Jack Daniel’s is no longer the random bottle sitting on your grandparent’s shelf collecting dust. The brand has completely reinvented itself while holding onto the traditions that made them so beloved in the first place. Branching out into Tennessee rye, releasing a bottled in bond whiskey that rules, jumping headlong into the American single malt whiskey scene, dropping some of the best age-statement whiskeys around, and letting amazing single barrels at barrel proof into the wild have all added to the resurgence of Jack Daniel’s as one of the most respected and sought-after brands in 2023.
Jack Daniel’s latest release combines their fantastic single barrel program with their Tennessee rye whiskey (possibly one of the most under-appreciated ryes on the shelf today). Jack just dropped a limited edition Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey — I know, it’s a mouthful. To be clear, the team at Jack dropped one or two of these in the past as complete one-offs. The fan and wider whiskey world reaction was so positive that they decided to make this particular expression a yearly special release.
It’s a single barrel. It’s barrel proof. It’s Jack Daniel’s rye. These are all good things, folks. The best part is that this is a nationwide release with a very accessible price point that you can actually (for real!) find at its suggested retail price — or a skosh above.
Let’s dive into what’s in the bottle!
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey
ABV: 68.65%
Average Price: $72
The Whiskey:
The whiskey in this bottle is drawn from single barrels of the good stuff. The whiskey in those barrels was made with Jack Daniel’s rye mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley that’s fermented with Jack’d proprietary yeast and lactobacillus before running through column stills. The hot juice is then slowly — literally one drip at a time — filtered through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal made on-site at the distillery. Once filtered, the whiskey is filled into new American oak barrels and left to rest until each one was just right for a barrel-proof bottling run.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose runs deep with a hint of dried red chili pepper that builds toward soft and fresh pipe tobacco cut with pear and packed into an old leather pouch as a little bit of old candy wrapper a note of fizzy chinotto soda with a rock candy sweetness and a hint of dry sweet cedar.
Palate: Sweet dark fruits and grilled peach open the palate as a dramatic warmth starts to build toward razor-sharp clove, cinnamon, and mace with a very slight woody bark presence before singed marshmallows come into play and the heat hits 9-point-holy-shit on the Richter Scale.
Finish: That heat fades pretty quickly on the back end as notes of old boot leather and apple skin tobacco mingle with a faint whisper of creamy almond and ginger rock candy next to a fleeting note of dried ancho chilis soaked in hot water.
Bottom Line:
Wow. This is bold whiskey. The ABVs are a lot, I’m not going to lie. But they don’t burn or numb your senses out — there really is a balance in this pour. That means there’s still a lot to dive into in this whiskey.
Trying it with a few drops of water and it gets super creamy with marzipan, orange marmalade, plum pie, and an almost fatty/creamy sense of pear pipe tobacco. It’s kind of wonderful.
If you do grab this one — don’t sleep on adding some water to bring that heat down and really bloom this one in the glass. It runs deep.
Ranking:
90/100 — This is very Tennessee rye — it’s sweeter and fruitier than a lot of other ryes you might or might not know. I like that a lot. But if you’re looking for a peppery spice bomb or even herbal savory funk, this ain’t it. On the other hand, if you’re looking for truly sharp dark spiciness with a wonderful fruity-sweet counterpoint, then this is the rye for you.
Availability:
Shockingly, you can walk into a store right now and get this at MSRP (or very close to it) or buy it online. It’s on the shelves nationwide. That won’t be true forever as this is a limited edition and we won’t see it released again until next year. Act now!
