Filtering their whiskey through charcoal, as is done with Tennessee whiskey is a shortcut. It produces fine whiskey, but is the major distinction between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon whiskey.
Jack Daniels has fallen behind some of the top shelf bourbons being crafted in Kentucky, but also elsewhere as bourbon need not be distilled in Kentucky and certainly not in Bourbon County. Dickel is not in the race, in my view.
The market does work in this world. While I can’t find and probably can’t afford a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, I can and do buy it’s cousin, Weller’s - a great bargain and hard to distinguish in a side by side test with Pappy.
Re: Weller’s.
I will look for that in the future.
I agree! I like Weller’s and Jack Daniels equally, and Weller’s is a bit less expensive.
I tried making “redneck creme brulee” tonight after dinner.
Chilled Jell-O butterscotch pudding, sprinkled with a tablespoon or so of granulated sugar and soaked in an equal amount of Woodford Reserve, then set ablaze.
Results: not bad. Might need a higher proof to actually melt the sugar. Flavor of WR complements the butterscotch pudding nicely.
-——Dickel is not in the race——
Is Dickel not allowed to be Tennessee Whisky?
I would think the law is to remove the Tennessee label form the various moonshine being produced and sold now.
BTW. Jack Daniels is meant to be sipped straight out of the bottle with perhaps a splash of water
You have it completely backwards. The charcoal barrels cost as much as $600 to make. They mellow the whiskey and give it color. They also add to the distinct sour mash flavor in which you can taste hints of caramel, oak, vanilla, etc.
Dickel is an amazing Tennessee Whisky. I is not mass marketed but oh my goodness what flavor.
Kentucky bourbons use a quite inferior process and it tastes like it.