🥃 Jack Daniel's
Tennessee whiskey from Lynchburg, Tennessee (USA), owned by Brown-Forman: before aging, the spirit is filtered through about three metres of sugar maple charcoal. Old No. 7 is 40% ABV (80 proof).
Is Jack Daniel's a bourbon? Not on the label: it is a Tennessee whiskey brand made at a distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee (USA), and owned by the American company Brown-Forman since 1956. Unlike bourbon, the new spirit is filtered through sugar maple charcoal before going into barrels, a step known as the Lincoln County Process.
The distillery was founded by Jack Daniel; the producer dates its establishment to 1866, and that year is on the label. According to Jack Daniel's, Nathan “Nearest” Green, a formerly enslaved man, taught Jack Daniel to make whiskey and became his first head distiller; the company now calls him its first master distiller.
The water comes from an iron-free cave spring. Before going into the barrel, the spirit slowly trickles through about three metres (10 feet) of sugar maple charcoal, a step the producer calls “mellowing”; the charcoal is made at the distillery from burned sugar maple. Old No. 7 is aged in new charred barrels made of American white oak.
A 2013 Tennessee law allows the name “Tennessee Whiskey” only for whiskey made in the state from a mash with at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak barrels and filtered through maple charcoal. In the EU, the name has been protected as a US product since 1994. According to the producer, Old No. 7 and Gentleman Jack are 40% ABV (80 proof), Tennessee Rye is 45% (mash: 70% rye, 18% corn, 12% malted barley), Single Barrel 47%, Bonded 50% and Single Barrel Barrel Proof 62.5 to 70%.
Why it matters to you. Tennessee Honey, Fire and Apple are whiskey liqueurs at 35% ABV, while Old No. 7 is 40%: check the name and the percentage. The Single Barrel label means each bottle is drawn from an individual barrel, so batches differ. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1866 (the year given by the producer and on the label) 35 |
|---|---|
| Raw material | iron-free cave spring water; mash of at least 51% corn (Tennessee law) 13 |
| Distillation method | filtering through about 3 m (10 ft) of sugar maple charcoal before aging 36 |
| Cask type | new charred American white oak barrels 3 |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV (Old No. 7, Gentleman Jack); Tennessee Rye 45%; Single Barrel 47%; Bonded 50% 7 |
| Legal basis | Tennessee Code § 57-2-106 (2013); EU–US spirits agreement (1994): Tennessee Whisky as a US product 12 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Jack Daniel's → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Brown-Forman, 🥃 Lincoln County Process
- Packed in
- 🍷 Barrel toasting
- Made from
- 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Products
- 🥃 Tennessee whiskey
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 North America
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Bourbon whiskey, 🥃 Straight rye whiskey, 🥃 Southern Comfort, 🥃 Maker's Mark, 🥃 Four Roses, 🥃 Woodford Reserve, 🥃 Canadian Club, 🥃 Bulleit, 🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve, 🥃 George Dickel
- In other topics
- 🐝 American white oak
Frequently asked questions
Is Jack Daniel's a bourbon?
On the label it is Tennessee whiskey. The 2013 state law asks for the main bourbon conditions, at least 51% corn and new charred oak barrels, and adds two of its own: production in Tennessee and maple charcoal filtering before ageing.
What ABV and proof are the different Jack Daniel's bottlings?
According to the producer, Old No. 7 and Gentleman Jack are 40% ABV (80 proof), Tennessee Rye 45%, Single Barrel 47% and Bonded 50%.
Are Tennessee Honey, Fire and Apple whiskey?
They are whiskey liqueurs at 35% ABV, not the whiskey itself, so check the name and the percentage on the bottle.
Who was Nearest Green?
According to the company, Nathan Green taught the founder to make whiskey and became his first head distiller; it now calls him its first master distiller.
What is different about Gentleman Jack?
The producer says it is charcoal mellowed twice, before and after ageing, rather than once.
What to read next
- 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky — Grain in the name of American whiskey: bourbon is at least 51% corn, rye at least 51% rye, corn whiskey at least 80% corn. 'Straight' means at least two years in the barrel.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Bourbon whiskey — Bourbon is American whiskey from a mash of at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak barrels and bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more, with no colouring or flavouring. “Straight” means at least 2 years.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🌍 North America — US and Canada: 9.5 million US cows gave 232 billion lb of milk (2025); Wisconsin makes a quarter of US cheese; Canada runs on dairy quotas.
Similar
🥃 Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey · 🥃 Maker's Mark · 🥃 George Dickel · 🥃 Buffalo Trace · 🥃 Seagram's Seven Crown · 🥃 Crown Royal
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
- 🥃 Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7
- 🥃 Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye
- 🥃 Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select
- 🥃 Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's Tennessee Apple
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's Tennessee Blackberry
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey
All (10) →
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's Bonded
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's Tennessee Apple
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's Tennessee Blackberry
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire
- 🥃 Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey
- 🥃 Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack
- 🥃 Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7
- 🥃 Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select
- 🥃 Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye
Sources
- Tennessee Code Ann. § 57-2-106 «Tennessee Whiskey» (Public Chapter 341, signed 13.05.2013)
- TTB: U.S.–EU Spirits Agreement (Bourbon Whisky, Tennessee Whisky)
- Brown-Forman: Jack Daniel's (est. 1866, Lynchburg; 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal; new charred American white oak; Gentleman Jack 40%, Bonded 50% ABV; products)
- Brown-Forman: Historical timeline (1956 — acquisition of Jack Daniel Distillery)
- Jack Daniel's: Our History
- Jack Daniel's: The Lincoln County Process
- Jack Daniel's press room: Products (proof, Gentleman Jack charcoal mellowed twice, Single Barrel, Rye, Honey, Fire, Apple)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)