About Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniels is an American brand of whiskey. The company that produces it was founded by Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel in Lynchburg, Tennessee in 1875. Louisville's Brown-Forman Distillers Corp. bought the company in 1956 for $20 million.
Jack Daniel's whiskey was originally produced at 90 proof, though the company made a switch to 80 proof in 2004 after it discovered through market research that consumers prefer a lower proof whiskey. The brand is known for its simple black and white logo.
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Jack Daniel: The Individual
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Jasper Daniel was the youngest of 10 children born to Calaway and Lucinda Daniel. His mother died shortly after his birth. Because of conflicting dates on his and his mother's gravestones, and a fire that destroyed courthouse records, Daniel's true birth date is unknown.
The Daniel family was of English, Scottish and Scots-Irish descent and owned a farm in Middle Tennessee. In 1907, Daniel gave the distillery to his nephew, Lem Motlow, and in 1911, he died from blood poisoning.
Lucky No. 7
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Jack Daniel's signature brand is Old No. 7. There were not six previous versions of the whiskey and the company likes to keep the reason it's called No. 7 a secret. There are several folk tales on how the whiskey got its name, including one that claims Jack Daniel had seven girlfriends and another that says seven was the railroad shipping number on barrels of the liquor. The story behind Old No. 7 went with Daniel to his grave.
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Charcoal Mellow
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Jack Daniel's whiskey is mellowed through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal. The company says this is what creates the distinct smooth taste its consumers recognize and expect. This process is what differentiates the liquor as a Tennessee whiskey as opposed to a bourbon. The charcoal mellow helps to refine the flavor of the whiskey, which then matures in barrels for a calendar year.
Sub brands
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Jack Daniels has four sub brands: Jack Daniel's Old No. 7, Jack Daniel's single barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack and Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails.
Like all of its whiskeys, Jack Daniel's single barrel is distilled in a barrel made by the company. To deepen its color and taste, Single Barrel is matured higher than the other whiskeys, where it is subject to drastic temperature changes.
Gentleman Jack goes through the charcoal mellow process twice to increase its smooth texture. Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails are pre-mixed drinks that come in several flavors, including Ginger Splash, Black Jack Cola and Downhome Punch.
The Distillery
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According to Jack Daniel's, the label's distillery was licensed in 1966 and is the oldest registered distillery in America. The county in which the whiskey is made, Moore County, is dry, but the area makes an exception for Jack Daniel's and allows it to sell its whiskey in the distillery gift shop.
Jack Daniel's makes use of a nearby hollow where iron-free cave spring water flows all year. The hollow is the reason the distillery was originally erected in Moore.
Brand Information
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The stark black and white Jack Daniel's label has become an iconic brand printed on a wide array of products. You can buy Jack Daniel's chess sets, rotating bar lights, jukeboxes, mini fridges and an assortment of t-shirts, signs and accessories.
A company called Beanstalk bought the rights to sell assorted Jack Daniel's merchandise in Europe in 2002. A UK food manufacturer called Baxter's has also created a line of Jack Daniel's barbecue sauces in flavors such as Original, Chilli, Honey and Smoke.
Racing Sponsorship
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Jack Daniels has sponsored several racing teams. In 2005, it sponsored the number 07 car in Nascar and then the Perkins Engineering team in the Australian V8 Supercar series from 2006 to 2008. In 2009, the company decided to sponsor the Kelly Racing team and in January 2010, it announced it has extended that corporate relationship for an additional two years.
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References
- Photo Credit glass of whiskey and ice image by Piter Pkruger from Fotolia.com
