Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey is a whiskey liqueur, a mixture of the brand’s iconic Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, and honey, producing a slightly sweet drink with undertones of spiciness. It is one of the two flavored liqueurs from the Jack Daniel’s inventory, the other being Tennessee Fire.

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History

The Jack Daniel’s brand was established in 1875 in Lynchburg Tennessee, and began production with one expression, the Jack Daniel’s Black Label, which later came to be known as the Old No. 7.

Until 1988, the Jack Daniel’s inventory was banking solely on the Old No. 7, after which the company unveiled the Gentleman Jack, a double charcoal filtered version of the Old No. 7.

The Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey was released fairly recently in 2011, and has been very well received by the Jack Daniel’s faithful, also allowing the brand to entice new consumers. It has been said that the Tennessee Honey drink contains 20% of the Old No. 7 whiskey, and the rest is honey liqueur.

Making Process

The Old No. 7, which is the base of the Tennessee Honey expression is prepared using the patented Lincoln Country Process. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 is prepared with a predominantly corn based mash that also has a higher rye content as compared to most Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskies.

The Jack Daniel’s mash is made up of 80% Corn, 12% Barley and 8% Rye, mixing these grains with water, followed by adding yeast to the mixture to begin the process of fermentation.

The fermentation lasts for six days followed by a one-time-only distillation through custom made copper stills, and the obtained spirit is measured at an alcohol percentage of 140 US Proof. This spirit is then filtered through charcoal pellets obtained by burning sugar maple wood over a period of 3 to 5 days after which the resulting whiskey is ready for maturation.

Jack Daniel’s prefer to mature their whiskey in charred American White oak barrels for a period that is unspecified because Jack Daniel’s prefer to taste and determine whether the whiskey is ready to be bottled. That’s how Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, the base for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, is prepared. This is a unique practice since whiskey makers prefer to age their whiskies for a specific period of time, stamping that age on the bottle as a mark of its superior quality.

Alcohol Percentage

The Tennessee Honey carries a 70 US Proof (35% ABV) alcohol strength, lower than the 80 US Proof strength of the Old No. 7.

Awards

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey has not won any major awards owing to its ineligibility at whisky tasting competitions, although the brand was the first flavored whisky brands to hit the one million sales mark in 2014.