Jack Daniels how to distinguish a fake bottle. Jack daniels

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How to tell a fake Jack Daniels whiskey from the original 5.00 /5 (100.00%) 4


Jack Daniel's Old No.7 whiskey is the most popular and most counterfeit whiskey in the world.

Today we will tell you how to distinguish the original from the fake.

1. First of all, you should pay attention to jack Daniel's Old No.7 bottle shape... It should have sharp shoulders, as the original Jack Daniels' rounded-shouldered bottles were discontinued back in 2011.

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3. Label. Often, counterfeiters do not bother to familiarize themselves with the updated design of this whiskey, or they do it poorly.

A real Jack Daniels must have a label that is glued with high quality and absolutely symmetrical. There should be no traces of glue. The label should span 3 sides of the bottle. On the right and left edges of the bottom, ribs should be applied. In addition, pay attention to the presence of the packing date and barrel number.

Also note that all labels on the label must be in English.

4. All bottles of Jack Daniels whiskey made for Europe must contain dispenser, its absence is a clear sign of a fake.

5. The bottom of the bottle. The bottom of the original Jack Daniel's Old No.7 whiskey bottle should have a patterned embossing. On fake bottles, at the bottom there is an indication of the volume of the bottle in Russian, it is indicated in liters. In the original, the volume is indicated only in ml

6. Shaking. With good shaking, the bubbles that appear should be large and last for a long time. In addition, after shaking, a drop of whiskey should slowly flow down the glass of the bottle, but in the case of a fake drink, the drop flows down very quickly.

7. Excise stamp. All imported alcohol, including Jack Daniels, must have an excise stamp. Whiskey with a federal special label on the bottle is a sign of counterfeit. In addition, quite often in fakes, the real displacement and the displacement indicated on the excise stamp do not coincide.

On the shelves of our stores has grown several times. This is due to the high popularity of certain products. The leading place in their rating is occupied by imported alcohol, in particular Jack Daniels whiskey. Sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish a fake from an original. Its "manufacturers" are trying to keep their "pirate" brand.

Why Jack Daniels

The Jack Daniels trademark has been known in the world for over 200 years and during this time it has never compromised itself. This drink has recently become a cult drink not only in the United States, but also in Russia.

Its popularity is so high that this whiskey is drunk not only in expensive restaurants in megalopolises, but also in cheap “spills” of the Russian hinterland. This, in fact, led to massive counterfeits of this unique drink.

But how can you tell a fake Jack Daniels from a real whiskey? First, let's figure out what it is and where it comes from.

What is fake whiskey

Most whiskey lovers do not even suspect that they can use not the original product, but the usual counterfeit, which is produced in neighboring countries.

The facts of poisoning with counterfeit whiskey are rare, because this product goes not only to Russia, but also to some countries of Western Europe. Sometimes we also get an original, but contraband product, somehow stolen from the factory. Often this is a fairly high-quality alcohol with a taste and smell close to the original, but it has nothing to do with the American drink.

How to spot a Jack Daniels fake

There are not so many ways to identify a fake. More precisely, two. The first one is visual, implying a search for differences from the original on the label and on the bottle itself, without opening the whiskey. The second is a comparison of taste and smell.

Let's start with the first method. Most often, counterfeit whiskey is found in 0.5 liter bottles, although the most popular volume in the United States and Europe is 0.7 liters. The relatively low price for half a liter allows "pirates" to sell it more easily, and to buy it for a naive buyer.

However, we have on sale half-liter bottles of original whiskey. But how can you tell a fake Jack Daniels (0.5L) from a real product?

The first step is to inspect the bottle itself. The original has 4 faces engraved with "Jack Daniels". The neck of the bottle is faceted and begins with a convex ring over which the drink is poured.

The bottom is engraved with numbers. The original stopper should be only plastic, wrapped in thin plastic with the inscription "old No.7 brand" and without a dispenser.

The front label must contain information about the name of the drink, the trade mark with the obligatory presence of the “®” sign and the batch number of the spill. The back sticker indicates the manufacturer, barcode, importer. The original product must not contain any inscriptions in Arabic, Russian, or any language other than English.

