The Secret to Jack Daniel’s Smooth Taste

Charcoal is used in just about everything these days, so much so that it wouldn’t be unlikely that it’s considered a ‘super-food’ at some point; and while using charcoal is the talk of the town at the moment, one such brand has been using it for ages: Jack Daniel’s.

The iconic Tennessee whiskey company has always held charcoal in high regard. While starting a massive fire would get you into a heap of trouble at most jobs, at the Jack Daniel Distillery, it’s an essential part of the process.

So, how exactly do they do it, though? Well, three days a week, three times a day, the distillers at Jack Daniel’s stack pallets of hard sugar maple five feet high and douse them in raw unaged whiskey before setting the wood ablaze. It might seem like a waste of perfectly good whiskey, but it’s a crucial part of the brand’s trademark whiskey-creation process.

The inferno peaks at over 1,090 degrees before burning down into smouldering embers. These pellets are then raked over until finally cool and ready to slowly mellow the whiskey. The whiskey is then run, drop-by-drop, through three metres of the sugar maple charcoal to achieve that distinct smoothness.

So, next time you enjoy some charcoal in your cocktail or with your chicken wings, raise a glass and offer a toast to Jack – the original trendsetter.