What does it take to turn Jack Daniel’s into a Gentleman? Well for starters it gets a second sugar maple charcoal filtering… and that’s it. Sure they might pick slightly better barrels that may have aged in slightly more premium spots in the rick house (barrel warehouse), but that’s pure conjecture and really it’s just the second filtering that turns Jack into a Gentleman.
Jack Daniels gets it’s first sugar maple charcoal filtration (called the Lincoln County process) right after it comes out of the still before it gets put into the barrel. Gentleman Jack gets a secondary filtration after it comes out of the barrel and is on it’s way to being bottled. The purpose is to remove any additional impurities, decrease the oakiness and further mellow and sweeten the whiskey. The result is quite noticeable.
Tasted side by side I like the Gentleman a bit more than Old No. 7. It is cleaner, it’s smoother, there is less rawness to it and the sweet bourbon like notes (which it technically is) come out more. However all of this refinement comes at a cost and part of that cost is excitement. It’s a little boring and I’m missing some of that rough charred character that comes in JD 7 to help balance out the intensely sweet notes in this bottle. Then there’s the actual monetary cost. At about 2x the price of regular Jack it’s just not worth it to me and there is a slew of whiskey I’d rather buy for the same price or even less.
If you’ve tried Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack please leave your own thoughts and notes in the comments below.
Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack Review
ABV: 40%
Price: $28
Distiller: Jack Daniels
EYE
Medium caramel
NOSE
It smells like what it is, a slightly more refined Jack Daniel’s. The caramel and the vanilla come barreling out of the bottle and the glass is full of sugary dessert qualities. There is a hint of char, oak, a wisp of citrus and that JD spice help liven things up, but don’t really get the party started.
TASTE
Without that oily char character it’s tasting much more like a traditional bourbon with caramel and vanilla sitting up front. A very palpable nuttiness runs through it with hints of pepper, brown sugar, maple, cinnamon and a light fruitiness to it.
FEEL
Not as oily and more restrained than Old No. 7 it’s warm with only a mild burn.
FINISH
Caramel corn dominates with notes of a sour vanilla that reminds me of vanilla yogurt that fades to oak.
SCORE: 84/100
A great bourbon, Jack Daniel’s. yes right. You can’t feel how good it is until you experience it. I have tried some of Jack Daniel’s and gentleman jack just blew my mind. It was so good above my expectation.
Forgive me, I’m Canadian! Tried my first bourbon a year ago and we’ve been working our way through the limited selection we can buy locally, The Gentleman’s Jack was our first Tennessee Whiskey. Very different! It’s super smooth, lots of tasting notes and really easy to drink! But it might be a little too one dimensional after a couple of glasses. And it might be a little too sweet to have on a regular basis. I bet there are some great cocktails you can make with it. Cheers!
No apologies needed, welcome to the site Christina! Loved reading your thoughts, thanks for sharing. cheers!
One of my favourites Tennessee whiskyes ever. Great post!
Cheers Isaac!
Fan of Gentleman Jack
I’m more than 30 years fan of Jack Daniel Whiskey. When I found new Gentleman Jack I love it so much. Few days I purchased whole case of it.
Awesome Zdravko, glad you have something you love to drink. Thanks for sharing, cheers!
Well I’m a Jack man as far back as I can remember I like Gentlemen Jack, Old #7 except fire can not do it. What I miss is Green Label.
Never had the Green, but wish I did. Cheers Sean!
Hands down the best I’ve had
GJ is by far my favorite bourbon, it’s smooth and tastes amazing. So easy to drink you can easily get ahead of yourself. I’ve had 2 glasses tonight and am having a hard time not pouring a 3rd, if I could only have one type of drink I’m my house this is it. I have bottles of other bourbons that cost more in my cabinet for years because all I ever want is GJ.
Awesome, glad you found the thing you love. Thanks for sharing, cheers JB!
I’ve had Jim, jack, Johnny, Pappy, Blanton’s, knob creek, crown, Woodford, …..etc….. GJ by far is the smoothest sipping whiskey I’ve tasted!
Nice, thanks for sharing. Cheers KO
I haven’t been a Jack Daniels fan but hoped that this could change me. I enjoy a good to great bourbon and now I have purchased a high priced 10 High. I could have had a better drink to sip at a better price.
