# Gather round people, it's time you learned that JACK DANIELS IS NOT BOURBON! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [November 7, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692 "2008-11-07T19:26:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/1 "2008-11-07T19:26:36Z")
Do not read if you are planning on playing in the current feud game. It would be cheating. This isn’t meant to be a rant so much as it is a public service announcement, so it’s a cafe society piece. Question #2 in the most recent feud game. Name a type of Bourbon answers: > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/2): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/3): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/4): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/8): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/11): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/14): > > 1. Jack Daniel > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/15): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/16): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/23): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/25): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/26): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/27): > > 1. Jack Daniels > > 2. I know Jack Daniels isn’t a bourbon under some definitions of the word, but it’s famous so I think it will be a popular answer. > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/28): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/32): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/35): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/37): > > 1. Jack Daniel’s > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/40): > > 1. Jack Daniel > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/46): > > 1. Jack Daniels > > Yeah Jack isn’t really Bourbon, but it sure is tasty. > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/54): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/55): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/56): > > 1. Jack Daniels > [@The Midnight Feud: Booze! by This'll Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-midnight-feud-booze-by-thisll-do/471594/57): > > 1. Jack Daniel’s I know this has been corrected in the feud thread, but clearly we as a culture have a problem if we don’t know that JD isn’t Bourbon, because it means we don’t know what Bourbon is, and Bourbon is one of the very finest of American traditions. (Non USers, I will get to why you should care in a second) I do not want to take away from Jack Daniels, which is from a fine tradition of Tenessee Process Whiskey itself. But it ain’t Bourbon, and it is important to know the difference. Why? Well I can’t really explain it other than there are only a handful of things that are uniquely American, and Bourbon is one of them. Just as you would want to know, at least on some level, the difference between Jazz and Blues, you should know a little about our unique drinks. If you are not an American and reading this thread, same deal. Just because we are ignorant about our own heritage (and yours) doesn’t mean you have to be! Plus, it’s a good drink, and fighting ignorance is always a good thing. 😛 Also > [@](#): > > Bourbon has to come from Kentucky, and Jack is from Tennessee. The above is also false. Bourbon has to be made in the US, but it doesn’t have to come from Kentucky, it just usually does. Kentucky Bourbon has to come from Kentucky, but otherwise not so much. Stop the spread of misinformation! > [@from wiki](#): > > From wiki: > > [edit] Legal requirements > On 4 May 1964, the U.S. Congress recognized Bourbon Whiskey as a “distinctive product of the United States," creating the Federal Standards of Identity for Bourbon. Federal regulations now stipulate that Bourbon must meet these requirements: > > Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.[1] > Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume). > Bourbon must be 100% natural (nothing other than water added to the mixture). > Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.[1] > Bourbon may not be introduced to the barrel at higher than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume). > Bourbon which meets the above requirements and has been aged for a minimum of two years, may (but is not required to) be called Straight Bourbon.[2] > Bourbon aged for a period less than four years must be labelled with the duration of its aging. > In practice, almost all bourbons marketed today are made from more than two-thirds corn, have been aged at least four years, and do qualify as “straight bourbon”—with or without the “straight bourbon” label. The exceptions are inexpensive commodity brands of bourbon aged only three years and pre-mixed cocktails made with bourbon aged the minimum two years. Jack Daniels isn’t bourbon because it is charcoal filtered aka Tenessee Processed. This filtering adds the flavor of the charcoal to the drink, and renders it no longer bourbon, but an entirely different drink. Saying that they are the same is like saying that Crown Royal and Glennfiddich are the same drink. Anyway, read about the proud history of bourbon here: [http://www.straightbourbon.com/history.html](http://www.straightbourbon.com/history.html) It’s American history and a darn good drink. Know your Bourbon people! Enjoy. This angry public service announcement has been brought to you by NAF, believer in Bourbon. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/2 "2008-11-07T19:46:09Z")
Jack Daniel’s is also spelled “Jack Daniel’s” because Jack Daniel was named Daniel. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/3 "2008-11-07T19:47:24Z")
And also bourbon is the national distilled spirit of the US. Why do you all hate America? 😉 And the charcoal filtering process is correctly called the [Lincoln County Process](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_County_Process). But good points and everyone should know a bourbon from a Tennesee sour mash. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/4 "2008-11-07T19:53:03Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > Jack Daniel’s is also spelled “Jack Daniel’s” because Jack Daniel was named Daniel. To you :p. This is a serious issue not to be bogged down by trivialities like spelling and punctuation! > [@Cluricaun](#): > > And also bourbon is the national distilled spirit of the US. Why do you all hate America? 😉 > > And the charcoal filtering process is correctly called the [Lincoln County Process](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_County_Process). > > But good points and everyone should know a bourbon from a Tennesee sour mash. Good point about the Lincoln County Process. I more or less dashed the OP off in a fit of pique and, in retrospect there is really a lot more I could have done with it in terms of information. But my dream is that people will see this informationally sparse thread and go out and educate themselves! Or at least, if the readers become bartenders and they get asked what bourbon they have in stock, they will know better than to offer Jack and Crown Royal. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/5 "2008-11-07T19:54:25Z")
