The result is a more potent alcoholic beverage at about 60 to 80 proof, or 30 to 40 percent alcohol. It has a slightly sweet and appley taste. The aroma usually smells of apples.
Applejack was a common beverage in American colonial times. Its name is derived from the process of 'jacking' by which the drink was often produced. The method involves using cold temperatures to separate the water and alcohol in a fermented mixture, by taking advantage of their difference in freezing points. The water freezes into ice and is strained out of the mixture, while the ethyl alcohol remains liquid, resulting in a progressively higher alcohol concentration.