MMM JD! (Jack Daniels No 7)

Member Name: Donnabroom

Product:	Jack Daniels No 7
Date:	07/06/07 (602 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious and Rock n Roll.

Disadvantages: Its booze

I can clearly remember my sip of the sweet nectar that is Jack Daniels. I was 16, (don’t drink kids – it’s not cool), and with my, (then), boyfriend in a cute little Italian restaurant in Bristol. I suggested he ordered my drink for me as I like to be surprised and try new things. (I find when you order yourself that you tend to stick to what you know). He brought me a Jack Daniels, (JD), and coke. The first mouthful tasted like gravel but with the second mouthful the flavours developed and it was love.

I have drunk JD ever since, (not exclusively mind you); I love it with Coke, Cherry Coke, Dr Pepper, Lemonade or straight with or without ice. I even love the iconic label and I have several treasured items bearing that distinctive black and white label.

~~*~~ Jack Daniels the Man and the Legend ~~*~~

The story behind Jack Daniels is shrouded in mystery, myth and legend. No-one knows when Mr Jack Daniels was born as a town fire destroyed all birth and death records in his home-town of Lynchburg, USA.

His birthday is celebrated in September every year which is great for me as Tim’s, (my fiancé), birthday is September 5th and JD tend to give away stuff like free glasses every September which, along with a bottle of JD makes an excellent gift for him!

Jack left home really, really young as was raised by a family friend. In September of 1863, when Jack was aproxiamtly 13 years of age, his mentor decided to devote his life to God and sold Jack the still he owned. Jack it seems became a licensed distiller when he was about 16 when he founded the Jack Daniels brand in 1866. If the dates all add up the Jack Daniels still is the oldest still in the USA.

Legend has it that Jack was a big fan of the ladies and that they loved him right back; indeed there is a chair either side of gravestone and legend has it that the chairs were placed there for the many women of the town that mourned his passing.

~~*~~ The Still ~~*~~

As previously mention the Jack Daniels still may well be the oldest still in the USA and it has been accepted that this is the case; the still is also a national historic site which I expect works in a similar way to our national heritage sites.

The still uses spring water from a spring that Jack himself discovered in a limestone cave, Jack’s office is based near the spring and despite the office being ugly and a little run down the company is reluctant to change anything here as “it helps remind them to stay true to Jack’s traditions”.

The reason the spring water is so good for making whiskey is that it is completely iron free and iron interferes with the flavour of whiskey.

The stills themselves, (the whole site is referred to as a still but the individual “vats” that they whiskey is made in are also called stills), are huge, (140 foot), copper things that look similar to an urn.

~~*~~ Tennessee Mash vs. Bourbon ~~*~~

Now although a lot of people, (including me until I started writing this), believe that Jack Daniels is a Bourbon it isn’t; in fact it is a “sour mash”. The main difference as far as I can tell is the fact that Jack Daniels is filtered through charcoal, (maple charcoal to be exact).

The mash part comes from the mixture they make from rye, barley malt, corn and of course the spring water. The resulting “Mash” is then mixed with yeast and left to ferment which is where the “sour” comes from.

I think the main reason this definition is so important is due to Tennessee state laws regarding the allowed strength of bourbon which are lower than the allowed strengths of whiskey. As a result of this loop-hole JD is bottled at 40% by volume, (80% proof).

The extra alcohol is probably the reason why so many rock stars favour the drink!

~~*~~ The Bottle ~~*~~

Jack Daniels comes in a square shape bottle with quite a long, slim neck. The label is black and white and one of the most recognisable and iconic label from the world of booze. The glass is clear letting you see the beautiful spirit within.

~~*~~ The Smell ~~*~~

Trying to describe the smell of Jack Daniels is a tough job. Obviously the initial smell is alcohol and that familiar smell of whiskey. The grains give of an almost gravel-like scent with more than a hint of malt. Un-usually for a whiskey there is a rich, sweet smell like that of a ripe, sweet apple, (not the appley bit, just the sweetness).

~~*~~ The Taste ~~*~~

Wow where to start; JD tastes like nothing else on earth. There is a rich, crisp, smooth flavour of malt and grain. The alcohol flavour is more subtle than a lot of whiskeys and doesn’t cause the burning throat commonly associated with spirits but instead it has a warmth that flows right down the throat and into the stomach.

During the filtering process JD takes on a smoky characteristic from the maple charcoal which is a welcome addition to the flavour. I think it’s this smoky taste that makes JD work so well with meats.

Obviously this does taste like whisky but more like the bourbon whiskeys, (like Jim Beam), than the Scotch and Irish whiskeys.

~~*~~ The Texture and Colour ~~*~~

Jack Daniels seems a little thicker than a lot of spirits I have tried and is completely smooth to swallow. This texture makes JD easier to drink neat or on the rocks and inevitably makes it easier to get brain-numbingly drunk!

The colour of JD is a golden, brown sugar caramel with almost honey tones.

