The word ‘iconic’ is banded around a great deal these days. While for the most part it is vastly overused in my humble opinion, there are a few exceptions. If you were to refer to Jack Daniel’s as an iconic whisky brand for example, you most certainly would not be overusing it.

Jack Daniel’s is one of the most iconic whiskey brands in the world. It has a cult following and is a prominent focal point of modern pop culture. It’s also one of the OG whiskies for mixing with cola.

Despite this Tennessee whiskey (yes, I did say Tennessee rather than bourbon, so don’t @ me) proving to be so hugely popular all over the globe, not a great deal is known for certain regarding Mr Jack Daniel himself.

One thing that is known for certain is that he opened two saloons in his beloved Lynchburg, TN. One was known as the Red Dog Saloon, whereas the other was called the White Rabbit Saloon. To commemorate both of these saloons, in the early 2010s JD released anniversary/special edition versions of their iconic whiskey.

Not too long ago, I reviewed the Red Dog Saloon release. Today, it’s the turn of the White Rabbit.

The Mystery of Jack Daniel

As I touched upon previously, not a great deal is known for certain when it comes to the man behind the iconic Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey name.

Jasper Newton ‘Jack’ Daniel is believed to have been born in Tennessee somewhere around 1849, though the date of his birth is famously unknown due to a fire at the town hall which destroyed records of his birth.

He began working for a distiller and preacher named Dan Call, when he was just 7 years of age. By age 13, he was in charge of Call’s distillery, where they produced Tennessee whiskey using the Lincoln County Process. This process helped set Tennessee whiskey apart from bourbon. This unique charcoal filtration process requires the whiskey to be filtered through layers of burnt sugar maple charcoal for several days. This filtration process helps to remove any impurities from the whiskey and imparts a deeper chestnut amber colour with flavours of caramel, vanilla, banana, and caramelised oak.

Now, some sources claim that young Jack was taught the art of distillation by his mentor Mr Call. Other sources, however, claim he learned the Lincoln County Process by a man named Nathan ‘Nearest’ Green, who was believed to be a slave for Dan Call. Not a nice thing to write about, but unfortunately that was how life was back then.

The Jack Daniel’s White Rabbit Saloon

After taking over the distillery, the Jack Daniel’s brand is said to have officially been founded in 1866. As always seems to be the way with JD however, other sources claim that the distillery was not fully licenced until the year 1875.

The distillery in Lynchburg, TN, is said to be the oldest in all of the US. The whiskey proved to be an enormous hit thanks largely to the additional filtration process via the sugar maple charcoal, and the use of mineral enriched (yet almost 100% iron-free) water, which helped give the whiskey a smoother, more mellow flavour.

As the Jack Daniel’s brand grew, Jack began expanding his empire and in 1892 he opened the White Rabbit Saloon, along with the Red Dog Saloon, in the town square of Lynchburg, Tennessee. The bar served as a social hub where friends and locals could get together, enjoy a few drinks, and enjoy a glass or two of Jack Daniel’s iconic Tennessee whiskey as they set the world to rights.

Both saloons proved hugely successful, but sadly, prohibition in America forced the bars to close around 1909 – 1910.

While the saloon itself may be gone, its legacy lives on through a series of commemorative bottlings released in 2012 to celebrate its 120^th birthday, as well as the White Rabbit Bottle Shop, which is found in the visitor centre of the Lynchburg distillery.