Jack Daniel's faces a whiskey rebellion

Yahoo/WSJ ^ | 3-18-14 | Mike Esterl

[kingattax]

A feud has erupted among distillers over a seemingly simple question: When is a whiskey "Tennessee Whiskey''?

On the one side is Brown-Forman Corp., maker of the top-selling American whiskey, Jack Daniel's.

At the company's urging, Tennessee passed legislation last year requiring anything labeled "Tennessee Whiskey'' not just to be made in the state, but also to be made from at least 51% corn, filtered through maple charcoal and aged in new, charred oak barrels.

As it happens, that is the recipe for Jack Daniel's, which traces its Tennessee roots back more than a century and today sells more than 90% of the state's whiskey.

On the other side of this feud is U.K.-based Diageo PLC, the world's largest liquor company and owner of George Dickel, the distant No. 2 Tennessee Whiskey. It is lobbying Tennessee lawmakers to relax the rules so area distillers don't have to copy Jack Daniel's.

[tanknetter]

Oh, and over these little babies (after they've spent some time in the freezer) to cool, but not dilute the proof.

[Focault's Pendulum]

Interesting to note that JD is located in a dry county. Moore County.

[ArtDodger]

Found a recipe in an old book for a Kentucky Breakfast..
Ingredients: T bone stake, a pint of Kentucky bourbon, a bloodhound. Cooking instructions: Give the t-bone to the bloodhound..

[not2be4gotten.com]

All whiskey is wood flavored vodka.

[Tallguy]

What happens when other makers are forced to pay a licensing fee to use the recipe for JD? Not to mention that we all lose our choice in which whiskey we might decide to sip. This is why idiot legislators should stay out of issues they don’t understand. They just muck things up.

If JD wants to advertise themselves as “the ONLY TRUE Tennessee Whiskey” let them pay for the ads.

[riverrunner]

I would bet JD paid out a lot lobby money to get that one past.

[Tallguy]

Don’t know… Seems likely.

[Tallguy]

It would be a laugh if JD attempted to take its competitors to court using this state law. A federal judge would probably chuck this thing in a heartbeat.

Tennessee might not even be able to enforce it within their own state.

But we’re probably getting ahead of ourselves here.

[FAA]

“All whiskey is wood flavored vodka...”

Love the vodka. Drank a variety of liquors up until a few years ago when I settled in on vodka and haven’t looked back yet. It just goes with everything and is so good while doing it.

For the whiskey, I was never a big whiskey person but when I did it was Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark, or, Crown Royal. Never got Jack Daniel’s.

[Maigrey]

Nah, y'all gotta think smaller and home crafted. Once you take a sip of this, you won't go back. (Jack, and even Gentleman Jack give me a raging headache almost immediately.)

[Recon Dad]

20 year old Pappy Van Winkle.....period

[Charles Martel]

Diageo seems to be acting against its own best interests here. If more distillers in the U.S. are able to utilize previously-used casks to age their products, that will put a dent in the supply available to the distilleries in Scotland. That's where most ex-bourbon and ex-Tennessee Whiskey casks end up - in dunnage warehouses in Scotland, filled with single-malt or grain whiskies.

The supply of casks is already tightening up, due to greater global demand. Diageo is a big player in the scotch business, so they are well aware of this.

[Drawsing]

My painting of the Lynchburg, Tennessee courthouse in Moore County.

[centurion316]

Pappy is almost impossible to find and fetches a ridiculous price. However, W L Weller comes from the same distiller, same mash bill, but the barrels are selected and bottled at the 10 and 12 year marks. Pappy is bottled at 15 and 20 years. Weller is a very fine whiskey.

[not2be4gotten.com]

Here is my whiskey recipe:

1) Place a solution of 40% alcohol and 60% water in a jar.
2) Take a piece of wood and char it good.
3) Place the stick in the jar.
4) Set aside for a few months.

It is very simple.

[ops33]

Now that’s funny!

[lostboy61]

Make your own at home! Potato vodka-apple wiskey-sorgum rum or just plain corn shine. And if you want your head to explode try sugar shine. A high end boka still will cost you $400.00 to make. It makes about three bottles a run and that's more than you need for a sip. Just don't talk about it or show it around and you will be just fine.

[lostboy61]

The best I ever tasted, that was a bucket list day.

[fatboy]

I'm not an expert on this but I do know a few things. From a sippers perspective, JD #7 (Black Label) is on a par with Jim Beam White label. Beam costs considerably less. While not bad, overall, JD is not the best value for the cost. The truth of the matter is, Ky Bourbons such as Evan Williams (Black Label), a Heaven Hill product, is in my opinion just as good if not better tasting as JD and at half the price.

Bourbon (and Tenn Whiskey) are of course subjective when it comes to taste preferences. Many Bourbons have a hot peppery taste, for example Wild Turkey 101. Having said that and granting that the consumer decides where to spend their money, I would suggest that there are numerous Bourbons that cost the same or less than JD #7 and taste better.

For example: Old Grand Dad (BIB), Evan Williams Single Barrel, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey 101, Old Forester Signature, Eligah Craig and Four Roses Yellow Label. For a little more money there is Bulleit, Four Roses Single Barrel, Knob Creek, Wild Turkey Rare Breed to name a few.

Some on this thread are confusing Bourbons/Tenn Whiskey with Rye or High Rye and/or Wheat mash bills. Not that there is anything wrong with those but they are not Bourbon or Tenn Whiskey. Also, Scotch is a Whiskey (or Whisky) and Bourbon is a Whiskey. Vodka is not a whiskey. Although Scotch is a whiskey, it is not a fair comparison to Bourbon because the mash bills and other production methods are are different.

[Resolute Conservative]

Colonel Jack Slade had an intimate relationship with John Daniels. Ooh ahh.