There are whiskeys you discover, and there are whiskeys you grew up with. Jack Daniel's Old No.7 falls firmly into the second camp. It's the bottle that's been sitting on back bars since before most of us were born, the one that launched a thousand Jack and Cokes, and honestly? It deserves more respect than it gets from the whiskey-snob crowd. This half bottle — 35cl at £15.75 — is a genuinely solid entry point for anyone who wants to understand what Tennessee whiskey actually is.
Let's talk about what makes this a Tennessee whiskey rather than a bourbon, because the distinction matters. The Lincoln County Process — where the spirit is filtered through sugar maple charcoal before it goes into the barrel — is the defining step. It's not just marketing. That charcoal mellowing strips out harsher congeners and adds a subtle sweetness that you won't find in a straight bourbon. It's the reason Old No.7 drinks smoother than its 40% ABV might suggest, and it's the reason Tennessee whiskey has its own legal category.
At 40% ABV with no age statement, this isn't trying to be a complex sipper that demands your full attention for an hour. It knows exactly what it is: an approachable, consistent, well-made whiskey that delivers the same experience every single time you open a bottle. There's real craft in that consistency. Producing millions of cases a year and keeping the flavour profile locked in is genuinely difficult, and Jack Daniel's does it better than almost anyone.
Tasting Notes
I'm not going to fabricate specific notes I can't confirm here, but I will say this: if you've never sat with Old No.7 neat in a Glencairn, you should. Pour it, let it breathe for five minutes, and pay attention. The charcoal mellowing gives it a character that sits apart from bourbon — there's a smoothness to the delivery that makes it easy drinking without being boring. It's a whiskey that rewards you for slowing down with it.
The Verdict
I'm giving this a 7.5 out of 10. That might raise eyebrows in either direction. Some people think Old No.7 is a 5 at best; others would argue it's just a mixer. I disagree on both counts. For £15.75 for a half bottle, you're getting a well-crafted Tennessee whiskey from one of the most recognised distilleries on the planet. The charcoal mellowing process gives it a genuine point of difference from bourbon, the quality control is impeccable, and it performs brilliantly in cocktails without disappearing. It's not going to compete with a barrel-proof single barrel, but it was never trying to. Judge it for what it is, and Old No.7 is a proper whiskey that earns its place on any shelf.
Best Served
This is a cocktail workhorse. Make an Old Fashioned with it — two dashes of Angostura, a barspoon of demerara syrup, a big rock of ice, and an orange peel expressed over the top. The smoothness from the charcoal mellowing means it plays beautifully with the bitters and sugar without fighting them. It also makes a cracking Lynchburg Lemonade if you want something longer: Old No.7, triple sec, fresh lemon juice, and lemonade over ice. On a warm evening, that's hard to beat. If you're drinking it straight, add just a few drops of water to open it up — at 40% it doesn't need much, but a little goes a long way.