Other ways: how to distinguish a fake "Jack Daniels" (0.5 L) without opening the bottle

There are other indicators that your chosen whiskey is not the original:

  • crookedly pasted labels or traces of glue are visible from under them;
  • flat smooth bottom;
  • lowered bottle hangers;
  • rounded edges;
  • the presence of a dispenser;
  • presence of sediment at the bottom of the bottle

And, of course, the price. The cost of a 0.5 liter bottle of "Jack Daniels" in duty free shops starts at 13 euros, so any product with the same name and the same capacity cannot be cheaper even on sale.

If the bottle is already open

If you have ever drunk real American whiskey, it will not be difficult for you to distinguish counterfeit from the original. But how can a fake Jack Daniels taste to an ignorant person in imported alcohol?

First, after opening the bottle, shake it. Real whiskey, when shaken, forms large air bubbles along the edge of the liquid. They should not disappear for 5-7 s.

Next, pour the drink into a glass and inhale its aroma from a distance of 15-20 cm. The original whiskey has a light sweetish malt aroma, sometimes with subtle hints of flowers and fruits. If you bring the glass close to your nose and take a deep breath, you should feel a scent reminiscent of red wine. Fake whiskey will always smell like alcohol, and sometimes even moonshine.

How not to become a victim of "pirates"

Now that you know almost everything about how to distinguish a fake Jack Daniels (0.5) from a real two-century American brand in the same container, you can try to identify other alcoholic beverages.

However, it is worth thinking about how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the intrigues of "pirates". After all, you must admit that it is not always possible to consider a bottle of whiskey in a store, comparing it with the original, or to taste and smell an alcoholic drink.

The only rule that will save you from counterfeiting is to buy alcohol only in trusted, licensed retail outlets.

High-quality whiskey has a high price, but it always remains a popular drink, including among Russian consumers. The world leader in sales of such a product is the American brand Jack Daniels. The company's success lies in the fact that only natural cereals, pure water and unique technologies are used in the production of whiskey. However, the drink, like many other popular products, is often counterfeited, so it is important to be able to distinguish the real from the fake.

External signs of a fake

Jack Daniel's quality whiskey cannot be cheap. The average price of a liter bottle starts at 1,700 rubles. In addition to the price, first of all, you should pay attention to the appearance of the package. Most often, a counterfeit product is bottled in non-original bottles, which are easy to distinguish from branded ones in several ways. To determine if Jack Daniels is fake or not, you need to carefully evaluate the following when buying:

  • The whole bottle

It is the bottle that is called the face of whiskey. Jack Daniel's branded container is very difficult to counterfeit. The original has a strict parallelepiped shape with well-defined edges and sharp edges. Fake whiskey is often bottled in a bottle with rounded top and bottom edges. All 4 sides of the original container are engraved with the Jack Daniels logo at the top and volume information at the bottom. If the inscriptions are not embossed or blurred - this is not the real Jack Daniels, but his fake.


Bottle with a quality label, but no engraving on the bottle

Another way to determine quality whiskey is to shake the bottle. If at the same time large bubbles are formed that do not burst for a long time - the alcohol is real. In addition, there must be no sediment.

  • Neck

The branded bottle has a faceted neck, slightly widening in the middle and narrowing towards the cork and shoulders. At the base of the neck there is a convex ring, the poured drink slightly exceeds its level. In counterfeit containers, the neck is often cylindrical in shape; it smoothly turns into rounded shoulders.

  • Cork

The original whiskey is sealed with a black plastic cork, which is covered with a glossy protective film along with the neck. A counterfeit bottle does not have such a film and is most often closed with a metal stopper.

The bottom of the bottle with a real Jack Daniels has a square shape, its corners are cut at 45 degrees. On the bottom there are convex inscriptions - information for the consumer. There are no such inscriptions on the fake bottle or they are illegible. In addition, a circle from the press machine will be visible at the bottom of the fake.

  • Label

How to distinguish real whiskey by label? The bottle with the original drink is labeled exclusively in English. The label must have a unique EI code, which can be used to determine the barrel number and the date of packaging. To know which font the information is indicated in, you must first study the label design on the Jack Daniels official website. If the inscriptions are not in doubt, the quality of the sticker itself should be evaluated. It should be symmetrically positioned on the bottle, covering 3 edges, have a clear relief, and there should be no traces of glue on it. On the right side of the label there is an image of Jack Daniels himself, on the left side there are gold medals, a drop, a glass and a barrel. All drawings should be three-dimensional.

Beverage quality

How to distinguish the original Jack Daniels from a possible fake by the properties of the drink itself? The color, aroma and taste of the whiskey must be appreciated.

Real Jack Daniels has a rich dark amber shade. The aroma is caramel-vanilla with a slight admixture of haze, the taste is sweetish, tart with woody notes. There is a long, mild aftertaste with hints of sweet spices. No additional components should be felt, since there are no alcohol impurities and flavors in the original. Quality whiskey can be consumed without a snack. Gourmets do not recommend mixing Jack Daniels with other ingredients and using it to make cocktails.

After uncorking a bottle with a fake drink, a sharp smell of alcohol or a harsh, obsessive artificial aroma is felt. If the whiskey tastes bad, you want to eat it or drink it, it's a fake.

It is the original Jack Daniels, in contrast to the fake one, that tones the body without causing headaches and other hangover symptoms. In order not to purchase low-quality whiskey, you should choose it only in a specialized store, having read all the relevant documents. In other retail outlets, there is a risk of buying a fake.

Is Jack Daniels Cognac or Whiskey? With what and how to drink it? And most importantly: how to distinguish an original from a fake? We will tell all about this in this article, as well as give many interesting facts about the history and intricacies of the production of "Jack Daniels".

General information

Jack Daniel's is a blended whiskey. Unlike the Scottish national drink, which is made from malt, the American variety uses corn (eighty percent), barley (12 percent) and rye (8 percent) as raw materials. Such blends are usually called bourbons, and this makes them related to cognacs. But a special method of filtration makes Jack Daniel's whiskey. Thanks to double passing through a layer of special charcoal, the drink acquires a mild taste. A four-year aging in roasted white oak barrels gives the whiskey a smoky caramel flavor and amber color. Zero iron spring water also gives the drink a soft feel. The whiskey comes in square bottles with sharp edges. At the moment, there are several varieties of this world-famous brand. The main difference in the types of Jack Daniels whiskeys is the degrees. In the classic example - "Jack Daniels Old No. 7" - as well as in "Gentleman" there are forty. Other types are somewhat stronger, for example, in Single Barrel forty-seven degrees, and in Silver Select - all fifty.

Story

As is often the case in the production of a well-known brand, Jack Daniels whiskey is named after its "parent". Jack Jasper Newton Daniel was only seven years old when he hired a laborer in a distillery for Lutheran pastor Dann Call. This happened in the middle of the 19th century in Tennessee. Five years of work were not in vain. The boy gained experience and at the age of thirteen he opened his own distillery. Daniel did not reinvent the wheel, but applied the already proven method of Lincoln whiskey technology. This method, practiced in the district of the same name in Tennessee, consisted in the fact that before being poured into barrels, the drink was filtered through a three-meter layer of coal obtained from American sugar maple. This process is long and costly, but Daniel was not stopped. And although most admirers of whiskey do not love it for the mild taste, Jack Daniel's products have become very popular.

The uniqueness of Jack Daniels

It would seem that if a manufacturer has applied a technology that has already become traditional, then what made his products stand out from a number of others? Why is the brand's distillery the oldest currently operating in the United States? Answer: because Jack Daniel always wanted to do the best. This was his life motto. He built his factory near his hometown of Lynchburg not out of patriotic feelings, but because he knew about the wonderful Hollow Spring. The water of this spring contained practically no iron. Thanks to her and the passage through the layers of sugar maple, the drink came out soft, and not bulging like ordinary whiskey. Also, the products were aged for four years in special barrels. They were made from young American white oak wood. After the barrels were completely made, the inside was fired. Jack Daniels whiskey was aged in them in a natural climate. In winter, the wood shrank, in summer it expanded. The essential oils and natural sugars of the oak passed into the drink, giving it an amber color and a hazy smell.

