The legend of Jasper (Jack) Newton Daniel reaches all the way back to the moment he was born. Unfortunately, nobody knows the exact date of when that was. Some records show that Jack came into the world in September 1848. His tombstone, however, says 1850. Whether he was uncertain of the actual year or it was just a matter of pride, Jack died before revealing the truth about this mystery.

One of the most popular mysteries that surround Mr. Jack is how his smooth sippin’ whiskey got its name Old NO. 7. Why the number seven? Some thought it had to do with him being quite the ladies’ man. We know where there’s mystery there often lurks a lady, and even though he never married, Jack was known to have had many girlfriends, some even say he had seven.

So why did such a sought-after bachelor never marry? Some say it’s because he was married to his work and his first love, whiskey. There’s also a theory that he never found a girl who measured up to his high standards. Or perhaps he was too busy entertaining the people of Lynchburg.

Then there are those who say that a young lady left him heartbroken, the girl he liked best, thought to be his seventh girlfriend – a woman by the name of Clara Boone. If this is true, the reason he never married could be because of his use of the word “Old”. A few of Jack’s letters to Miss Clara still exist today and seem to bear out the story of Jack’s unrequited love for Miss Boone. One can’t help but wonder what might have been.  What if Clara had shared Jack’s love? Would he have continued to immerse himself in whiskey making with such vigour and painstaking attention to every detail?

Jacks’ life was surrounded by mystery, and the truth is we will never know. What we can say is that Jack was a man who believed in hard work, and we know the one guiding principle he left us, which we still follow today is: “Every day we make it we’ll make it the best we can”

Mr. Jack’s spirit still lives on in the small town of Lynchburg Tennessee, where every drop of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey is charcoal mellowed, drop by drop for smooth sippin’ to be savored in more than 165 countries.

Why Jack never married is a mystery we will never solve. But, if one day you happen to find yourself in Lynchburg Tennessee, take a few minutes and visit the old graveyard on the edge of the town where you will find Jack’s grave.  It’s easy to spot – it’s the one with the two white, wrought iron chairs sitting in front of it.  Folks say the chairs were placed there for the many ladies who came to mourn the passing of Lynchburg’s lifelong bachelor.

Not only was Mr. Jack the town’s most eligible bachelor, but in some respects, he still is.

Happy Birthday Mr. Jack!

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