(Review) Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey

Mystique: 1-10 points
Score: 8 - Totally new, totally unexpected. I hadn't seen any sort of advertising
and had read no reviews before finding this at the store. Label is
definitely Jack Daniels, but a different color and gold text sets it apart.

Color: 1-10 points
Score: 7 - Light, warm, looks like honey.

Scent: 1-10 points
Score: 6 - Sweet, possibly overmuch. Definitely smells of honey.

Initial Impression: 1-10 points
Score: 7 - Lovely label, nice color, alright smell.

Mouthfeel: 1-10 points
Score: 7 - Slightly burny, not terribly oily.

Taste: 1-10 x 4 points
Score: 36 - Even burn from start to finish, honey flavor really comes out in the
end. Minimal aftertaste. Light hint of banana and amaretto coffee.

Raw Score: 71

Bonus: Value points 1-10 points
Score: 8 - Under $25 makes it a good buy.
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Final Score: 79

We found this liquor in the store yesterday, and I knew nothing of it - I knew it was brand new (so new, in fact, that it lacks a real website - instead, the company has set up a Facebook page), and I was intrigued. Chris told me his friend's mother regularly drinks it in her unsweetened iced tea, which intrigued me further. Had Jack Daniels finally come up with something sweet?

I wasn't sure, but I wanted to find out.

We picked up the bottle this evening, and I immediately set it in the freezer to chill. The bottle actually instructs drinkers to enjoy it chilled - the first instruction I've seen on any Jack Daniels bottle. About a half hour later it was ready, and for once I had a room full of testers to give it a go. At the end of this review, I will post some audio from the group test. My guest testers are MaryBeth and Parker, and both Chris and I make appearances on the recording.

Upon first impressions, the bottle is similar to JD Black Label, but the label is distinctly different. The background color is cream, the text and embossing is gold, and a bee graces the front of the bottle. My immediate thought is this bottle just FEELS feminine...it's certainly appealing to my female co-tester and myself. This might be JD's entry to those women who prefer sweet drinks...the same folks who generally shy away from whiskey.

When poured in a glass, the liquor is golden and thick...not quite as thick as a cordial, but it easily coats the glass. When sniffed, it's incredibly sweet and completely unlike regular black label Jack (but gives a slight hint of Single Barrel's sweetness). There are definite honey tones, as well as a light hint of the signature flavor of Jack Daniels.

The taste...well. It floored me. I've never had any sort of honey-based liquor other than mead before tonight, and I'm blown away at its flavor. At first taste, I noticed there was a light burn that hit immediately and stayed throughout, and there were hints of both banana and amaretto coffee. At the end, the honey flavor comes in very strong and sticks through the finish. There is almost no aftertaste, and I really feel this might be a good introductary whiskey for non-whiskey-drinkers. It's nicely sweet and doesn't turn the drinker off from it. Mixed in something like unsweetened iced tea, this would make an excellent summer drink.

I would highly recommend this to either a friend who has never had whiskey and wants to give them a try, or someone who already likes sweeter drinks and JD and wants to try something new. I also see this might have some use as a glaze for poultry.

Here's the audio from our tasting - apologies for the extra talking, Chris seemed to forget I was recording like 20 seconds into the tasting. ;)

Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey review by falnfenix