On the Lipmans new rye whiskey pages they mention incidentally that Jack Daniels is only distilled once, i.e., presumably through a beer still (column still) and not re-run through a doubler. Recently a fellow that works for Buffalo Trace told me this was his understanding too. Yet some years ago, although I cannot find it yet online, I am quite sure I read an interview in Malt Magazine with Lincoln Henderson in which it was said the spirit is put through a doubler. In one sense it would not surprise me if the whiskey is not doubled because of course it is put through the famous charcoal mellowing process before barreling. So one might think that process replaces to all intents and purposes the second, doubling, stage as done by almost all or all other bourbon distilleries. I wonder however if the unique candy/anise notes of JD at least in part may derive from the doubling step being omitted.
Does anyone know the true situation? If doubling is omitted, I wonder if the column stills may be adjusted to produce the proof that would result if doubling was included.
Come to think of it, why is doubling done at all by anyone? If doubling adds, say 15 points of proof or whatever it is to the singlings, why not just adjust or design (more plates) the column still to produce a run at that final proof? Maybe in effect this is what B-F do at Jack Daniels. Or maybe they don't if they consider the charcoal mellowing is in fact a second "distillation".
Gary