Modern production

Jack Daniel himself was not married and had no children, and therefore in his old age handed the reins of the company to his nephew. Lem Motlow ran the distillery from 1911 to 1947. It was a very difficult period. Two world wars, the times of the "Great Depression" and - which was a special blow to the company - prohibition. But Motlow masterfully got out of the situation by establishing export. The distillery's products even managed to win medals at European distillate exhibitions. In 1988, the new leader, Jack Raire, applied the double filtering method. Jack Daniels whiskey, after four years of aging in barrels, was once again driven through a layer of maple coal. This method gives the drink a sleeker and smoother character. At the same time, readiness - the degree of maturation of whiskey - is determined not by the calendar, but by the tasting of specialists. The taste, color and aroma of the contents of each barrel are evaluated.

Marketing and packaging

Jack Daniel was not only a conscientious and talented whiskey maker, but also an excellent entrepreneur. At the dawn of his career, he opened two bars in his hometown and hired musicians, forming from them the Silver Cornet Band. On the drum, he ordered to paint a bottle of Jack Daniels Old No.7 whiskey. The idea worked. The troupe toured all states, and soon all Americans, young and old, knew: if whiskey, then Jack Daniels. Tara also played a role in marketing. Initially, Jack Daniel poured his products into jugs, on which he stencilled his first and last name. When from the seventies of the nineteenth century glass bottles were firmly in use, Jack began to look for something original. And I found it. A traveling salesman from Illinois showed him the Alton Glass products. The bottle was quite unusual - square, with sharp edges and a corrugated neck - just what you need to make the products at home stand out and memorable.

Varieties

Let's start with the classics. Photo of Jack Daniels Old No.7 whiskey in front of you. The classic square bottle is fraught with an amber drink with caramel and vanilla flavors, in which woody notes are clearly audible. The drink has a pleasant sweetish aroma. This variety is available in different-sized bottles - from 0.05 l samplers to three-liter baklags.

Gentleman Jack is double filtered. This amber drink tastes like nuts, licorice and spices. Available in containers from 0.35 to one liter.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel is a premium variety. Whiskey is poured into a 0.75 liter bottle from one specific barrel, whose number and date of bottling are indicated on the label. It is a dark amber drink with a strength of forty degrees. This whiskey is distinguished by a mild taste of vanilla caramel.

Jack Daniel's Silver Select Single Barrel is characterized by increased strength (five degrees). The whiskey belongs to the super-premium category, as the drink is bottled from a special, better barrel. Dancing orange-red sparks are visible in the amber liquid. The taste is associated with caramelized citrus fruits, vanilla and oriental spices. The aroma contains woody notes, smoke, orange peel and ripe plums. The aftertaste is long, languid, with notes of sweet spices.

It can be served as an aperitif and digestif, but not with food. The Scots drink their whiskey and soda. This method softens the clogging of the drink. Jack Daniels doesn't need that. Its taste is already soft enough that it can be confused with cognacs. Connoisseurs of "Jack Daniels" love to taste it in small sips solo, without any accompaniment. For this whiskey, you should choose tulip glasses, filling them by a third or half. This will give you a better aroma of the drink. The optimum temperature for serving is plus eighteen to twenty one degrees. If the drink is colder, it will not exude its own aroma, and if it is warmer, the taste will become more harsh, brutal.

If you are against drinking neat distillates, try making yourself a simple shake. This brand of whiskey goes well with apple and lemon (or any citrus) juice. But for the mixture, you should take another glass. It can be a wide, low glass with a thick bottom. It is filled with ice cubes, whiskey and juice. Since this is a "masculine" drink, any decorations in the form of umbrellas, orange slices and slices of carom are inappropriate here. Even cocktail straws are considered bad manners.