Jack Daniel’s#7 is absolutely best in a glass Of iced tea with lemon!
GJ is superior to JD#7 straight up or over ice.
I’ve never tried the “Single Barrel” JD.
Been thru the distillery tour in Lynchburg, TN twice. You’ll love it!! Be prepared though it’s a dry county and you can’t buy any liquor there unless it’s a commemorative decanter!
Oh man Walter, that does sound good. Might give that go next summer. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
I love it, It’s great when you drink it straight and it also can serve as a good companion to add to your eggnog during the Holiday Season (Halloween thru New Years). Cheers and excitement are the words that best describe it.
Cheers TM!
Fielders time buying gj. What is the difference in taste between gj and crown ?
Before you get to Knob Creek and Woodford Reserve, I suspect GJ is a smooth operator that gets you heinously drunk before you know it. precisely because it has none of the tonsil-ripping roughness of the once filtered.
I drink all my bourbon whiskeys straight, meaning sometimes, here downunder, the temperature is pretty warm. The smoothness you explain as due to just one extra filtering makes a big difference in downing straight shots, or sipping big tall jars.
I might have a pretty ruined palate, being a cigar and other tobacco smoker. But all I can taste is vanilla and caramel.
I’ve never been a whiskey or bourbon drinker as they really didn’t suite my taste nor could I tolerate brown liquor. But I got hooked on GJ on the rocks on a golf outing and I love the stuff.
I’ve been trying to figure out the taste and interesting to see the caramel comments – which I totally get now. Vanilla – definitely. Also a little banana? Or am I crazy?
I don’t think you’re crazy at all. Several of my whiskey buddies get a banana note in JD. Cheers!
I really like G Jack when I’m drinking whiskey. Alebiet I’m not a huge whiskey drinker, I prefer rum or scotch. I’ve tried Single Barrel and while it was good, I’d rather just get the G Jack and save a little. I’m still trying to decide on a new whiskey to try, but just haven’t decided on anything yet. Anybody have any suggestions?
I’m new to drinking whiskey and out of the four I’ve tried so far Gentleman Jack was my favorite because it was smooth and easy to drink neat. I thought Jack Daniel’s Single barrel tasted better but was more harsh . The other two I tried were Knob Creek small batch 100 proof and Woodford Reserve sorry if I’m not being more specific. The color of Gentleman Jack was also lighter than the other 3 .
Your review was just what I was looking for! I’m personally not a fan of anything JD makes, in my mind they are the McDonalds of whiskey. But I have a friend who swears that Gentleman Jack is an entirely different blend and now I can’t wait to tell him it’s just regular old JD with a second charcoal filter!! Jameson is my go to, I’d pour it over my cereal if morning drinking was socially acceptable lol
Whiskey and Cheerios is how I start every St. Patricks Day :)
Cheers!
If you had 3 whiskeys to have around the house for guests who like whiskey, what would you have?
1. Dickel #12 2. Gentlemen jack 3. Old # 7?? the thing is I am not a whiskey drinker so I do not know what a good whiskey is, but I do like to take care of my guests.
your best three choices would help.
Thanks.
Hey Manny,
Happy to help. The Dickel 12 is a great option and for my tastes I’d add a Four Roses Small Batch and an Eagle Rare to give a bit more variety without breaking the bank.
Cheers!
Just finished a nice sized glass on the rocks, and enjoyed it so much I googled GJ and found this review. GJ was very smooth, easy to drink and so far my new favorite.
Very new to trying bourbon my first stab at it was Makers Mark which I ended up adding water to tame it. So wanting to try a smoother bourbon found the GJ and couldn’t have enjoyed it more.
I saw your ranking and hoping you can save me the trouble searching the web site, Can you list a few others to try that you ranked higher.
Hey Matthew,
Happy to help. Some whiskeys I’ve enjoyed more and are readily available would be Jim Beam Black, Knob Creek, Booker’s, Wild Turkey 101, Four Roses Small Batch, Old Forrester Signature, Evan Williams Bonded, Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace and Old Grand-dad Bonded.
Cheers!
Gent jack is so smooth. No bite to it. A perfect sipping whiskey with one rock.
