Jack Daniel’s

In the world of whisky, or whiskey, Jack Daniel’s is as unique (and significant) as they come. Commonly mistaken for a bourbon, the makers of Jack Daniel’s undertake an additional process which classifies it as a Tennessee Whiskey. It is crafted in Lynchburg, Tennessee which, by a weird quirk of fate, falls within Moore County, which happens to be a dry county. So the world’s most popular whiskey just so happens not to be available to purchase in its own hometown. The only exception is at the Distillery’s White Rabbit Bottle Shop in which you can purchase a range of commemorative products.

HISTORY

Every year in September, folks in Lynchburg and elsewhere around the world gather to celebrate the birthday of Mr Jasper Newton Daniel, commonly known as Jack. We think Mr Jack would be proud that people still pause to raise his whiskey in his honour. We think he might be equally amused that they do this not knowing the exact day in September he was born or, for that matter, what year. If you go to Lynchburg, you’ll find the date 1850 inscribed on his gravestone and referred to on the tour as the “official” date of Jack’s birth. And that it is – the “official” date. We know for a fact, it’s not the “actual” date. By 1850, we’re pretty sure Jack’s mother was dead, which would make his birth in that year somewhat problematic. It’s more likely, based on census data, that Jack was actually born two years earlier in 1848.

SO WHY THE DISCREPANCY?

Well, the 1850 date on the gravestone was the work of Jack’s nephew, Lem Motlow, who laboured side by side with his uncle and eventually inherited his Distillery. Lem probably got this information from his Uncle Jack. Now Jack, because he ran away from home at an early age and both his parents had passed away by the time he was around 14 years old, might not have known the actual year of his birth. Or, because he was a lifelong bachelor and ladies’ man who entertained a number of female acquaintances, he might have shaved a couple of years off his age. Lant Wood, a man who knew Mr Jack, wrote in his memoirs, “[Jack] never mentioned his age, since he was a bachelor... He called the young ladies ‘damsels’ or ‘fair damsels’. He was extremely popular with the younger generation.” Whether he was uncertain of the actual year or it was just a matter of pride, Jack died before revealing the truth about this mystery. Today, it’s only one of the many unknowns that surround Mr Jack and his Distillery. “Here’s to Mr Jack, more than 165 years old and still out in the bars every night.”

VISIT JACK DANIEL’S

When in Tennessee, a trip to Lynchburg is a must. There are multiple tour options to choose from depending on how much time you have and if you want to eat. The prices are very reasonable too, starting with a 1 hour 10 min tour for just $15 US and going up to a 3 hour tour and lunch at neighbouring Miss Mary Bobo’s restaurant for $100 US. Learn all about the original square bottle, Jack’s mystery birthday a nd the legend behind the Old No 7. To tour the distillery, book online www.jackdaniels.com/en-au/visit-distillery

THE QUESTION OF

What’s the number one question the staff at the Jack Daniel’s distillery get? Universally, it has been, “What does the number seven mean in Old No. 7?”

The answer really depends on who you ask. Is it the most obvious which, in our opinion, would be that the number 7 is just lucky, and maybe Mr. Jack Daniel felt like he had received some good fortune when he landed on the whiskey that would go on to bear his name. But ask about Jack Daniel, the man, and you’ll get a view of a person who believed more in hard work than in luck. His whiskey making motto was simply, “Every day we make it, we’ll make it the best we can”. Doesn’t sound like someone putting the recipe down to luck.

So was this to do with the batch, or recipe, that Jack was constantly working to perfect? Possibly landing on his seventh batch or recipe and sticking with it?

If you were to have asked the late Jimmy Bedford, the Jack Daniel’s sixth master distiller, how Old No. 7 got its name, he had a story he swore by. Jimmy said that one of Mr. Jack’s shipments of whiskey was lost by the railroad. When the barrels were finally found the word ‘Old’ was written on the shipping ticket that happened to be the ‘No. 7’. The shopkeeper that eventually received the whiskey liked it so much he ordered some more of that ‘Old No. 7’.

The mystery deepens, as some speculate it is to do with Mr. Jack’s love life. He remained unmarried and had numerous girlfriends, in which case if the name is a reference to a lady friend, it could explain his continued single status. And if none of these stories work for you, well there are plenty more. Some say Mr. Jack had a friend with seven successful stories; others simply say that the J in his signature resembled a 7. One old-timer confidently contends that Jack Daniel’s was sold for a long time with the motto, “Whiskey made as our fathers made it for 7 generations”.

The government even gets some credit, as a change in tax districts had Mr. Jack reminding his growing number of friends that his whiskey was made in the old No. 7 district.

The truth is, with so many stories, quite possibly Mr. Jack didn’t want any of us to really know, and was looking for a reason for folks to talk. As nothing goes better with whiskey than good conversation, perhaps Mr. Jack just wanted to give us something to talk about. So there you have it….100 years later and folks are still talking. Make sure, when you drop past the distillery, that you ask the question. It’ll be fascinating what response you get.