Whisky Names Explained: The Mystery of Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7

Monday, 25 August 2025 at 15:03

One of the most famous whiskies in the world is Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7. The whiskey has carried a number for centuries, but what does it really mean? We went hunting and uncovered a mystery.

FAQ

Where does Old No. 7's name come from?
No one knows for sure. There are various theories, from tax numbers to romantic complications.

Is it truly recipe number 7?
Some believe that Jack selected his seventh recipe as the best, but there's no evidence of this.

Why does this mystery persist?
Because the brand has never officially answered it. This mystery serves as savvy marketing: everyone wants to know.

A whiskey with a secret story attached

The black bottle of Jack Daniel’s is perhaps the most recognizable whiskey bottle in the world, but its backstory remains a significant mystery to many. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey has been around for over a century and a half and can be found on shelves in just about every country.

Jack himself never explained the origin of the number, and this has only added to the myth surrounding the name. There are various stories about the 7 on the bottle of Tennessee Whiskey. Here are a few.

Jack Daniel and his seven sweethearts

According to one story, Mr. Jack was quite the womanizer, juggling seven girlfriends. He was supposedly so pleased with these women that he named his liquid creation after them.

Daniel’s also realized that his Tennessee Whiskey bottle would be overcrowded if he indeed inscribed seven names upon it. Thus, he simply opted for the number representing the ladies at his side: 7.

Despite how colorful this tale is, it's likely no more than a legend behind the name. After all, Jack Daniel did not have children, which would presumably be unlikely with seven women by his side. Moreover, there are no diaries or letters that confirm these seven women.

Jack Daniels Old NO 7 Tennessee Whiskey truck with casks

A shipment that stuck around

One of the stories revolves around a shipping label on a batch of barrels of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. To distinguish a load, someone might have scribbled a large 7 on the freight.

The clients who tasted the batch from this shipment were so impressed with the whiskey they started asking for this ‘Old No. 7’. This is one alleged origin of the name.

Another shipping tale involves a train. Daniel’s reportedly used to transport his whiskey via rail to clients outside Tennessee. In this tale, not only the whiskey became memorable, but the train did too. You might already guess: the train bore the number ‘7’.

The more plausible stories behind Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 whiskey

Two stories that seem closer to truth involve the distillery and the whiskey itself. Perhaps the American whiskey was simply so named due to the tax. Every distillery was assigned a registration number in the 19th century.

Jack Daniel's would have been Distillery No. 7. When the government changed everything, the distillery retained this number as a trademark.

Another tale about the whiskey’s name delves into Jack Daniel's recipes. In the early days, he would experiment with mashbills and ingredients. He had multiple recipes, but number 7 remained his favorite, and this was the one he decided to release.

The genesis of Old No. 7 remains a secret. The reason for this is that Jack Daniel never told anyone, and it wasn’t documented. The great thing is, this provides plenty of fodder for intriguing stories to share over a glass of Jack Daniel’s Old No.7 Tennessee Whiskey.