cowdery Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 I quote in part from a recent Jack Daniel's press release. If Jack Daniel's were to be placed in a barrel and aged immediately after distillation, it would be a bourbon. However, that is not the case. Our whiskey is trickled very slowly through 10 feet of hard maple charcoal, right after distillation. It's this extra step in the whiskey-making process that makes Jack Daniel's more than a bourbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratcheer Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Oh God, not again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakegz Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 so having less of a nose, less complexity, less body, means its more then a bourbon? i thinktheyre talking about pricing when they say More. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musher Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Haven't you heard the expression "less is more?" They've even applied that philosophy to their bottling proof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakegz Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 I guess this proves that Mies was a drinker of Jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightcap Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 This whole thing is so silly. JD's competition won't ALLOW them under the bourbon umbrella, and the response is that they don't WANT the label. It's all a marketing game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted November 12, 2004 Author Share Posted November 12, 2004 JD's competition won't ALLOW them under the bourbon umbrella, and the response is that they don't WANT the label. It's all a marketing game. I don't know if the first part of your statement is correct, but the last part certainly is. I should have pointed out that the quoted statement is the producer's opinion. It is found nowhere in the federal regulations. When we discussed this before, it was pointed out that the law requires something to be labeled as what it is, so if it is bourbon, it's supposed to be labeled bourbon. Therefore, JD has to argue that the filtration process disqualifies it from being bourbon. The fact that it hasn't been challenged pretty much means it can't be, so even though it hasn't really been codified, for all intents and purposes Tennessee Whiskey is a "legal definition" and it is bourbon that has been charcoal rectified (probably a more accurate term than "filtered") before aging. Actually, if the competition really wanted to f--- JD, they would argue that it is bourbon and force them to label it as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian12069 Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 What about the fact that it has coloring added? From what I understand, even more coloring now that it's only 80 proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted November 13, 2004 Author Share Posted November 13, 2004 The only coloring in Jack Daniel's is what comes naturally from the barrel. No artifical coloring is added. You have been misinformed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian12069 Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 you sure...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted November 14, 2004 Author Share Posted November 14, 2004 Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian12069 Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 the 80 proof has coloring in it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 Where did you hear this? It has been my understanding that JD is identical to bourbon production, save the "mellowing". I have read nothing to indicate a change other than a proof reduction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 I do remember reading a reference from Jimmy Bedford about taking conscious steps to match the color of the new 80 proof to the old 86, but I took it to mean they were conscious of color in barrel selection, not that they added anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightcap Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 What OMINOUS language... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted November 16, 2004 Author Share Posted November 16, 2004 You are wrong. This will be my last word on the subject. If that isn't good enough for you, run a search on the words "cognitive dissonance." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightcap Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 When did they lower the proof to 80? Is this a recent development? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesbassdad Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 Nightcap,See this thread .Yours truly,Dave Morefield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrbriggs Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 Also look here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 When did they lower the proof to 80? Is this a recent development? They began bottling at 80 proof at the beginning of 2004. It took a while for the lower-proof bottlings to hit the shelf in some areas. Here in TN, we saw it by March, and knew it was coming last fall. But, then, we occasionally have folks who work there in the store. Anyway, it was a done deal long before enough people became aware of it to howl effectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Weber Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Just as an FYI, JD can not be called a bourbon because federal laws prohibit the addition of anything other than the grains in the mashbill, yeast, and water. The charcoal filtration immediately after distillation adds a bit of a smokey, maple flavor to the whiskey. As far as I know they comply with the rest of the specs.Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted November 22, 2004 Author Share Posted November 22, 2004 JD can not be called a bourbon because federal laws prohibit the addition of anything other than the grains in the mashbill, yeast, and water. The above is probably arguable and we have had some long discussions about it on this board. One point is that the Lincoln Country Process isn't so much additive as subtractive and isn't substantially different from barrel aging and the process filtering most bourbons receive. Again "substantially different" is arguable. There never has been a ruling as such from any body of competent jurisdition stating that JD can't be called bourbon. However, the status quo seems to be acceptable to everybody, so why rock the boat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendaj Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 the Lincoln Country Process isn't so much additive as subtractive Well, here's my bone... That would be true if they were running it thru Oak charcoal. By using Maple, they introduce something into the process that wasn't there before. Ya know? Bj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenbob Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Lincoln Country Process isn't so much additive as subtractive and isn't substantially different from barrel aging and the process filtering most bourbons receive. Again "substantially different" is arguable. Okay, then here's another question. There's a Jim Beam product that sporadiclly appears out here. I haven't tried it. I think it's called "Jim Beam Choice" or something. It has a green label. It is supposed to be charcoal filtered. As I understand it, the Choice charcoal filtering is done at the end of the manufacturing process as opposed to the earlier filtering done with JD and Charles Dickel. And I'm sure the filtering process is quite different.But here's the question. Why is it that Jim Beam Choice is a bourbon? (Or is it? I don't remember whether or not the word "bourbon" appears on the label.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camduncan Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 It's a product that is found in most good outlets Downunder, though, I must confess to having never tried it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts