En route to a local farm for woodchucks today- stopped at a small country store to get an icea tea- years ago, they carried Rebel Yell Bourbon Whiskey- smooth as silk- surprise- they had a bottle on the shelf, and I snapped it up-- smoother than Mr. John Daniel's Black Label IMO- and like Ol' Blue Eyes- a tumbler, 4 rocks. splash of branch water, pour and sip slowly-- Aaaah Yesss! Life can be good-- RWTF. Now if I could only get some J.T.S. Brown sippin' whiskey someday-- RWTF.
Both are very average to sub-average Bourbons.
Better to go with something like an Old Grand Dad 114.
Yessiree- Heard about it in the great 1961 era Movie: "The Hustler"-- never have tried it however. Thanks. RWTF
Wow- I knew there were Scotch Whisky "snobs" but didn't know that extended to Sour Mash whiskies-- I like Wild Turkey 101, Old Granddad and Dickel-- and now- Rebel Yell-- not a "sub grade" sippin' whiskey to my taste, but to each his own, as they say. RWTF
I think I drank Rebel Yell in college sometimes, never since. Just don't care for bourbon...Geo
Mr John Daniels was actually Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel. I should know, I live about 7 miles from the main entrance by the road, a lot less as the Crow Flies. On a damp day with a gentle breeze blowing out of the South West, I can often step out in my yard & smell the Mash a Working.
Legend has always had it that Jack learned the trade & got the formula from a minister, either Presbyterian or Luthern, I forget which offhand.
It has recently come to light that the honors truly belong to a slave by the mane of Nathan "Nearest" Green. Some of his descendants are still employed at the Distillery.
You can read all about it or watch a video here;
https://www.nearestgreen.com/
Here's the story I heard- about the famed "Black Label"-- about 1912, Mr. John D.- a short-fused gent- could not get the office safe door to open, so he kicked it with his booted foot- his large toe suffered, became swollen and infected, leading to his untimely death. At that point in time, the labels were green- Old No. 7-- so their office mgr. in respect, ordered 100 labels in black to commemorate the passing of this great man- but the clerk screwed up, ordered 1000 by mistake, and they had to be paid for- so they issued the special "Black Label Old No. 7" and charged a dollar more- the rest is, as they say, history-- RWTF
Pretty much the way it is told around here also, EXCEPT, His name was never John, it was always Jasper Newton Daniel & he was known as Jack which is the name his Whiskey sells under.
Do a google on John Daniel whiskey & then do one on Jack Daniel whiskey & see which gets the most hits. Signs abound here around Lynchburg proclaiming "I Know Jack". Everyone in this area & even worldwide knows Jack, but nobody knows John. They may know John Doe, but he didn't make TN Whiskey, Mellowed Drop by Drop, that was Jack.
It has been said ,"If alcohol is a crutch, Jack Daniels is a wheel chair!"
....got the formula from a minister, either Presbyterian or Luthern,...
The only recipe he would get from a Lutheran minister would be for Canned fruit in Jello & large pots of mediocre coffee.
Not sure about the Prebetrians ("The Frozen Chosen")
L
The Minister was named Daniel "Dan" Call. He was a Luthern minister. His dwelling, His Still, & the church which he served were then all located in Lincoln County TN, Moore County had not yet been formed. I am not for certain which county the property is in today, as it is very close to the county line.
The story is the members of his congregation did not think it looked good for their minister to be engaged in the distilling of whiskey so they gave him an ultimatum, give up either the still or the church. He chose to stay with the ministry & sold the still to young Jack, who had been working for him a couple of years learning the trade.
Shortly thereafter Jack moved it into Lynchburg, where it has been ever since. People have been telling them for some 150 years or so that it is Impossible to make charcoal by burning it in the open air, but they are still doing it & obtain all their charcoal that way.
At $15.99 a fifth it's got to be some prime sipping whiskey....
Fox you ever drank any mouthwash mixed with rubbing alcohol...might taste better and be smoother than that rOt gut you like.
OK- I believe you-- but how does that square with the movie line said by Al Pacino in "Scent of a Woman"--?? He referred to Jasper (Jack) Daniels as John Daniels-- And the lineage of the man's name Jack- comes from John-- as with the late JFK--exceptions exist- I have a neighbor named John Hoff-- he prefers John to Jack when he is being addressed- go figure that!! RWTF
Run With The Fox,
Talking about "Scotch Whisky snobs"- My Daddy said: Drinking Scotch just proves you can cultivate a taste for 5hit, if you eat enough of it.
