Jack Daniels Sour Mash

Jack Daniels Sour Mash is the same recipe, however, being 43%, it’s a bit punchier. This limited-edition bottle is special because the label is a throwback to the way the bottle used to look. Back in the day, before 1904, Jack was sporting green and gold colors. According to the distillery, they’ve lost all records of why it looked this way. Whether that’s true or not, the mystery definitely makes the bottle all the more interesting and cool.

Is Jack Daniels bourbon or sour mash?

Jack Daniels is Tennessee sour mash whiskey. A lot of people mistake Jack Daniels for bourbon and we admittedly did too in our early years. Jack competes directly with bourbons like Jim Beam and is oftentimes placed right next to it on shelves, so it’s easy to conclude they belong in the same category. Jack actually fulfills every legal requirement to be considered bourbon, yet it’s not called bourbon because of the last step in Jack Daniels process. Before the recipe is placed in barrels to age: Jack slowly filters its product through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal.

What’s the difference between bourbon and sour mash?

Tennesee whiskey and most bourbons both employ the sour mash process, which is the use of materials from an older batch when beginning the fermentation of a new one.

What is the “sour mash” in sour mash whiskey mean?

Sour mash is used in the labeling of some whiskeys, most notoriously Jack Daniels, but at its core, it’s a distillation process. As a category, a lot of whiskeys fall into it. Most bourbons and American whiskeys employ the sour mash process, which is the reuse of materials from an older batch when beginning the fermentation process of a new one. It is called “backset” and is added to the next mash to increase the acidity of the liquid. While this does add a lot of flavors, it also works to prevent bacteria that, would otherwise, ruin the whiskey by keeping stable pH levels. It also helps distillers maintain flavor consistency.