Jack Daniels has a new honey liqueur that is making news, blending Jack Daniels’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey and “proprietary” honey, whatever that means. JD Honey will join Drambuie (scotch and honey) and Wild Turkey (bourbon and honey) on store shelves this month. Since I haven’t tasted it, but know that Jack Daniels does most things exceptionally well, I’ll give you some reviews, and remember, the bottle says it is a liqueur:
With hints of honey and molasses and a finish that’s naturally smooth, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey is something special. We started shipping it recently, so it should be landing in your favorite stores, restaurants and bars soon, if it’s not there already.
Drink Spirits give it its highest recommendation of 5 ★★★★★
…is one of the most drinkable whiskey-based liqueurs we’ve ever had. It manages to be sweet without stickiness, and it balances that sweetness with a lovely amount of cinnamon and spice.  We were very surprised when we find out that this liqueur is 70 proof, as there is almost no alcohol burn whatsoever in the spirit.
As for the taste, the pinch-of-cinnamon spirit is easy drinking (translation: a bit soft to our palette), likely why Jack Daniel’s recommends serving it chilled. Adding more sugar, or in this case honey, kills much of the harsh finish of hard alcohol but begets a pastry chef’s Catch-22: now you’ve got too much sugar. Serving the spirit chilled cuts down on the lingering sweetness. If you’ve ever licked the homemade custard bowl before churning ice cream, you know exactly what we’re talking about.
Could you use it in a cocktail? Of course. In fact, we prefer this spirit as an ingredient rather than as a straight sipper. Poured over that homemade vanilla bean ice cream would be grand. A blueberry focaccia tart…even better. That chewy crust sprinkled with the inky berries and just a touch of sugar begs for — what else? Homemade vanilla ice cream and a generous drizzle of local honey, and sure, why not amp it up with honey liqueur.
A sample bottle has arrived at Cocktail Enthusiast headquarters, so naturally, we cracked it open. On the nose, there’s some honey sweetness, but the whiskey comes through nicely. Take a sip however, and the whiskey is muted by the honey. It’s a pleasant flavor overall, but a far cry from Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7. It’s rich and syrupy on the palate, and the finish is long and sweet.
As far as mixing goes, the company notes that Tennessee Honey’s flavor profile makes it a good addition to lemonade, ginger ale or iced tea.
The palate offers more than just honey: There is wood, vanilla, lavender, and notable lemon character as the finish fades away. Charcoal touches come on as the finish disappears completely. As honey liqueurs go, this has a lot going on, and that’s, as they say, a good thing. Who would’ve thought that in the realm of honey liqueur, it would be Jack that came up with the best of the lot.
The distillery says to serve it cold, and I’ve also read a few comments that it Jack Daniels Honey Liqueur is a natural for an old fashioned or mint julep. If you have tried it, let me know what you think.
Rock and Rye (rye whiskey poured over rock candy, with a touch of citrus) is a traditional American home remedy: http://fritz-aviewfromthebeach.blogspot.com/2010/12/half-cup-of-rock-and-rye.html
This sounds like an upscale version. I’ll give it a try if it makes it into the liquor store in my little town. Can’t be too careful about a sniffle…
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Jack Daniel’s is just playing catch-up. Jim Beam had already come out with American Honey and Seagram’s had their Dark Honey before JD started mention they were going to put one out. I guess it is just which whiskey you prefer.