Mike
Foxy;
I cannot answer your question about the movie line. It very well could have been some Legal matter involving using a copyrighted name, just don't know. I do know for a fact though That Jasper Newton always was known as Jack, never John.
Jack never married & left no descendants. For many years both before & after being sold the distillery was managed by his nephew, Lem Motlow.
Lem's Brother Tom Motlow owned Farmer's Bank of Lynchburg.
If I remember my dates correctly the distillery was sold to Brown-Foreman of Louisville KY in the mid-1950s. Lem Motlow continued as its manager until his death. The sale was a hush-hush affair & it was a number of years before folks around knew it was no longer in the Motlow family, even the employees.
Moore County is often times seen listed as the smallest county in TN, but that is not accurate. In land area we are the 2nd smallest & population varies from census to census as to population. In the last census, 2010, we were the 3rd smallest with a population of just over 4,000 & the town of Lynchburg having a few over 400.
Annually we have some 250,000+ visitors come through here from all 50 states & around 30 foreign countries. Probably the best known "Small Town" in the world. In so far as I know we are also the Smallest Metropolitan Government in the world.
I'll keep an eye out. Just got rid of my last Pappy. Have some boss hogs left. Old Grand Dad is made from the same mash pot as Basil Haydens in case anyone does want a cheap smooth whiskey other than Jack Daniels
As a total Non-Alcoholic I can make no comments at all about the quality of Jack. Having lived no further away than around 12 miles since Jan of 1947 though I do know the man's name & a lot of the history of the company. That was just short of being a Required subject in the Moore County school systems:
I do know it has a good bit of worldwide fame & has been used by many Celebrities. My understanding is the only difference between it & Bourbon is that the "TN Whiskey" is mellowed by passing through the charcoal filtration.
]
At $15.99 a fifth it's got to be some prime sipping whiskey....
.
Reminded me of the old joke when a bum asks a passerby to buy him a bottle of whiskey and the passerby says no but offers the bum 10 bucks. The bum says, great, I can get two bottles!
____________________________
Whiskey bent and hell bound.
https://youtu.be/JKWzzN7Qehg
I seem to remember that Rebel Yell is made by the Van Winkle distillery. Hard to figure hoJo's criticism of Rebel Yell when he has posted before about his appreciation for Pappy Van Winkle???...Geo
Reckon he believes there's something different about it other than the bottle?
Two-piper, I consider myself a total non-alcoholic as well, but I do enjoy a good sip of whisky from time to time...Geo
OK- I believe you-- but how does that square with the movie line said by Al Pacino in "Scent of a Woman"--?? He referred to Jasper (Jack) Daniels as John Daniels-- And the lineage of the man's name Jack- comes from John-- as with the late JFK--exceptions exist- I have a neighbor named John Hoff-- he prefers John to Jack when he is being addressed- go figure that!! RWTF
Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
Clear them little bottles off. And when I get off the phone here, call up Hyman and tell him I want it wall to wall with John Daniels.
Rebel Yell used to be a Stitzel-Weller brand back in the old days.
It is owned by Luxco now, and until recently was contract made by Heaven Hill. Luxco has apparently opened a production facility of their own.
The Van Winkle brand is contract made by Buffalo Trace.
Many brands have changed owners and/or changed quality for better or worse over the years.
I've not bought any Jack Daniels since they started watering it, and the last bottle of Rebel Yell I had was pretty poor.
I'm far from a Bourbon snob, but there is simply too much good whiskey being made now to fool with the ones that have been cheapened to increase profits.
OK- I believe you-- but how does that square with the movie line said by Al Pacino in "Scent of a Woman"--?? He referred to Jasper (Jack) Daniels as John Daniels-- ......
They are movies....works of fiction. I sure hope you don't depend on movies for your facts in life.
A rumor was around that Bob Dylan was behind a new brand of Bourbon-- rumored to retail at $60 a fifth- named: "Heaven's Door"-- but I have yet to see any of that on the shelves-anyone care to comment--Ya, real gud, dere- Fargo??
Don't know about bourbon. My Kentucky friends bring a delight called Woodford Reserve, Distiller's Select. Gave up hard stuff 50 years ago but it's the only liquor I treat myself to a sip over a cube, widely spaced to make it extra special. I don't know if the devil's driving me to it or someone who knows better; I prefer to think the latter.
Woodford is very high on my list of personal favorites, KB.
It's pot stilled in the style of Scotch, which is fairly unusual for Bourbon.