Just picked up a massive 1.75 L bottle of Gentleman Jack at my local Costco for $50.
Nothing special, but an easy sipping whiskey.
Score of mid 80’s seems appropriate.
$50 for a handle is a great price. I wouldn’t complain about that at all!
Purchased GJ on advice of the local liquor store staff, very apprehensive on the purchase being a die hard Crown drinker but upon first taste fell in love with the smoky taste. Unfortunately the price in Canada makes it cost prohibitive.
I can definitely taste the banana. and this is my first try at GJ. It’s smoother than any whiskey I’ve tasted before. I prefer the peppery taste of rye and do i won’t add GJ to .y normal rotation.
If you like that peppery rye taste skip the JD rye. It’s quite soft and sweet compared to others.
I normally don’t drink whiskey but Gentleman Jack, doubled mellowed taste like BANANAS!?
Brenda – at the tail end of the finish I too can find that combo of sweet/raw flavors of a partially ripe banana.
I’ve always been a fan of jack; if not for the taste, then for the memories I’ve had of it. I was skeptical at first, as the fireball and Tennessee honey flavors kind of tainted the brand for me.
I had nothing to worry about though, as this was the perfect drink to have on the rocks. After a long day of work and travel, this is what I needed to put myself back into a good mood. Im not sure if that’s a good thing to admit, but I’ll take it where I can get it.
Cheers.
Whatever works for you man, that’s all that matters. Cheers Rick!
Very nice post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wanted
to say that I havee truly loved surfing around
your weblog posts. In any case I will be subscribing for your rss feed and I’m hoping you write again soon!
Cheers and thank you!
Good review. It’s smooth and sweet, flavorful enough but not especially distinctive, and ultimately probably not worth the premium unless you know it rings your bells. Probably best neat or on the rocks; look for something with more attitude for mixed drinks.
Thanks Doug, Cheers!
At the risk of damning with faint praise, it is better than Old No. 7. But for less money, I’ll take the Dickel No. 12 every time. That seems to be my biggest complaint with both the original expression and the Gentleman, they aren’t premium whiskies (especially No.7), but they are priced as such. So many better and less expensive options, I rarely keep them in anything but 50mls for mixing.
I’d take the Dickel 12 over either of them as well. Cheers!
I can sum it up in one word: YUM – my new favorite drink – It mixes well in colas and teas as well.
Jack and Coke gives me The Kavorka, so I’ll stick to that ;)
Ha, Cheers!
I always loved my Jack and Cokes, but with Gentleman in there it is barely noticeable. I’m sure GJ is good straight up or on the rocks, but I think I ruined it with Coke. Which saddens me to no end. Even Evan Williams is better in Coke.
I’m no connoisseur of whiskey, but I know what I like best. I’ll save the GJ for solo drinking. No mixing it. Save the Coke for No.7 and Evan.
I am enjoying a Sample of GJ as I write this. I must admit that I was not a big fan of Jack
Daniels but took my swigs when the air raid sirens blared in Vietnam. Another story. I don’t like my whiskey to kick me or burn me. I want it to taste good from start to finish. I want it warm me after my day and to be part of my relaxation. Gentlemen Jack is all the things that previous reviewers said and it tastes good.
So long as you like it, which it sounds like you do, that’s all that’s important. Cheers Redbeard!
I personally find regular ‘ol JD to be … well … to be blunt, awful. I just do. Now Gentleman Jack … well, it’s a completely different whiskey, in my opinion.
Curious … did anyone else taste a faint hint of bananas in their sips ? I’m drinking it now and I SWEAR I’m picking up a faint banana taste. Hmmm, maybe just me.
I’ve never picked that up, but next time I have a glass (I’m out) I’ll be sure to keep that thought.
Cheers!
I always get the banana note from ALL Tennessee whiskies. Less so in the Old No.7, but The Gentleman and all three of the Dickel expressions I’ve tried have a definite banana cream or banana pudding note.
Banana is a result of yeast esters and is especially notable in some beer styles, including Belgians and wheats. I was picking up banana in a pour of Bulliet the other night. Can’t say as I mind it. Speaking of tropical notes, sniff for the coconut in W.L. Weller.
First time I had Bulleit the banana was very strong.
