn’t taste the Diet Cola version, which is also available.)

The only problem many will see with this approach is the strength of the finished product: At just 5 percent alcohol, no serious Jack & Anything drinker would ever water his beverage down this much. There are a variety of laws in place determining how strong these beverages can be, of course, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re really drinking something on par with a beer, not a cocktail (which would probably be more in the range of 10 to 30 percent alcohol, depending on how you mix it).

But maybe that’s a good thing. Sold in aluminum bottles and perfect for the tailgate or the BBQ, these aren’t products for cocktail hour, they’re made for sitting in front of the TV or out on the porch while the sun goes down. For what these products are trying to accomplish (which, to be honest, is not a lot), they succeed admirably.

That said, it’s another question altogether as to how tough it is to make one of these drinks on your own: Is it really that complicated to take the world’s number one selling whiskey and the world’s number one selling soda and pour them into a glass together? Ponder your own self-disgust as you sip away…

$9 for four 12-oz. aluminum bottles / jackdaniels.com

jack daniels whiskey and cola ginger family Review: Jack Daniels Whiskey & Cola / Ginger & Cola

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Posted in Mixers, Rated A-, Rated B+, Reviews, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey

Review: Benjamin Prichard’s Tennessee Whiskeys and Liqueur

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Christopher Null| 6 Comments

It may not be canonically “Bourbon,” but the state of Tennessee is responsible for the best-selling whiskey in the world: Jack Daniel’s.

But Jack isn’t the only whiskey going in Kentucky’s next-door neighbor. Benjamin Prichard has been producing a variety of spirits — including a whole family of rums — for ten years now.

We got a peek at three of the distillery’s whiskeys (and one whiskey liqueur) — and the results prove that if you don’t know Prichard already, it’s time to start paying attention.

Benjamin Prichard’s Lincoln County Lightning – White lightning, folks. Unaged corn whiskey. Moonshine. At 90 proof it isn’t horrible, its enormous corn notes balanced with just a touch of sweetness. I’m admittedly not the world’s biggest fan of white whiskeys, but if I had to drink one, Prichard’s is at least passable. 90 proof. C+ / $NA

Benjamin Prichard’s Tennessee Whiskey – Now that’s more like it. An easy drinking whiskey, made of white corn, aged 10 years in barrel, and bottled at 80 proof, this Tennessee Whiskey was released to celebrate the distillery’s 10th year of operation. It’s worth the wait, very much a Bourbon at heart, sweet caramel notes balanced by a body that hints at its corn-based roots, a little black pepper, and vanilla on the finish. Nice balance. A- / $NA

Benjamin Prichard’s Double Barreled Bourbon Whiskey (pictured) – The notes on the back of this curiosity say that it’s a “little known fact” that whiskey is watered down before it’s bottled. I’m not sure many whiskey drinkers are unaware of that fact, but regardless, what Prichard’s does with this whiskey is age it at normal cask strength for nine years, then water it down to 90 proof, and then re-barrel the cut whiskey in charred oak barrels a second time.  What advantage this might actually offer is hard to say. Prichard’s Double Barreled is hot and much spicier than the 10-year Tennessee Whiskey, indicative perhaps of more rye in the mash. A little harsh on the attack, it quickly reveals a huge and racy herbal character, tempered by brown sugar. Lots of intrigue and worth seeking out. Limited release. A- / $60

Benjamin Prichard’s Sweet Lucy Bourbon Based Liqueur – Sweet Lucy — now there’s a name for a liqueur. Like many a whiskey-based liqueur before it, Prichard’s rendition is overwhelmingly, well, sweet, a syrupy concoction that is overwhelmingly sugary, but which offers vague Bourbon character in the finish. With this much sweetness, it’s hard to really differentiate; if you’re a fan of American Honey and its ilk, you’ll find Sweet Lucy just as satisfying. 70 proof. B+ / $25

prichardsdistillery.com

prichards double barreled Review: Benjamin Prichards Tennessee Whiskeys and Liqueur

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Posted in Liqueurs, Rated A-, Rated B+, Rated C+, Reviews, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey, White Whiskey

Review: Jack Daniel’s Ginger Splash

Posted on June 6, 2010 by Christopher Null| 4 Comments

Jack Daniel’s has several pre-mixed, ready-to-drink cocktails on the market. This one, which promises the classic combination of JD and ginger ale, is its latest.

Mind you, this is simply a (naturally) flavored malt beverage (at a mere 5 percent alcohol), but at least it looks the part, with a moderate caramel color on offer. The taste is quite light, a hint of ginger ale and the barest touch of whiskey character — a vague vanilla and charcoal wisp that doesn’t exactly scream bourbon country, but may at least make you understand why the Jack Daniel’s name is on the label.

Worth a taste for the summer libation seeker who doesn’t care for beer or wine. Connoisseurs can pass.

C+ / $8 per six pack of 10-ounce bottles / countrycocktails.com

jack daniels ginger splash Review: Jack Daniels Ginger Splash

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Posted in Beer, Rated C+, Reviews, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey

Review: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey

Posted on January 2, 2009 by Christopher Null| 9 Comments

Your excitement about getting a bottle of this “single barrel” whiskey may dim somewhat when you read the lengthy alphanumeric code identifying the barrel from which it came. In my case, I’m sampling barrel number 7-4229 from rick number L-35 (warehousing information). So, yes, it’s from a single barrel… but we’re talking about thousands of barrels produced.

As for this barrel, it’s a reasonably pleasant whiskey, a sweeter version of JD that reminded me more of Gentleman Jack than standard grade Jack Daniel’s. Quite bitter and pungent on the finish, the caramel and vanilla notes are overpowered by smoke and tobacco, tar and tough wood. Better with water, but still on the more pedestrian side. Not sure it justifies this kind of fanaticism… but hey, every barrel is different, so there are bound to be some real gems in there, right?

94 proof.

B / $45 / jdsinglebarrel.com

jack daniels single barrel whiskey Review: Jack Daniels Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey

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Posted in Rated B, Reviews, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey

Review: Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey

Posted on January 28, 2008 by Christopher Null| 6 Comments

Few liquor brands are as heralded as Jack Daniel’s, but it’s never been a favorite of mine. Too harsh for sipping and lacking character even in a Coke, Jack has just not been a big winner for me.

And not for lack of trying. You can’t go to a bar or a party without being surrounded by the stuff. I’ve had it on literally hundreds of occasions, but no matter how I doctor the stuff, it just never does the trick vs. some far better Bourbons.  (And yes, I know Jack Daniel’s is not bourbon but “Tennessee Whiskey,” but a little shorthand is OK in my book.)

So what’s Gentleman Jack all about? It is, essentially, Jack Daniel’s that’s been through an additional charcoal filtering process with the goal of making the spirit smoother and mellower. (The distillery even calls it “Charcoal Mellowing.”)

And in general, it works. Gentleman Jack is significantly smoother and quite a bit sweeter, taking on a caramel and honey notes and a more gentle smokiness than standard JD. In fact, Gentleman Jack oddly tastes closer to a blended Scotch than a Bourbon. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, but there it is.

Now in a new and more elegant bottle design (see pic below), GJ isn’t a bad deal at $25 a bottle, but overall I recommend it to people growing tired of standard Jack… or those who think there’s just nothing better out there.

B+ / $25 / gentlemanjack.com

gentleman jack Review: Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey