The best part of waking up? The Jack Daniel’s coffee in your cup, of course.
The 150-year-old whiskey distillery recently released Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey Coffee in partnership with World of Coffee. Made with 100 percent Arabica coffee, the blend is non-alcoholic, though a press release says it’s infused with Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey.
“We use the best tasting and highest quality coffees in the world and now add to that the authentic taste and aroma of Jack Daniel’s,” Charlie Newman, president and owner of World of Coffee, said in a press release. WOC is licensing the Jack Daniel’s whiskey coffee blend, a version of something you may remember from a few years ago.
“There was a line of Jack Daniel’s Coffees that incorporated Jack Daniel’s flavoring into the grounds, rather than actual Tennessee whiskey. That product was discontinued in 2011,” a Jack Daniel’s spokesperson told The Huffington Post in an emailed statement.
HuffPost received a sample of the coffee, which comes in both regular or decaffeinated varieties. We polled whiskey lovers and non-whiskey drinkers alike to see what they thought of the taste. Take a look!
What do you think of the coffee?
“I like it, it tastes a little less bitter than regular black coffee, but without any annoying flavors.”
“It just tasted like diner coffee to me. Kind of bitter and watery.”
“It surprisingly didn’t taste as bitter as I thought it would. Normally I hate black coffee and avoid it at all costs, but I was able to stomach this.”
“It tasted like normal, sort of burnt and/or stale coffee with some sort of flavoring.”
“I didn’t hate, but I also did not love it.”
“The coffee was pretty good! Would not buy but would drink.”
Could you taste the whiskey?
“I could not, and believe me, I come from a long line of people who know what whiskey tastes like.”
“No, it just tasted like regular coffee to me.”
“Just a sour aftertaste, nothing specific.”
“It smelled more like alcohol than tasted like it. So no, not really.”
“I could faintly smell the whiskey when I went to take a sip. But the alcohol taste was basically nonexistent.”
“When the cold coffee lingered on the tongue I could taste some whiskey-ish notes. Mostly it tasted like Dunkin’ Donuts French Vanilla.”
When would you drink this?
“I would probably drink it in the morning like any other cup of coffee.”
“Probably after dinner, or over the weekend.”
“At night with cream and sugar, as coffee should be.”
“When I ran out of the good whole-bean coffee I usually grind fresh.”
“If I were very, very tired and this was the only coffee available in the office one morning, I would drink it.”
“I would drink this if it was free or if I was in dire need of caffeine.”
What do you think of the smell of the beans?
“It had a very pleasant cocoa powder smell.”
“Chocolatey and satisfying, actually way better than the taste.”
“It was actually horrifying. I couldn’t believe how sick-y sweet it smelled. I also don’t like the smell of whiskey, so maybe that’s it?”
“It smelled like alcohol! But not in a gross way. I actually enjoyed the aroma quite a bit. It smelled like you should be in some sophisticated person’s house surrounded by thick armchairs and mahogany.”
“Sour. Pungent. Not for me.”
“The smell of the beans was fine! Didn’t have that classic coffee smell but was super sugary and yummy.”
Do you think there’s alcohol in it?
“I assume there is because of the name.”
“I’m sure it’s probably ‘infused’ somehow ... or if not, they shouldn’t call it Jack Daniel’s!”
“No. (So what’s the point, anyway??)”
“I want to say no. If there was I couldn’t taste it.”
“I doubt there’s alcohol in it. I imagine they just put the beans in an old Jack Daniel’s barrel for a hot second and call it a day.”
“I think... not.”
Our thoughts exactly.
If you’re still interested, you can purchase the coffee online at jackdaniels.com or in store at the Lynchburg Hardware and General Store in Lynchburg, TN. An 8.8-ounce tin of the coffee retails for $21.95, slightly higher than your average coffee cost. Smaller, 1.5-ounce gift bags of the product are only $6.95.