Russians Claim Jack Daniel’s Honey Tainted

By Richard Thomas

Less than two weeks after banning the import of Kentucky Gentleman bourbon, Russia is now moving in on Jack Daniel’s Honey, the liqueur version of the world’s second-best selling whiskey. In doing so, the Russian government is citing issues similar to those that led to the stoppage of Kentucky Gentleman imports.

A regional office of Russia’s food safety and inspection agency claimed to have found chemicals in Jack Daniel’s Honey not common to whiskey. The also cited problems with the information presented on the label of Jack Daniel’s honey, claiming several pieces of information required by law were either not printed on the label or not printed in Russian.

The Russian authorities pointed to the alleged presence of phthalates and registration issues in banning Kentucky Gentleman. Now they have announced their intent to confiscate all Jack Daniel’s whiskey in Russia. These moves are widely seen as part of a larger embargo of Western imports retaliating against sanctions placed on Russia in response to the country’s actions in the Ukraine Crisis.