Editor’s Note: These products were provided to us as review samples by Jack Daniel’s. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review.
Two years after launching their canned cocktails in select markets, Jack Daniel’s has expanded to nation-wide distribution. The line-up includes Jack Daniel’s Whiskey & Cola, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey & Lemonade, and Jack Daniel’s Apple Fizz “right in time for summer,” according to Jack Daniel’s canned cocktail brand director, Dallas Cheatham. Though we’ll have to wait a few more weeks in the Pacific Northwest for some sunshine, Jack Daniel’s canned cocktails are now available.
The core player of the lineup is Jack Daniel’s Whiskey & Cola. It’s a natural pick for the producer, and probably every American’s first mixed drink, though this is just Jack & Cola. Coca-Cola Co won’t be partnering with an established whiskey maker anytime soon, but has begun dabbling in hard sodas through their “Simply Spiked” lines. Jack Daniel’s Apple Fizz brings to mind a radioactive green appletini, which I find about as appealing as anything else radioactive. On the plus side, this canned beverage is sparkling, and I have a soft spot for fizzy drinks. Last, but hopefully not least, the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey & Lemonade. This blend includes Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, a whiskey blended with honey liqueur that includes real honey, a promising sign. Regular readers will know I recently reviewed Crown Royal’s Lemonade. Hopefully, this will give those Canucks a run for their loonie!
Tasting Notes: Jack Daniel’s Apple Fizz
Vital Stats: 7.0% ABV, mash bill: 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye, SRP $12.99/ four-355ml cans or $3.99/355ml can
Appearance: On the positive side, the cocktail is not bright green, but rather the pale gold-flecked yellow of a hard cider. The liquid is barely cloudy.
Nose: The first crack of the can releases the telltale Jolly Rancher’s green apple flavor of the dreaded appletini. I assume someone, somewhere once decided this flavoring resembled a Granny Smith apple. As far as I can tell, said person has neither been seen from nor heard from since the 90s. On sniffing from the glass, the aroma is less artificial, more like Granny Smith applesauce than freshly sliced apples.
Palate: On the palate, the hard cider character falls away to reveal a confused mix of apple candy aroma with a sweet grain whiskey finish. It’s thin and watery. The unpleasant and cloying fake apple flavor lingers for a regrettably long time on the palate. I could see this being enjoyable during the fall months with a cinnamon rimmer or as an alternative to hard ciders made from culinary apples (think Woodchuck or Angry Orchard). Folks that enjoy hard ciders made from true cider varieties will likely not appreciate the overwrought aromas on offer. This is woefully artificial. I’m starting to regret insulting that appletini. This is so painfully obviously sparkling water, booze, and perfume bottle’s worth of industrial strength apple scent.
Score: 2/5
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Tasting Notes: Jack Daniel’s Whiskey & Cola
Vital Stats: 7.0% ABV, mash bill: 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye, SRP $12.99/ four-355ml cans or $3.99/355ml can
Appearance: It’s burnt amber in color, exactly what you’d expect from a cola, and it pours into the glass with a soda-like foam that dissipates quickly.
Nose: On cracking this can, the first scent is of caramelized sugar and cocoa powder. This is actually quite promising. Let me backtrack a smidge to confess something: I don’t drink soda. It’s not because I’m stuck up or health-conscious, I just prefer my liquid sugar in the form of an Auslese Riesling or PX Sherry. Okay, okay, it’s because I’m stuck up. I mention this because I honestly can’t recall the last time I’ve had cola. 1993? So I suppose that you should take it with a grain of salt that I think this cola smells better than Coke or Pepsi. It has a metallic twinge that gives way to cocoa powder and sassafras with a medicinal aroma not unlike a good Amaro or root beer. There’s a faint vegetal aroma like brewed mint tea.
Palate: The palate comes across as a touch unbalanced. The sweetness has sharp elbows and clashes with the medicinal note of the cola and the sweet cereal note of the whiskey. I like the bitterness the medicinal aromas bring to the palate. It nicely plays up the vanilla notes from the oak. This almost tastes like the term “natural flavors” meant something at one point. Would I buy this? Probably not, because it’s not a cocktail I enjoy in the wild. Would I drink it if handed a can? Definitely yes. The finish lingers with faint notes of baking spices and vanilla extract. I want to pair this with decedent squash dishes like butternut ravioli in brown butter sauce and pumpkin pie.
Score: 2.5/5
Tasting Notes: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey & Lemonade
Vital Stats: 7.0% ABV, mash bill: 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye, SRP $12.99/ four-355ml cans or $3.99/355ml can
Appearance: It pours with a faint fizz and is a golden tan color not unlike the stripe around the bottom of the can.
Nose: Nothing jumped out at me aromatically when I opened the can. There’s an oddly perfumed smell like baby powder or grandma’s perfume. When I poured it into a glass, I decided that this has to be a joke. It is foul. There’s no sense of lemon to be found, just a faint but cloying aroma not unlike industrial toilet cleaners. I guess you could claim this to be the aroma of honey, but it is far removed from the smell of bees’ sugar syrup.
Palate: In the mouth, this is the most viscous of the three, likely due to its lower amount of fizz. It appears as though Jack Daniel’s decided to add carbonation to the broader release, as my colleague tasting it in 2020 reported that it was not carbonated. The flavor is, I guess, classic Jack Daniel’s canned cocktail: thin and watery on the palate with a sugary sense underneath the natural flavors. My suggestion? Drink from the can. It’s harder to smell it that way.
Score: 1/5
Final Thoughts: I just don’t get premixed canned cocktails. For less money overall and better flavor results, you can pour a splash of Jack into a can of your favorite beverage. Let Jack do what Jack does best, and let Coca-Cola, or Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper, do what they do best.
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