Black Label Whiskey Vs Jack Daniels

Price-wise, Jack Daniel’s is the least expensive of the three well-known whiskey brands. At just approximately $22 per 700 ml bottle, it is slightly cheaper than Crown Royal which comes at about $25 per 750 ml bottle, but much more affordable than Jim Beam which costs around $30 per 750 ml bottle. All three have 80-proof, or 40-percent alcohol by volume (ABV), contents.

Overall, the Jack Daniels Old No. 7 and the Johnnie Walker Black Label, both have their respective strengths, and drawbacks, although when it comes to making an educated choice, we would opt for the Jack Daniels Old No. Accounting for almost 96% of Jack Daniel’s annual whiskey sales, the Black Label brand is the #1 selling whiskey in the world with over 150 million bottles sold worldwide every year. Gentleman Jack The year 1988 was an exciting one for the Jack Daniel Distillery as it was the first time in decades that a new brand of whiskey was introduced. Accounting for almost 96% of Jack Daniel’s annual whiskey sales, the Black Label brand is the #1 selling whiskey in the world with over 150 million bottles sold worldwide every year. Gentleman Jack The year 1988 was an exciting one for the Jack Daniel Distillery as it was the first time in decades that a new brand of whiskey was introduced.

But aside from by how much you can buy them and by how much alcohol you can get per bottle, how you would choose which of the three is best depends on what type of whiskey you are partial to. Crown Royal is a blended Canadian whiskey, Jim Beam is a bourbon whiskey, and Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whiskey. To a connoisseur in spirits, these are three very distinct types of whiskeys.

“Blended whiskey,” as defined under federal guidelines, is a mixture which contains straight whiskey or a blend of straight whiskeys at not less than 20-percent on a proof gallon basis, and, separately or in combination, other whiskey or neutral spirits. Now, the term “straight whiskey” refers to whiskey that (1) has been distilled to not more than 80-percent ABV, (2) has been aged for at least two years at a starting alcohol concentration of not more than 62.5-percent, and (3) has not been blended with any other spirits, colorings, or additives. A “bourbon whiskey” is whiskey made from a grain mixture with at least 51-percent corn content, while a “Tennessee whiskey” is a straight bourbon whiskey that has additionally undergone a special filtering process involving steeping the whiskey through a layer of maple charcoal to improve the flavor.

Crown Royal

Crown Royal is a brand of blended Canadian whiskey that is now owned by London-based Dageo PLC, the world’s largest producer of spirits. It has a rich heritage, having been originally created as a gift for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to commemorate their 1939 visit to Canada. Presently, Crown Royal is the number one best-selling Canadian whiskey in the American market.

The brand now carries ten commercial variants, namely the flagship original Crown Royal, Crown Royal Black, Crown Royal Reserve, Crown Royal XR, Crown Royal Maple Finished, Crown Royal XO, Crown Royal Regal Apple, Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye, Crown Royal Hand-Selected Barrel, and Crown Royal Monarch 75th Anniversary Blend.

Crown Royal is sometimes touted as “a blend of 50 distinct, full bodied whiskies matured in white oak barrels…” Of course, the ages of the various whiskies used in each blend range widely from the relatively young to the relatively well-aged. Additionally, the distillates of various grains, including corn, rye, wheat and barley, are aged in a large variety of oak casks, including those previously used for aging bourbon whiskey back when the company was still owned by Sagram. As expected, each particular distillate, when matured, will also yield a distinctive spirit. All these factors go into the preparation of a blend for a Crown Royal label for a particular batch. For instance, Crown Royal XR, introduced in 2006, was made from a blend which includes the last batches of whiskey distilled at the now-closed Waterloo and Lasalle distilleries. For another, there is Crown Royal Hand-Selected Barrel, introduced May 2015, which was made from a single barrel rye that is being produced from the brand’s Coffey rye still.

Jim Beam

Jim Beam is a brand of bourbon whiskey owned and produced by Beam Suntory. Claimed to be “made using a secret recipe for more than 200 years,” it is one of the world’s leading made-in-Kentucky whiskey brand. Many now consider Jim Beam part of the American tradition.

Under federal law, all straight bourbon must be made of a grain mix of at least 51-percent corn; distilled at no higher than 160-proof or 80-percent ABV; free of any additives other than water; aged in new, charred white oak barrels; entered into the aging barrels at no higher than 125-proof or 62.5-percent ABV, aged for a minimum of 2 years; and finally, bottled at no less than 80-proof or 40-percent ABV. Jim Beam whiskey products are aged for at least four years, twice as long as government’s minimum requirement. Additionally, it uses a special strain of yeast for the fermentation process that dates back to the Prohibition era.

Jim Beam straight bourbon whiskey comes in six variants: the flagship Jim Beam White, aged 4 years, 80-proof; the charcoal-filtered Jim Beam Choice, aged 5 years, 80-proof; the 90-proof Jim Beam Devil’s Cut, aged 6 years, uses extracted bourbon reclaimed from the walls of the cask after pouring; Jim Beam Seven Year, aged 7 years, 80-proof; the 86-proof Jim Beam Black, aged 8 years; and the 100-proof Jim Beam Bonded, aged 4 years. The brand now also offers a number of special labels of craft whiskey, straight rye whiskey, single-barrel bourbon whiskey, a “white whiskey,” its own version of blended whiskey, and flavored 70-proof liqueurs. Additionally, Jim Beam conducts a guided tour, the”Kentucky Bourbon Trail,” that is a popular landmark destination for tourists in Louisville, Kentucky.

