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Product: Apple Jack
Producer: Laird & Company
Approximate Retail Value: $19.95 for 750mL
Category:
Spirits
Country of Origin: U.S.A.
Reviewer: D. Kearney Sparano
The F
Words:
Flavor – Subtle hints of apple over a strong whiskey background
Feel – Warm, but soft
Finish – Smooth, warms on the way down, not harsh |
Rating:  |
By: D. Kearney Sparano
Apple Jack is a distillate that is older than America, going back over 300 years to 1698 and Alexander Laird. Laird & Co. boasts of being the first commercial distillers of Apple Jack and owning license #1, their first commercial sale occurred in 1780. The process of making Apple Jack begins, of course, with apples. They are picked at the peak of the season, pressed into juice and then the juice is allowed to ferment in a 20,000-gallon oak fermentation tank. When the juice is ready, it is distilled into a 160 proof apple brandy, which is then cut with water and put into 50 gallon charred oak barrels and let to age for four to eight years. When it is time for bottling, the younger brandies (roughly four to six years old), are blended with neutral spirits creating a combination of 35 percent apple brandy and 65 percent neutral spirit, making 100 percent Apple Jack. The Laird & Co. website lists a multitude of recipes for Apple Jack. So my first impression is that it is versatile, which is always good. I try it though in my typical way, straight, with water and with ice. I try it straight and I am pleasantly surprised that it tastes like whiskey with hints of apple. Having had other non-alcoholic apple drinks, sometimes the apple flavor can be too much, but not in this case. As I look over the process again, the flavor makes sense. The aging process is similar to that of whiskey. The Apple Jack gives me a pleasant warm feeling, but no bite and it moves smoothly over the tongue. With water, the Apple Jack is even smoother and a little more of the apple flavor is released. Ice, though, adds nothing to the Apple Jack and in my opinion hinders it. My recommendation would be to enjoy Apple Jack with just a splash of water. Apple Jack seems ideal as a late fall/winter drink. Looking over the recipe list it can be used as a substitute for whiskey in a Manhattan or an Old Fashion, it can add a new dimension to coffee or eggnog and apparently can be cooked with. However, as it gets warmer out I doubt that I would crave this spirit. But for right now though, it should have a place in the bar or liquor cabinet.
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