Jack Daniel's is expanding its premium lineup in the Korean market with its aged whiskey. The brand is launching its flagship high-end products, Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old and Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye, in the country. The company aims to broaden consumer choices with a variety of product grades and strengthen its brand presence.
On the 21st, Korea Brown-Forman, which imports and distributes Jack Daniel's in the country, announced plans to release Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old and Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye in the second half of this year. This marks the first time Jack Daniel's whiskey aged for over 10 years will be exported. Chris Fletcher, the master distiller of Jack Daniel's, visited Korea on the 15th to personally introduce the brand’s premium lineup and production methods. Alongside the soon-to-be-released Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old and Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye, products such as Jack Daniel’s Bonded, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, and Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 were also introduced.
Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old is a modern recreation of the high-aged whiskey that founder Jasper Newton Daniel crafted in the late 19th century. Daniel produced and sold high-aged whiskey aged up to 21 years but closed the distillery during Prohibition. It was not until 1938 that production resumed, and in that process, high-aged whiskey became rare. The launch of Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old in the U.S. in 2021 became a milestone showcasing a new direction for the brand.
Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old follows the same grain mash as the existing flagship product, Old No. 7 (80% corn, 12% barley, 8% rye), and its manufacturing process; however, it begins aging in the upper layer of the oak barrel and slowly moves down, aging for a maximum of 10 years. Currently, in the U.S., in addition to the 10-year, there are products that are aged 12 years and 14 years, while an 18-year product is in preparation. According to Jack Daniel's, the evaporation rate during aging reaches 50%, making the production quantity extremely limited.
Fletcher, the master distiller, explained that high-aged whiskey was consumed only within Tennessee in the early 1900s and is being exported for the first time in history. He noted, “American whiskey is primarily produced in Tennessee and Kentucky, and due to high average temperatures, it is rare to have aging for over four years. When aged for over 10 years, evaporation is significant, resulting in a constant shortage domestically.” He added, “Our goal is to export longer-aged products like 12 years and 14 years.”
He introduced the whiskey-making process of Jack Daniel's and emphasized the brand's distinctiveness. The flavor of Jack Daniel's whiskey begins with a carefully designed mash bill. The composition, made up of 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye, is a key factor in determining the whiskey's body and balance.
The distilled whiskey undergoes the ‘Charcoal Mellowing’ process, a unique procedure of Tennessee whiskey, before aging in oak barrels. Notably, Jack Daniel's manufactures its own sugar maple charcoal for this filtration. The Charcoal Mellowing process involves slowly dripping the distilled whiskey through a 3-meter-high filter over 3 to 5 days. This method removes impurities while retaining a smooth texture and smoky flavor.
Jack Daniel's has adhered to traditional aging methods that have been in place since its founding in 1866. Because aging is influenced by various factors such as the barrel's location and temperature changes, Jack Daniel's does not determine completeness based solely on the aging period, but rather bottles the whiskey when its 'taste' is ready. The whiskey is aged in American white oak barrels that are made on-site. Fletcher, the master distiller, stated, “We are still using the enzymes that we used in 1938,” and added, “What influences the taste are the grains, enzymes, and aging process; no colors or sugars are added.”
Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye, launched in Korea in the second half of this year alongside Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old, is a premium rye whiskey produced strictly following the U.S. ‘Bottled in Bond’ law. It must use a single distillery and single season distillate, be aged for over 4 years, and bottled at an alcohol content of 50%. Fletcher, the master distiller, added, “Bonded Rye offers the best taste when enjoyed in cocktails.”
Another product introduced that day, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, is made using only the raw whiskey aged in a single oak barrel selected by Jack Daniel's head distiller, making it a product that encapsulates the unique taste and aroma of the barrel. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel is aged in the upper levels of the barrel warehouse, where the aging environment is superior, and only whiskey of the highest quality is bottled. Each bottle includes the unique barrel number and bottling date, and all labels are hand-applied.
The domestic whiskey market has experienced rapid growth before and after the COVID-19 pandemic but has recently shown signs of stagnation. Nevertheless, Korea is considered the fastest-growing whiskey market in Asia. Fletcher, the master distiller, noted, “The super premium lineup demonstrates the tradition and innovation of Jack Daniel’s,” and expressed, “I want to provide Korean consumers with a new whiskey experience.”