Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Isn’t Whiskey — So What Is it?

It’s time to do a deep dive and unpack the mystery behind the bottles with the bees. What exactly is Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey?

Jack Daniel’s describes Tennessee Honey on its website as “a little bit of honey, a whole lot of Jack” and claims the spirit is a mixture of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and a honey liqueur made at the distillery. But what does that really mean? Is Tennessee Honey a bourbon? A whiskey? Or some such honeyed franken-whiskey hybrid? It turns out the answer is something else entirely.

So without further ado, let’s touch on two things Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey is not, and then dive into what this sweet whiskey-based spirit it really is.

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Is Not a Bourbon

According to its legal definition, bourbon is an American whiskey that hosts a mashbill with a minimum of 51% corn. Bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels from two to four years and it must be made in the good old US of A.

Jack Daniel’s claims it uses its flagship whiskey, Old No. 7, in its Tennessee Honey. Old No. 7 is made in America and aged in new white oak barrels, yet the brand strongly emphasizes Jack Daniel’s is not bourbon, even though the production process for Old No. 7 is nearly identical to bourbon-making. The main difference here is that Jack Daniel’s implements a charcoal-mellowing process, which is not used in bourbon production. Still, regular ol’ Jack Daniel’s is bourbon — even if the brand doesn’t like labelling it as such.

However, Tennessee Honey is flavored with honey liqueur, which adds a warming sweetness while simultaneously rendering Tennessee Honey exempt from the bourbon classification entirely.

Bourbon cannot contain any artificial flavors or additives. Therefore, Tennessee Honey is not a bourbon.

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Is Not a Whiskey

It seems like it would be a no-brainer to label Tennessee Honey as a whiskey, right? Well, not so fast.

Like bourbon, whiskey cannot contain any artificial flavors or additives. The addition of that gosh-darned, pesky honey liqueur also knocks it out of the whiskey category entirely.

So then what is it then? The answer may surprise you.

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Is a Whiskey Liqueur

The honey liqueur blended into the whiskey places Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey in the “whiskey liqueur” category.

Whiskey liqueurs are made with whiskey as the base spirit that is sweetened in some way with additives.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau classifies whiskey liqueurs as “Bourbon Liqueur,” “Flavored Whiskey” or the catch-all phrase “Distilled Spirits Specialty.” Other popular flavored whiskeys or whiskey liqueurs include Southern Comfort and Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.

Read our review of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey here.

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