~~*~~ Recipes and Cocktails ~~*~~

* JD Apple Crumble *

Ingredients:
(Filling)
3 large or 4 medium cooking apples
4 Tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 Shots of Jack Daniels
A knob of butter
(Topping)
8oz Plain Flour
4oz Butter
4oz Granulated Sugar

Method:
Peel and chop the cooking apples. (I prefer there to be some bite to the apples so I cut them quite large but if you prefer a more pureed effect cut them quite small). Pop the Sugar and Jack Daniels in a saucepan and stir until the sugar begins to melt then add the butter. Add the apples and stir to coat.
Pop the apple mixture straight into an ovenproof dish.
Next place the butter, (which should be at room temperature), into a large mixing bowl and rub in the flour until you get a breadcrumb texture. Now mix through the sugar and cover the apple mixture.
Cook in an oven set to gas mark 5 or190 degrees C or 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes until the topping is golden brown.
Serve with ice-cream, custard or whipped cream. Yum!

* JD Chocolate Truffles *

Ingredients:
8oz good quality chocolate, (60% - 70% cocoa solids)
½ Cup of double cream
2 Tablespoons of Jack Daniels
Cocoa Powder

Method:
Heat the cream in a saucepan until it boils. Take it off the heat and break the chocolate into it. Keep stirring this mix until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the Jack Daniels and refrigerate until the mixture is firm.
Using a teaspoon scoop out small amounts of the mixture and QUICKLY roll into bite-sized balls rolling each into cocoa powder as you go.
These can be stored the fridge for a few days but need to be brought up to room temperature before serving.

* JD Marinade for Meat *

Ingredients:
½ Cup of pineapple juice
3 Tablespoon of soy sauce
1 ½ Teaspoons of ground ginger
2 Cloves garlic grated
¼ Cup of Jack Daniels

Method:
This one is so simple; just mix everything together really well with a whisk. Use this to flavour meat. Simply dip the meat into the sauce to coat it and wrap it in Clingfilm and pop it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Grill, roast or barbeque the meat brushing on more of the sauce every time you turn the meat. Just before the meat is cooked brush on a little more sauce and serve hot. This is perfect for adding a little something to a barbeque and is one of my favourite recipes.
Particularly good with pork and chicken.

* Jack Daniels Rose Cocktail *

Ingredients:
A good slug of Brandy
1 Teaspoon of Grenadine
A little lime juice to taste
Crushed ice

Method:
Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well. If you don’t have a shaker just put it all in a jug and mix together. Strain into a glass and serve. If desired add a few rose petals to the glass.

* Serving Suggestions *

Try Jack Daniels with the following mixers:

7-Up – This is a refreshing combination which allows you to get quite drunk as they are really easy to knock back – take care!

Cherry Coke – This is a favourite of mine every Christmas! Of course the naughty way to get the taste is to use normal Coke and a little Cherry Brandy!

Coke – The classic JD and Coke, favoured by rock stars!

Tonic Water – I have tried this a few times and I love it but no-one else I know can stand it, so be warned.

Guinness – Yes you read that right just add a shot of JD to a pint of the black stuff. This is so nice but obviously a little lethal.

~~*~~ Trivia ~~*~~

* Jack Daniels No.7 Brand won the gold medal at the 1904 World Fair.

* No-one knows why Jack called the whiskey no. 7 brand. There are lots of theories; some say it was because he enjoyed the company of 7 different women and others that it was for luck but the truth is no-one knows.

* Jack’s real name was Jasper Newton.

* Jack had a safe in his office to which he had forgotten the combination. Every day he tried in vain to open it but it wouldn’t budge. One day he kicked the thing and broke his toe. It proved to be a fatal decision and he died from blood poisoning.

* Frank Sinatra was a huge JD fan and even commissioned the distillery to produce a very special and strictly limited bottle design just for him.

* Guns N Roses, the Ramones, Ozzy Osborne and Lemmy are amongst JDs many Rock n Roll fans.

~~*~~ Quotes ~~*~~

* (From Vanilla Sky):
David: “You're not blind. You're drinking Jack Daniels, and when you drink Jack, you start in with that... Frank Sinatra, she shot me down, give me a cigarette, "King of Sad" thing”.
Brian: “That I do. Give me a cigarette”.

* (Frank Sinatra): "Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels."

* (Anonymous): “If alcohol is a crutch, then Jack Daniels is the wheelchair”.

* (Jack Daniels): “Every day we make it, we will make it the best we can”

~~*~~ Price ~~*~~

www.drinkstuff.com/products/jack-daniels-gifts.as p has a great range of JD memorabilia like a cool chess set for £159.99 and a pair of cufflinks for £15.99.

www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodi d=317 is selling 70cl bottles for £17.39 or 6 bottles for £98.95 which is £16.49 a bottle.

Tescos are selling 70cl bottles for £17.48 and 35cl bottles for £9.38.

~~*~~ Conclusion ~~*~~

Jack Daniels is a delicious drink which can be enjoyed in a wide variety of ways. It is a little expensive, (horrendously so in pubs and clubs), but it is the perfect drink for special occasions and after all you get what you pay for.

Summary: JD Sour Mash!