DISTILLERY · LYNCHBURG, TENNESSEE
Jack Daniel's Distillery
The black-label bottle the whole world recognizes — and the charcoal ritual behind it that few can name.
Jack Daniel's is a Lynchburg, Tennessee distillery, owned by Brown-Forman since 1956, that makes the planet's best-selling American whiskey. Every drop is charcoal-mellowed through the Lincoln County Process — dripping new spirit for days through 10-foot vats of sugar-maple charcoal before it ever touches oak. That single step is what legally makes it Tennessee Whiskey rather than bourbon: the mash bill (80% corn, 12% malted barley, 8% rye) otherwise meets bourbon's rules. It matters because it's at once the most ubiquitous name in whiskey and, via recent Bonded, Single Barrel and age-stated releases, one of the fastest-rising in critical esteem.
THE JACK DANIEL'S RANGE
From Old No. 7 to Bottled-in-Bond.
All charcoal-mellowed Tennessee whiskey — the world's best-seller, now with real depth up the range.
Old No. 7
FLAGSHIPflagship · 80 proof
The charcoal-mellowed Tennessee original — banana, caramel.
COMING SOON
Gentleman Jack
double-mellowed · 80 proof
Charcoal-mellowed twice for a smoother, rounder pour.
COMING SOON
Bonded
Bottled-in-Bond · 100 proof
Hand-selected darker barrels — widely called the best-value Jack.
COMING SOON
Single Barrel Select
single barrel · 94 proof
One-barrel bottlings, richer oak and spice.
COMING SOON
Tennessee Rye
rye · 90 proof
A 70% rye mash — the brand's first new grain bill in a century.
COMING SOON
Tennessee Honey
specialty · 70 proof
Old No. 7 blended with honey liqueur — sweet and easy.
COMING SOON
JACK DANIEL'S BOTTLES · RANKED
The bottles.
SCORED / 100 · CONSENSUS ESTIMATES · US PRICES JULY 2026
| Rank | Bottle | Note | Score | Price | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Coy Hill High Proofsingle barrel · ~140+ proof · 2021 | A ~140-proof monster and genuine collector's item. | 93SCORE | $65 SRP | COMING SOON |
| 02 | 12 Year Old (Aged Series)age-stated · 107 proof · lottery | Confectionary butterscotch and chocolate — the aged range's favourite. | 92SCORE | $95 | COMING SOON |
| 03 | Single Barrel Barrel Proofsingle barrel · 125–140 proof | The cask-strength release that first won over enthusiasts. | 91SCORE | $65 | COMING SOON |
| 04 | 14 Year Old (Aged Series)age-stated · 117.6 proof · lottery | The oldest, most intense — molasses, leather, tobacco. | 90SCORE | $150 SRP | COMING SOON |
| 05 | 10 Year Old (Aged Series)age-stated · 97 proof · lottery | Baked apple, caramel, soft oak — the most approachable age-stated. | 89SCORE | $90 SRP | COMING SOON |
| 06 | BondedBottled-in-Bond · 100 proof | A richer Old No. 7 — Whiskey Advocate's #1 Most Exciting, 2022. | 87SCORE | $32 | COMING SOON |
| 07 | Single Barrel Selectsingle barrel · 94 proof | Single-barrel oak and spice; an SFWSC Double Gold winner. | 86SCORE | $50 | COMING SOON |
| 08 | Old No. 7tennessee whiskey · 80 proof | The icon — divisive with critics but the benchmark mixer. | 80SCORE | $27 | COMING SOON |
JACK DANIEL'S — THE STORY
Nearest Green's charcoal, Jack's name.
The romance says a young orphan named Jasper 'Jack' Daniel apprenticed under Lynchburg preacher-distiller Dan Call and registered his distillery in 1866. The better-documented story — now acknowledged by the brand itself — is that Jack learned the craft from Nathan 'Nearest' Green, an enslaved and later freed master distiller who specialised in sugar-maple charcoal filtering and became, by Jack's own designation, the distillery's first master distiller and likely America's first known Black master distiller.
Brown-Forman bought the distillery in 1956 and turned Old No. 7 into a global juggernaut — the best-selling American whiskey worldwide and one of the most valuable spirits brands on earth. In the modern enthusiast era, master distillers Jeff Arnett and now Chris Fletcher (since 2020, with assistant distiller Lexie Phillips) have pushed upmarket with Single Barrel Barrel Proof, Bonded, Tennessee Rye and age-stated 10/12/14 Year releases, earning serious critical respect at massive scale.
One myth, corrected: Jack Daniel's is not bourbon. It meets bourbon's core rules, but the mandatory Lincoln County Process — charcoal-mellowing before barreling — makes it legally Tennessee Whiskey, which is what the brand calls it. (And the 1866 'first registered distillery' claim is hedged; deed records suggest 1875.)
Answered by Everett Boone · The American Seat
Who owns Jack Daniel's?
Brown-Forman, the Louisville-based, Brown-family-controlled public company, which acquired the distillery in 1956. It still operates in Lynchburg, Tennessee, with no ownership change in recent years.
Is Jack Daniel's a bourbon?
No — it's Tennessee Whiskey. It meets bourbon's core rules (51%+ corn, new charred oak), but every batch is charcoal-mellowed via the Lincoln County Process before barreling, a step required by Tennessee law. The distillery labels it Tennessee Whiskey by choice.
Which bottle should I buy first?
Start with Old No. 7 (~$27) to learn the house style, but the best value is Bonded at 100 proof (~$32) — a richer, oakier version reviewers rate well above the standard pour. For single-barrel character, Single Barrel Select (~$50) is next.
Can you visit?
Yes — the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg offers guided tours daily (closed major holidays). Walking tours are free; tasting tours cost extra. Note Moore County is dry, so tastings happen on-site under a special provision.
Can we send you our whiskey?
Yes — and it's the only way to earn a Superior Rating. Distilleries are welcome to send bottles for the full panel: two per expression, one decanted into blind samples for the three of us, one sealed on file. All three seats taste it blind and the scores are averaged. Sending buys three honest opinions and nothing else — nobody sees a score before publication.