It's distilled to a high proof, then diluted to the mandatory barreling proof and aged in heavily charred white oak.
It tastes like cashews to me.
My all time favorite is a Jim Beam product called Baker's.
It's made with their high rye mash and aged in the hot spots of the rickhouses to pick up additional barrel flavor. It's a 107 proof super premium Bourbon well worth seeking out if you like big flavor.
A moment of silence please... apparently Beam has a rickhouse fire going as I type.... it happens, this is unfortunately a hazard of the industry. Wood buildings filled with an evaporating flammable solvent - what could go wrong.
Woodford Reserve is good stuff. I am also a fan of Knob Creek, which is another of the Beam small batch bourbons.
What- you mean that Fort Sill and Fort Waaa-choo-Gah do not exist-Balderdash- that was a great movie--and like the Godfather, based on real life- Citizen Kane material- perhaps not, buit based on realities of today's world--
Run With The Fox,
Talking about "Scotch Whisky snobs"- My Daddy said: Drinking Scotch just proves you can cultivate a taste for 5hit, if you eat enough of it.
Mike
Very knowledgeable man...
I seem to remember that Rebel Yell is made by the Van Winkle distillery. Hard to figure hoJo's criticism of Rebel Yell when he has posted before about his appreciation for Pappy Van Winkle???...Geo
Reckon he believes there's something different about it other than the bottle?
Hard time comprehending what I posted eh George...I never said a thing either way about Rebel Yell reason being I've never tasted it.
One thing I do know iz I won't be buying a $15.99 bottle of J.T.S Brown sipping whiskey on Foxes recommendation...
4 Roses Single Barrel is my go-to. Sadly, there is no double barrel version.
What- you mean that Fort Sill and Fort Waaa-choo-Gah do not exist-Balderdash- that was a great movie--and like the Godfather, based on real life- Citizen Kane material- perhaps not, buit based on realities of today's world--
Hahahaha!
Fast Eddie Felson, "J.T.S.Brown, no ice, no glass." I'm afraid I couldn't stomach the boutique bourbon "4 Roses" after knowing that in my childhood and early adulthood, 4 Roses was a low ball $3.50 a bottle American blended whiskey.
A LOT of movies are BASED on real-life events, people, etc, but that for certain does not mean everything in them is Factual. A good example, John Daniel whiskey. For the most part, the whole world knew they were talking about "Jack" but for whatever reason did not use the real name.
The reason they wrote "John Daniel" into the movie because the Hollywood twits all drink Scotch and Gin and look down their noses at good whiskey; and tried to be "cutesy" with out knowing what they were talking about. That is also why the shoot their pistols "sideways".
Mike
No recommendation from me- just heard about it from the great pool-shark movie from 1960-- Paul Newman specified it by brand- so it has made me curious is all-
["Fast Eddie Felson, "J.T.S.Brown, no ice, no glass."]
How do you drink something with no ice and no glass, from the bottle or out of a saucer?...Geo
I only know that Paul Newman, "Fast Eddie Felson", asked for that exact item after Minnesota Fats ordered his drink.
I only know that Paul Newman, "Fast Eddie Felson", asked for that exact item after Minnesota Fats ordered his drink.
Big Newman fan, but I think he bumbled the line...Geo
A little interesting (To Me at least) Tidbit.
In the early 1960s, I had a 12 gauge Parker Trojan. I had some work I wanted to be done on it but didn't have the tooling to do. A gentleman who was the father of a girl I graduated high school with had a reputation of being a good (Country) gunsmith. I gave him a call & asked if he could do the job & he said yes.
He lived on the opposite side of the county from me & I had never been to their house so I asked for directions. He told me No Need to drive all the way out here, just bring it by the Distillery where I work.
I then asked, what do I need to do when I get there. He said just drive back to the second building, not counting the small office building. There is parking on the right & just bring it to the back door, it's never locked. I said you mean just walk in with a shotgun in my hands, he said Sure Everyone does it.
So I did. I didn't even have it cased, just broke it open & draped it over my arm & walked in like I owned the thing. He was the first person I saw, so gave it to him & went on my way. No one else around even raised an eyebrow.
When he finished with it he gave me a call & I went down & picked it up the same way. Now-A-Days there's a guard on every entrance & you don't go past one of them without an Invite from High Authority.
Back in those years from all I have heard it was truly a Laid Back place. Nobody punched a time clock & Nobody was looking over your shoulder. Everybody just did their job & that was that.
I have known a lot of folks who worked there but never worked there myself.