Jack Daniel's Bonded Rye Tennessee Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $36

- 100 Proof

- 4 years

- Tennessee

I love finding good, available shelfies.  And by available, I mean not only easy to find, but easily accessible from a price standpoint!  When Jack Daniel's released their bonded Tennessee whiskey along with their triple mash -- two new offerings at the time for approximately $25 each -- I jumped at the chance to try them. And, I was pleasantly surprised at just how much I really liked them!

I didn't even know that Jack Daniel's was then planning to release a bonded rye. In fact, I didn't even know it was a thing until I saw it sitting on the shelf, and I had to do a double-take. It was a bit more than the Tennessee offerings were, but I still couldn't really question a bonded Tennessee rye whiskey from Jack Daniel's for only $36.00.  And who knows, maybe I would find myself a new go-to rye, along the lines of Rittenhouse.

The nose had all of those hallmarks of a good, punchy rye whiskey. Right up front I got woody notes of oak along with a healthy pine scent. There was a bit of cinnamon spice to tickle the nose, along with a rich, brown sugar sweetness. There was no questioning that it was a rye.

The flavor was a bit softer than I expected, but it did carry a good amount of spice. I got black pepper and cinnamon, both right up front and through to the finish. In fact, this was fairly cinnamon-forward. I also got more oak than I ever would have expected, given that this is likely not much older than the 4 years required under the Bottled in Bond Act.

While the pine was strong on the nose, it really took a back seat as to flavor. It was the cinnamon that really came forward, as well as a distinct dark cherry note. It wasn't bright, but was certainly rich, kind of like a Maraschino without the syrupy sweetness.

On the finish, that cherry note carried through, and I was left with a spiced cherry flavor that lingered for a lot longer than I had expected, especially given how soft the flavor was up front.

At $36, while there certainly are still cheaper options, there aren't that many, and this is a very good one. I will definitely be grabbing another one of these at some point just to have on my shelf.

Grade: B+