One hundred and fifty years after the appearance of the brand on the world market, "Jack Daniels" has overgrown with medals and strengthened its popularity. The fact that the products are in demand is evidenced by the fact that there are a lot of counterfeits of this brand on the black market. So what is a true Jack Daniels supposed to look like? The drink continues to be bottled in "branded" bottles. They are square in shape with sharp corners. At the top of these faces, at the neck, "Jack Daniels" is engraved, and at the bottom - the volume of the container (for example, "1 Liter"). The label is glued evenly, without glue drips. It has a 45 degree beveled edge. And the label itself, like the American dollar, has convex patterns on the sides. They are felt under the fingers when stroking. The bottle has a plastic cork, covered with a protective film. But the most important thing is the bottom of the bottle. It must include the EI code, batch number and batch.

How to distinguish an original from a fake

The manufacturer has invested a lot in the production of his whiskey (first-class raw materials, barrels of his own production, coal). Therefore, it is not worth expecting that a liter of Jack Daniels whiskey will have a price of about four hundred to eight hundred rubles. If you are offered a drink in a square bottle, but with soft edges, this is not the original. This is not Jack Daniels whiskey at all. A fake can also have a metal lid. Recently, they began to falsify bottles with a capacity of half a liter. A corrugated neck will help to distinguish a fake. Real whiskey should have a small letter (R) after the inscription No.7. Turn the bottle over: the drop should stay at the bottom and hang. In a counterfeit product, the liquid will simply merge along the walls. Shake the bottle. Real whiskey has large and more or less persistent bubbles. There should be no sediment. An uncorked bottle exudes a sweet vanilla scent, while a fake bottle smells of alcohol.

What do consumers say?

Both connoisseurs and ordinary distillate lovers praise Jack Daniels whiskey. Reviews of Russian consumers are especially emphasized by the fact that this drink does not cause a headache or other signs of a hangover. If you buy whiskey in trusted stores, you can enjoy a mild, well-balanced taste. The drink is good in any weather: it warms up on chilly evenings and (with ice) tones up on a hot day. Experts warn against using "Jack Daniels" with cola - the powerful taste of soda does not fit into the delicate aroma of American whiskey.

    real Jack Daniels whiskey from counterfeiting is easiest to identify by the shape of the bottle.

    more precisely, whiskey may be real, but contraband (stolen from the factory and bottled in other bottles). thus, the product will be cheaper, but the manufacturer will not make a profit. by the way, in Tax Free shops you can often run into a fake, please note:

    Real whiskey will not be sold in small outlets, it is too expensive for them. Now they have learned to forge both bottles and labels. I myself recently ran into a fake, having bought whiskey in a small shop on the outskirts of the city (there was no time to go to the center). In appearance it is indistinguishable from the real one - everything is fine, but when it was opened it turned out to be disgusting and smelly.

    The first is the price of a penny left whiskey, the second look at the bottle where all the labels are crookedly glued, especially on the back of the bottle. And of course, the persistent smell of perfume from the bottle, it is too strong and intrusive to look like whiskey.

    It is not difficult to distinguish the original Jack Daniels whiskey from a fake.

    The original bottle has a square shape.

    The upper corners of the bottle are engraved with "Jack Daniels".

    The original Jack Daniels neck has fewer facets, as opposed to a fake.

    The original has a label with raised patterns on the sides.

    Cover in a plastic sheath.

    The lot number (El code) is indicated on the label at the very bottom.

    There are no inscriptions in Russian.

    ORIGINAL.

    FAKE.