Jack Daniel’s

Jack Daniel’s is a brand of Tennessee whiskey that is owned and produced by the Brown-Foreman Corporation. Distilled at the historic Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, Jack Daniel’s is considered the top selling American whiskey in the world. It is one of just four recognized Tennessee whiskey brands, the other three being George Dickel, Collier and McKeel, and Benjamin Prichard’s.

What distinguishes Tennessee whiskey from straight bourbon whiskey is the introduction of “mellowing,” an additional step in the production process. Known as the “Lincoln County Process,” because it originated in Lincoln County, the whiskey is filtered first through sugar maple charcoal chips or pellets before being transferred to the wooden casks for aging. The filtration, aside from removing impurities, also gives the Tennessee whiskey the smoother taste which distinguishes it from regular bourbon whiskey.

Jack Daniel’s comes in 11 distinct variants: the original and flagship Black Label, Gentleman Jack, Single Barrel, Tennessee Honey, Tennessee Fire, Green Label, Silver Select, Winter Jack, No. 27 Gold, Sinatra Select, and Sinatra Century.

The names ‘Jack’ and ‘Johnnie’ will never mean a thing other than whisky to a true whisky lover worth their salt; not even if their closest friend is named either of those names but what assigns them this iconic status? Why are so many of the world’s whisky lovers on a first name basis with these whisky brands?

For starters, both Johnnie Walker and Jack Daniels are two of the most enduring whisky/whiskey brands in the world, and although they do share their extensive list of differing qualities, they are after all, whisky/whiskey makers when it comes down to brass tacks.

So how are Jack Daniels, and Johnnie Walker different from each other? Are they really any different, and if so, how? Is there a winner when it comes to the Jack Daniels Vs Johnnie Walker debate? Look no further for the answers.

Let us begin with Jack Daniels; one of America’s proudest exports, beloved drinks and one of the few ‘Tennessee Whiskies’ in the market. The brand was established in Lynchburg, Tennessee in 1875 by Jack Daniel and is one of the world’s largest selling whiskey brands, regardless of the categorized definitions such as Bourbon, Irish whiskey or Scotch whiskies.

Ideally, American made whiskeys that are prepared using a 51% Corn mash are labelled as Bourbon whiskeys, and before Jack Daniels goes through the ‘Lincoln Country Process’, that is exactly what it is too.

The Lincoln County Process involves filtering the whiskey through bits of charcoal chips before they are filled into barrels for aging. Jack Daniels also chooses to mature their whiskey in charred oak barrels to achieve their distinctive taste.

Johnnie Walker on the other hand belongs to Scotland, the mythical land that produces Scotch whiskies that satiate the desires of whisky drinkers all over the world. It was established in Kilmarnock, Scotland by John Walker in 1865, and later expanded multi-fold by his son and grandson, Alexander ‘Alec’ Walker and Alexander Walker II.

It is one of the few Scotch whisky brand to have obtained the Royal Warrant to supply goods to the court of King George V in 1934.

The brand is one of the most popular and high selling blended Scotch whisky brands globally, and belongs to the ultra-premium segment. The Johnnie Walker inventory contains numerous different expressions, aged and with no-age-statements.

The comparison between the two brands goes deeper than comparing brands belonging to the same category since Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker are not even produced in the same country, or even continent.

Jack Daniels, as we know, is a Tennessee Whisky produced in the state of Tennessee in the United States of America, whereas Johnnie Walker is a typical blended Scotch whisky produced in Scotland.

Either brand also employ a vastly different set of ingredients; Jack Daniels uses a mash that is predominantly Corn based (80%) with smaller amounts of other grains such as Barley, and Rye (12% and 8% respectively).

Johnnie Walker on the other hand, is a blend of several grain and single malt whiskies, meaning the nature of the mash would vary based on the source whiskies and how they are produced.

The Jack Daniels recipe is pretty straightforward, and fairly simple although that doesn’t necessarily factor in when comparing the two brands, but merits purely as an interesting factoid.

Both Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker carry an alcohol percentage of 40% (80 US Proof), as they are legally required to do so.

Moving on, let us pit the two heavyweights in the tasting notes category, and see who prevails. Since Jack Daniels does not follow a proper hierarchy of placing their expressions on the basis of ‘premium-ness’, a fair comparison would be between the Jack Daniels Old No. 7, and the Johnnie Walker Black Label. The Black Label is a 12-year-old blended Scotch whisky expression that is one of the most popular variants from the house of Johnnie Walker.

Jack Daniels Label History

The tasting notes on the Jack Daniels Old No. 7 are;

Nose:

Whiskey

It has a mellow nose, with hints of sweetness, dry spice, and smoke.

Palate:

Http://www.johnniewalker.com

Smooth flavours of banana, nuttiness, and caramel.

Finish:

Long and sweet, with a bit of oakiness.

The tasting notes on the Johnnie Walker Black Label are;

Nose:

Rich aromas of honey, soft smoke and rum spice.

Palate:

Woody oakiness, with traces of butterscotch, Christmas cake and maltiness.

Finish:

Long finish, with hints of smoke and spice.

Jack Daniel's Whiskey Imitation Moonshiners Club

Overall, the Jack Daniels Old No. 7 and the Johnnie Walker Black Label, both have their respective strengths, and drawbacks, although when it comes to making an educated choice, we would opt for the Jack Daniels Old No. 7. It can be slammed straight from a shot glass, has been proved to be a terrific on the rocks companion, and also constitutes a part of the crowd favourite and legendary, Jack and Coke.

As far as your personal preferences are concerned, we would recommend trying both.