Jack Daniels Charcoal

Jack Daniels holds a special place in my heart when it comes to BBQ. It’s no surprise that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try out their charcoal when I saw it at the store the other day. I didn’t go home right away and smoke anything so I felt like a little kid around Christmas time trying to figure out what’s in the bag.



Chunk size
The thrill of not knowing what was in the bag ended as I opened it up. The contents of the bag was a mixture of briquette charcoal and cut up chunks of Jack Daniels barrels. The barrel wood was not actually charcoal, so be careful if you plan on using this. You don’t want that thick gray smoke and this will definitely produce it if the airflow is choked off. The size of the barrel wood chunks was 2 to 3 inches squared and about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick.

Smell
I was expecting a strong Jack Daniels smell from the contents, and they didn’t let me down. The wood put off that unique smell which had my stomach growling the entire time the ribs were smoking. To me it’s a sweet smell. If you’re interested, stick your nose to the side of one and give it a good whiff. If my ribs turned out tasting anything like the way the bag smells then I’d be a happy man.

Price
The price for the 6.8 pound bag at the grocery store was about $8. If smoking is all about the slow and low then you can certainly bet that my fire box will never be loaded up entirely with this charcoal. I’ve found that mixing this with another cheaper charcoal is easier on the wallet.

Conclusion
In the end it was all about the taste for me. I have to say that I was not let down. That sweet aroma given off was absorbed and it was a wonderful complement to the sweet rub. Don’t hesitate to give this charcoal a try. However, you will probably want to use it sparingly and mix it with another favorite charcoal to help keep the overall cost down.