I promptly move that everybody that put Jack Daniel’s as an answer be disqualified from the game for Gross Insult to An American Tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/6 "2008-11-07T19:56:45Z")
Well, if you want to get all technical here, what we call “whiskey” in North America makes everyone else on the planet cringe in horror. “Whiskey” is scotch to most of the world. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/7 "2008-11-07T19:57:56Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Well, if you want to get all technical here, what we call “whiskey” in North America makes everyone else on the planet cringe in horror. “Whiskey” is scotch to most of the world. Ah HA! This is where you are wrong. _Whisky is scotch. What we have in America is Whiske_y and clearly different. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/8 "2008-11-07T19:58:51Z")
All that being said, I think it’s really nitpicky to not allow the Tennesee Sour Mash to be at least a subset of bourbon. I know that to be bourbon it can’t have any artificial colorings or flavorings but I don’t know that I taste or see charcoal in my Jack, so I personally don’t see the big deal. And as a liquor fiend I will say that I don’t know of one single mixed drink that can’t have Jack or George Dickel’s substitued for bourbon and be just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/9 "2008-11-07T20:00:12Z")
Jack Daniel’s tastes much like bourbon to me. If I ask for a bourbon and coke, and they serve me a little Jack in the Black, I won’t send it back. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/10 "2008-11-07T20:03:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I promptly move that everybody that put Jack Daniel’s as an answer be disqualified from the game for Gross Insult to An American Tradition. Of course, the point of the game is to guess what most people will say, not to be right. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/11 "2008-11-07T20:04:20Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > All that being said, I think it’s really nitpicky to not allow the Tennesee Sour Mash to be at least a subset of bourbon. I know that to be bourbon it can’t have any artificial colorings or flavorings but I don’t know that I taste or see charcoal in my Jack, so I personally don’t see the big deal. > > And as a liquor fiend I will say that I don’t know of one single mixed drink that can’t have Jack or George Dickel’s substitued for bourbon and be just fine. I would say the Manhattan, but that really needs rye to work right. So instead I will say an Old Fashioned. Jack would not work in one of those I don’t think. Too dark of a flavor profile. An I prefer Jack and coke to Bourbon and coke, but prefer bourbon in ginger ale to Jack. Is that because of the charcoal filtering? I don’t know. But there is a taste difference. ---
**Author:** ![TheFifthYear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@TheFifthYear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFifthYear)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/12 "2008-11-07T20:10:01Z")
I post simply to thank you for the OP. I was vaguely aware that there was some difference between Jack and bourbon, but didn’t know what it was. Now I’ve been educated. I’ll impress and/or bore the hell out of some people at the bar tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/13 "2008-11-07T20:12:19Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Ah HA! > > This is where you are wrong. _Whisky is scotch. What we have in America is Whiske_y and clearly different. [Oh, yeah?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bottle_of_Maker%27s_Mark_Whisky.JPG) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/14 "2008-11-07T20:12:50Z")
Been there, done that. Bet on the latter. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/15 "2008-11-07T20:17:52Z")
Pffft. I make my beef marinades with Jim Beam anyway. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/16 "2008-11-07T20:18:36Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Jack Daniel’s tastes much like bourbon to me. If I ask for a bourbon and coke, and they serve me a little Jack in the Black, I won’t send it back. I would. It’s a very distinctly different taste to me. Of course I would send back any whiskey and coke, but that’s because it has coke in it. Soda water, rocks or neat for me, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/17 "2008-11-07T20:20:47Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > [Oh, yeah?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bottle_of_Maker%27s_Mark_Whisky.JPG) 😃 Kentuckians are notably lax spellers. And mostly shoeless. Q: How do we know that the toothbrush was invented in Kentucky? A: If it had been invented anywhere else it would be known as the teethbrush. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/18 "2008-11-07T21:40:21Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Kentuckians are notably lax spellers. And mostly shoeless. > > Q: How do we know that the toothbrush was invented in Kentucky? > A: If it had been invented anywhere else it would be known as the teethbrush. What? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/19 "2008-11-07T21:50:14Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Well, if you want to get all technical here, what we call “whiskey” in North America makes everyone else on the planet cringe in horror. “Whiskey” is scotch to most of the world. I like “Modern Marvels” on the History Channel and some time back they featured distilled drinks. As I recall, in the US whiskey must be aged in a new charred barrel, with each barrel used only one time. Once the barrel has served its purpose it is sold for other uses. One of the leading purchases of used barrels are Scottish distilleries which they use them to age scotch. Scotch benefits from older barrels because the stronger flavors have already been absorbed by the whiskey which leaves a mellower and smoother flavor for the scotch. So whiskey and scotch are very similar, but still different thanks to the age of the barrel’s used for aging. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692/20 "2008-11-07T21:51:11Z")
So, but, Crown Royal and Glenfiddich are the same thing, right? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gather-round-people-its-time-you-learned-that-jack-daniels-is-not-bourbon/471692.md?page=2)