The Real Reason Jack Daniel's Only Uses Its Whiskey Barrels Once

What's the real reason Jack Daniel's only uses its whiskey barrels once? Whiskey enthusiasts, bartenders, liquor store employees, and pretty much anyone who's familiar with hard liquor in general have more than likely heard the name Jack Daniel's before. As the number one selling whiskey in the world, the Tennessee brand can be found in more than 170 countries worldwide, according to a press release obtained by Business Wire. Since the first Jack Daniel's Distillery opened in 1866, the brand has drastically branched out from its first whiskey, Old No. 7. Now, in addition to their original flavor, Jack Daniel's offers varieties like Tennessee Apple, Tennessee Honey, and Tennessee Fire, to name a few.

So, what makes Jack Daniel's really stand out from its competitors? Besides touting the historic value of being the very first registered distillery in the US, every bottle of Jack Daniel's is meticulously crafted to be of the absolute highest quality. The fan-favorite whiskey is made with limestone spring water, Jack Daniel's original mash recipe, and by letting the whiskey drip through 10 feet of hard sugar maple charcoal — but it's the last step of the process that really pushes Jack Daniel's to be award-worthy: the barrel it's aged in.

Considering Jack Daniel's takes so much pride in all the TLC they put into crafting their whiskey, it might not come as a surprise that they also make their own barrels, too. "A barrel is more than a container for whiskey," their website reads. "It's an ingredient." The American White Oak barrels that the company uses are each made of 33 separate wood staves and no glue or nails. "Once assembled, the barrel's interior is toasted and charred to coax the wood's natural sugars out and caramelize them," their website adds.

With so much effort put into creating each individual barrel, you'd think it'd be easiest to simply reuse them. While that might be true, that method certainly doesn't measure up to Jack Daniel's standards of always ensuring the highest quality whiskey. Instead, they donate their barrels to be used by hot sauce makers, beer brewers, and Scotch whisky distillers. "Because these barrels were once home to our Tennessee Whiskey, we like to think we've done our part to help make those products just a little better," the brand says.