Jack Daniel's 2023 Special Release Twice Barreled Heritage Barrel Tennessee Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $70

- 100 Proof

- 8 years, 4 mos.

- Tennessee

While Jack Daniel's has seemingly shifted focus towards its age stated Tennessee Whiskey (and for good reason, those are incredible!), we'd all be remiss if we forgot about these initial Heritage Barrel limited releases that seemed to open a lot of people's eyes to just how amazing some of the stuff coming out of Jack Daniel's really is.

This was the second rye that Jack released as part of the Heritage Barrel series. It's "twice barreled," but now days that would be more readily recognized as a "toasted barrel," as its second maturation was in "heavy-toast, low-char heritage barrels."  Given that I've had other toasted barrel ryes that I've loved (Michter's and Elijah Craig, to name two), I didn't think twice about picking this bottle up. 

On the nose I got some of those great notes that made me love rye -- a sort of wintergreen mintyness, along with a light licorice note and a spicy cinnamon note. These are the kinds of flavors that made me fall in love with rye in the first place. It had a rich molasses sweetness on the nose as well, along with a hint of unsweetened vanilla.

I couldn't wait to dive in after pouring my first glass.  After smelling this from the bottle, I anticipated a certain level of sweetness that was never really there. Rather, it was full of rich and earthy flavors. I got licorice or anise almost right away, along with that spicy cinnamon hitting the tip of my tongue. It was also very vanilla forward, but, again, that unsweetened vanilla.

While this rye didn't sit in the barrel long, it was double barreled, and the oak certainly came through. It wasn't bitter or drying, but just added another layer of earthy notes. That oak was complemented by a pine note as well, a bit resin-like, but which seemed to go great with the unsweetened vanilla.

I really did miss the minty note that I got off the nose. I was excited when that aroma first hit, but then a bit disappointed when I didn't get that note on the palate. However, I did get a sweet walnut note that was a very pleasant surprise. It kept with the earthy notes, but added a sweet, almost candied element that was very welcome. As a result, this really seemed to sweeten up on the finish, completing the ride in a way.

Although I wanted that mint, this was still a very fun whiskey, and I really couldn't put my glass down. It was earthy and punchy and yet softly lowered you to the ground with a sweet finish. 

Grade: B+

Jack Daniel's Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey - 2024

VITALS:

- $85

- 127.8 Proof

- 10 yrs, 11 mos.

- Barrel No. 24-07204

- Tennessee

A few years ago Jack Daniel's released Coy Hill, a well-aged, single barrel limited release that clocked in at very high proof points, including the so-called "HazMat" 140+ proof bottlings. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle then (though not a HazMat bottle), and I was thoroughly impressed. It was, quite frankly, one of the best Jack Daniel's whiskeys I had ever tasted.  

So, when it came out again, I was certain I was grabbing another.  What is most impressive on these, I think, is the price.  Despite that the first Coy Hill was released back in 2021, and to high praise (and a solid secondary market), Jack Daniel's only increased the price of this release by $10.  They certainly could have gone higher, and it still would have sold.  But I'm so glad they didn't, as it's refreshing to have a 10+ year, cask strength limited release from a major distiller clocking in at under a bill.

The nose gave off honey roasted peanuts right away. It was a note that I do get from Jack Daniel's from time to time, and one I also associate with Beam products. It's what I love about Beam bourbon, and I really enjoyed it here.  I also got a chocolate note, as well as something tangy and spicy, almost like anise and mulled wine. It wasn't strong, but it certainly added a bit of an interesting note.

The peanut note certainly carried through to the palate, but it was an even sweeter note. It was more like a sweet peanut butter, almost like the peanut butter filling in Reese's cups. At times it was even a peanut brittle note. These sweet peanut notes also mixed with rich notes of toffee and even light milk chocolate. 

What was great about this whiskey was that despite all these sweet notes, it never leaned too sweet. It had help from notes of oak that certainly came from the age, as well as a slight cinnamon spice. These notes helped keep it balanced, added some spice and nuance, and really made this a great whiskey. 