    In order to distinguish a bottle of whiskey Jack Danields from a fake, you need to draw your attention to several factors:

    • The bottle is square, with sharp corners.
    • The original bottle is engraved.
    • Everything should be glued smoothly.
    • There should be no sediment in the bottle.
    1. The cork should be plastic and covered with a plastic membrane up to half the neck of the bottle. On the front side of the plastic membrane there is an inscription old No.7 brand, on the back side tennessee whiskey and number.
    2. Smoothly and without traces of glue glued label. The edges of the label should be beveled at 45 degrees. From the back of the bottle, you can see information about the manufacturer, importer and a barcode next to which the delivery date should be stamped from below, and three rows with numbers - batch numbers. And of course the excise stamp.
    3. The neck of the bottle is faceted, with a convex ring at the bottom.
    4. On all four sides of the bottle, there should be a convex Jack Daniels inscription on the top, and on the bottom of the bottle, there should also be convex letters indicating the volume of the bottle, for example, 1 liter. At the bottom of the bottle are convex numbers.
    5. The drink should be poured just above the raised ring at the bottom of the bottle neck.
    6. The composition does not contain any alcohol impurities, flavors or food additives. Required ingredients are only barley, barley malt and corn.
    7. Color: natural whiskey from light golden to dark golden, transparent, but not brown, and no sediment.
    8. To check, turn the bottle upside down, which has an internal bulge and a large drop of the drink will fall from it, if the drink is fake, it will simply flow down the walls of the bottle.
    9. You can also shake the bottle, the bubbles that appear should be large and hold for a long time.
    10. An open whiskey should have a slightly malty, oaky or sweetish aroma, possibly with minor vanilla or fruit. A surrogate drink usually smells like alcohol.
    11. Taste, soft, pleasant to the mouth for a long time. You can drink real whiskey without snacking. If there is a harsh taste of alcohol, it is most certainly a fake.
    12. Buy in stores or supermarkets. It is best not to buy from online auctions, airports or train stations.
  • If you are a whiskey lover, then you have drunk Jack Daniels at least once. But did you drink real Jack Daniels?

    Now I'll try to tell you the most important differences!

    Firstly, the shape of the bottle must be exactly square; if the corners are smoothed, then this is the first sign of a fake.

    Secondly, all branded bottles have an engraving, this engraving has a certain font, it is very difficult to fake it. This whiskey is engraved with Jack Daniels; which is written on the upper corners!

    Thirdly, on the label, this whiskey has raised patterns on the sides. They are very easy to feel with your fingers.

    Fourth, the bottle cap must be covered with a plastic protective film. And the cork itself must be plastic. If the stopper is metal ... then it is a fake!

    Fifth, all labels on the bottle must be in English. And below the EI code must be indicated, in Russian speaking the batch number!

    Well, in general, the taste of whiskey, real whiskey cannot be confused with anything!

    There is also such an additional method: turn the bottle over and a drop should fall from the convex part of the bottom, and not just drain along the walls (well, someone does not always work out this way for me). Plus, when shaking, the bubbles will be large enough and will not burst for a long time. And having unfolded the bottle with the back side, three rows with numbers should be visible in the light - the batch numbers. Well, the price. Not less than 900-1000 rubles for half a liter. And about 1600 and more per liter.

  • How to distinguish an original Jack Daniels from a fake?

    In order to distinguish original whiskey from counterfeiting, you need to pay attention to the following points:

    1. All labels must be glued evenly, without traces and glue drips.
    2. The side of the original Jack Daniels label is an embossed drawing.
    3. The original bottle must have an engraving.
    4. The shape of the original bottle is square with SHARP corners.
    5. There should be no sediment in the bottle.
    6. Already after the bottle is opened, you can distinguish a fake by taste and smell.

    In general, in order to reduce the chances of getting fake, you should always buy alcohol in trusted stores.

  • On top of a bottle of natural whiskey Jack Daniels there is a squeezed out signature of the creator of this whiskey (Jack Daniel), and on all four sides of the bottle there is this signature, and at the very bottom of the bottle it is indicated 500ml, 700ml or 1LITER, and at the bottom of the bottle there is a symbol that looks like the Cyrillic letter Y, but it is on bottles of 0.7 and liter, as well as a two-digit number in square letters, and already on a modern bottle of whiskey at the bottom of the bottle itself, the batch number is indicated by round dark dots.

    On the right side of the bottle there should be a portrait of Jack Daniel in a convex circle, and on the left side of the bottle there should be convex drop, barrel and glassand a picture of the Gold Medal award.