Notes: The Tennessee Whisky to most of the world (there are only two to begin with and George Dickel is the other).This distillery is much larger and produces larger batches of younger whisky (on average) than its competitor who is a distant second on quantity and sales. It is double-distilled in copper column stills then aged in new charred oak barrels. In their charcoal mellowing they drip the whiskey through about 10 ft of sugar maple charcoal over a 4 to 6 day period. In the case of Gentleman Jack this is done twice.

This whisky also uses a higher proportion of corn than most bourbon, proprietary yeast strains and large multistory warehouses (over 50 in number).This is a straight (unblended) sour mash bourbon with 10 hours of charcoal filtering for finishing.

This is the mid range brother of Jack Daniel’s No.7, and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel.

Appearance: Dark gold in the bottle, wheat color in the glass both seem somewhat more red than the No. 7.

First Impression: Heavy corn presence, chocolate, vanilla, oak grain influence, trace of spearmint, and char developing.

Taste: Lighter body, sweet with slightly astringent follow on, oak then pepper developing and causing the tongue to tingle. Fruity, like Cassis almost berry-like notes to it and pears. Nice mixture of fruits and a little spice and a little char, medium dry finish.

Drinks: Works well for most bourbon drinks. Remember, it is a bit drier than a bourbon with the charcoal aftertaste.

Cigars: A mild Credo, Ashton or Davidoff. Connecticut shadegrown wrapper.

Bottle: Basic clear glass, slightly bell shaped multifacted sides thin neck with faceted neck. Name of whiskey is pressed into the glass at sloped shoulder. Old-style gold script with is printed on the black label. Simple layout and fonts give it a antique feel. Nice presentation.

Final Thoughts: Much more fruity and complex than the No.7. While some may find the dryness/char of Tennessee Whisky not to their liking as a beverage choice, this is a more mellow alternative.

Website: http://www.gentlemanjack.com

Fair amount details and pictures with a comprehensive history and background, virtual tour, links. Lots of merchandise of course -one of the mainstays of the cult brand.