Jack Daniels substitute

[Gnoman]

I'm a fan of Jack Daniel's Old Number 7 Tennessee Whiskey, but it is fairly pricey. Unlike Scotch, or Burbon, or Vodka, I don't know where to look for a cheaper version (Maker's Mark instead of Jim Beam, Famous Grouse (I won't touch the abomination that is Cutty Sark) instead of Johnnie Walker, Segrams Platinum Reserve instead of Crystal Head), as Old Number 7 doesn't fit into the standard categories. Is there smething similar that'e sasier on the wallet?

[JustPlayItLoud]

Contrary to what liquor snobs will tell you, Tennessee whiskey is just bourbon produced in Tennessee. Except for Prichard's it's all filtered using the "Lincoln County Process", which is basically just using maple charcoal to filter it before putting into oak barrels to age. Some might say it gives it a different taste, but I'd bet money nobody could reliably tell the difference in a blind test if you were to make identical batches of whiskey and age them separately. So just use your favorite inexpensive bourbon. I've always found Jim Beam perfectly acceptable.

Although I find your preference of Famous Grouse over Cutty Sark to be thoroughly suspect.

[Gnoman]

Contrary to what liquor snobs will tell you, Tennessee whiskey is just bourbon produced in Tennessee. Except for Prichard's it's all filtered using the "Lincoln County Process", which is basically just using maple charcoal to filter it before putting into oak barrels to age. Some might say it gives it a different taste, but I'd bet money nobody could reliably tell the difference in a blind test if you were to make identical batches of whiskey and age them separately. So just use your favorite inexpensive bourbon. I've always found Jim Beam perfectly acceptable.


Jack Daniel's has a very different taste from bourbon - it's like the difference between Scotch Whisky and Irish Whiskey.

[Zrak]

Yeah, Dickel's also pretty distinct from most bourbons. I wouldn't really say Tennessee whiskey is its own style, since they're also all really distinct from one another, but I'd say it's safer to separate it from Bourbon than a lot of the, say, Colorado whiskeys that really are basically just bourbons.

Also, I'm kind of horrified at both cheap Scotch preferences. If I'm going cheap, I just buy cheap Speysides.

[Jay R]

A. If you want a cheap replacement for Jack, buy a Bourbon.

B. I can't identify Bourbons reliably, but I can certainly tell the poor ones from the great ones. In my experience, Evan Williams black label is the cheapest reasonably cheap bourbon, and Evan Williams green label is the best really cheap bourbon.

[Nepenthe]

Seconding Evan Williams. It drinks very much like Jack (I even prefer it) and is usually cheaper.

[The Bandicoot]

Thirding Evans Williams.

[Zrak]

I guess it depends on location, but I can usually pick up relatively young Islay single malts cheaply where I live, which is great because I love Islay whisky.

brb, moving to wherever you live

[thorgrim29]

There's a company named McClellands that buys young scotches and bottles them with a generic name, so they have a mcclellans islay, a speyside, etc... The Islay is according to rumour Bowmore 3 years old, and it's pretty good and cheap.

[Talya]

UK. Tesco and Sainsburys usually have Laphroaig 10-year-old for about £25.

Edit: It's Bowmore 10-year-old that's £25. Laphroaig is £35.



Ick. Laphroaig and it's other Islay malt ilk are like drinking liquid smoke...it's so bloody medicinal I can't stand it.

Which isn't to say I don't like scotch. My personal reasonably priced single malt of choice is Glenmorangie (Sherry Cask.)

[thorgrim29]

Love from me, I particularly love the Laphroaig 18 and the Bowmore tempest series, which reminds me I should grab a bottle of the 6th edition before they run out of it at the SAQ.

The McClellands Islay lacks subtlety sure, but for the price you're paying that's pretty much a given, it's still pretty good.

[Florian]

I can't recall ever meeting anyone who is indifferent to south-coast Islay matls. They definitely seem to attract only love or hate.

Truth be told, I'm pretty much indifferent in this department. I'm a trained and experienced wine somelier and some habits carry over when talking about other liquors. I can see the attraction for certain consumers here, even think about and quantify them, but personally, it doesn't hit my taste, that's all.