As a young man I always liked No7 but once I turned 45 GJ became my favorite and go to drink. 11 years later, after having tried many bourbons and Tennesse whiskeys, I’ll admit on occasion to enjoy a Basil Hayden or Bulleit 10, but I always comeback to GJ. Guess I’ve mellowed as much as GJ is.
Cheers!
I’m bananas over GJ. I’m a beam fan so it kills me to admit it and I am repulsed by old 7. I agree they are tottally different and at 21.95 there is no equal in smoothness the brown sugar banana foster flavour is uniqueness unfound in many whisky collections.
If you rank Gentleman Jack as an 84 which is the same rank you gave Wyoming Whiskey then your credibility is gone down the …..
Maybe you should read the comments and the full review, or you could just make a snide comment that makes you sound like a…
On occasion, I’ve always drank Jamison whiskey; usually neat or in a Manhattan. I hate the taste of Scotch though, and some brandies, as they have a funny aftertaste to me. I can’t even described it but when I drink them the aftertaste is so unpleasant it almost makes me feel like dry heaving. Strange, I know. Anyway, how would you compare JD and GJ to Jamison and is GJ available in a taster sized bottle to try? I’d really like to expand my palate. Thanks for any info.
Hey Ana,
JD & GJ are VERY different from Jameson. Irish Whiskey is a lot lighter and not as grain heavy as either of those are. Of the two I’d say you’d have a better chance at liking the GJ and I’ve seen 50ml tasters of it at places like BevMo and Total Wine & More.
GJ for me is great after work. It is a smooth relaxer after a tough day earning my pay. I am sitting here now with my hound dog enjoying a glass. Great blog!
Thank you, that sounds like a nice relaxing evening. Cheers!
I’m going to be 72 in October next month.. I’ve been a Jack Daniels drinker for over 20 year’s .. Double on the rocks before bedtime.. I’ve tried them all.. But Gentleman Jack is my favorite.. You might pay more but it well worth the price.. I buy it by the 1.75L.. Why? that size you’ll notice when you purchase Jack Daniels in the bigger bottle you get more for your money. Actually if you look at the other sizes you’ll find you are paying more for less. Don’t take my word for it check it out..Everyone has his or her opinion and this is mine.. Jimmy B
Thanks Jimmy! I always welcome opinions here and thanks for sharing yours. On a price per ounce you’re absolutely right the 1.75L is a better buy and actually does make it a decent value at that point.
Cheers!
I like Gentlemen Jack, but my personal preference is for the Jack Single barrel. I find that if I’m patient and let it sit for five before drinking it, the Single Barrel gives me that caramel scent early on with more flavor than I noticed in the Gentlemen Jack.
I haven’t had the single barrel yet, but I think I’ll have to sometime soon.
Cheers!
I’d really like to read your thoughts about the JACK DANIEL’S Single Barrel and/or Single Barrel “Barrel Proof”.
Thanks for your great blog.
Thanks Maxime! I have a Single Barrel in the queue and a Barrel proof single Barrel in the queue as well. They’ll be coming at some point :) Cheers and thanks!
delicious – received a bottle as a gift, my new #1 favorite.
Not really a whiskey drinker, but when I got a bottle of Gentleman Jack as a present I tried it and liked the smoothness and the minimal burn. I’ll keep a bottle around now.
Its good on the rocks
Enjoyed my first bottle, would place above Jack, and will add to my whiskey rotation
Yup, not a fan of Jack but this one I can tolerate in a pinch.
Of all the jacks.. my favourite.
Now I like a whisky with a kick. But I jusy love the smoothness of the gentleman jack .
“Of all the jacks.. my favourite.”
While I’m not much of a Jack fan myself, I can agree with you on that.
J. D. Gent
If I wanted to go out with the boys and have a few, I would certainly be having regular Jack. On a date with a woman I liked, I would share the Gentleman with her. It’s like a desert drink. Very sweet.
Cheers!
Cheers Mark!
I’ve enjoyed, legally, since Ft Bragg, 1964, Black label Jack Daniels. Ice has always been the only mixer. Cannot remember when I switched to Gentleman Jack, bur it is the main stay in my liquor cabinet. When I find something exceptional, like my beautiful wife of 54 years, changing never crosses my mind.
Thanks for sharing, cheers!