The oak seemed to come through more on the finish, and, unsurprisingly, it was on the sweeter side. The toffee seemed to come along for the ride, and I also got a bit of a burnt sugar note.  It finished almost more on the traditional end of the spectrum, as the peanut notes faded away, leaving me with rich toffee and sweet oak on my tongue as I finished each sip.

I hope Jack Daniel's continues to release these Coy Hills, even if they are a few years apart. These have been outstanding (I have yet to hear a detractor), and I really wish I had more!

Grade: A

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+

Jack Daniel's 12 Year Tennessee Whiskey

VITALS:
- $90

- 107 Proof

- 12 Years

- Batch 01

- Tennessee

It was just last year that Jack Daniel's released their 10 year whiskey, the first time in my lifetime that they put an age statement on their whiskey. This was a pretty big deal, and the excitement among the whiskey community was pretty high. What made it even better is that the whiskey itself was really damn good!

This year they released once again their 10 year whiskey, and people were once again excited. But, at the same time they also released a 12 year whiskey.  Not only did Jack add two years of age to the whiskey, but he bottled it at a significantly higher proof, clocking in at 107 proof compared to the 97 proof of the previous release.  Now that's how you keep that excitement going! I knew I needed to get my hands on a bottle of this, and I was so glad I did!

On the nose I got this great, sweet blend of brown sugar, cinnamon and black cherry.  The black cherry was almost the kind of flavor you get from a cherry cola, or even a Dr. Pepper. It was rich and sweet, and the cinnamon spice played with it so nicely. I knew upon the first sniff that this was going to be delicious.

The flavor had everything from the nose and more. That rich and sweet cherry note was front and center. It didn't have any of those artificial notes you sometimes get, but rather had more of that Marascino cherry syrup note to it. 

There was a healthy amount of brown sugar to aid in that sweetness but yet not take away from those rich dark fruit notes. The age provided a bit of an oak note as well, which might have actually tempered the sweetness a bit, keeping it from being too sweet.  Interestingly, I didn't get much of those traditional Jack Daniel's notes, that sweet banana note that so many people get, for example. But it wasn't missed, because everything else going on worked so well together. 

The finish was long and sweet and rich and full of that cherry note that I absolutely loved. But, this is where the cinnamon spice came through. It wasn't just that sweet, baked goods type cinnamon. It had some actual kick to it, and it was an incredible way to finish off each sip.  

Once this bottle was opened I had a really hard time not going right back to it every time I stared at my whiskey shelf trying to figure out what to pour next. I wanted to save it, to share with friends.  But it was just too good not to drink. 

Grade: A

Jack Daniel's Coy Hill High Proof Single Barrel Special Release Tennessee Whiskey

VITALS:

- $75

- 138.1 Proof

- NAS

- Tennessee

While Jack Daniel's doesn't have anywhere near the hype or excitement over releases as some of the big Kentucky distilleries do, they've managed to put together a few consecutive limited releases that, even if they haven't garnered the hype, have at least garnered significant praise and positive reviews.

The Coy Hill 2021 release, however, seemed to garner a significant portion of hype as well. That was due in large part to the fact that some of the barrels they bottled were being bottled as "hazmat" bottles, as the kids say on social media. In other words, there were bottles of Coy Hill that exceeded 140 proof!  And thus the hype-train took off. I was able to get a Coy Hill, though not a hazmat bottling, which was alright with me. What am I going to do with all that proof anyway? That said, 138.1 proof was hardly anything to sneeze at, and I doubt anyone is going to miss that extra 1.9 proof.

On the nose this smelled distinctly Jack.  I got cinnamon raisin bread right up front. A touch of spice, a sweet bready note as well as a dark, rich fruit note. There was also a sweet, light chocolate note on the nose that was delicious. It also had a bit of a crackery note, as well as a nutty aroma, kind of like cashews.

The palate was all sweet and, naturally, heat.  I definitely got a sweet raisin bread note. It certainly had that sweet, doughy pastry note to it. While the cinnamon came through, it wasn't spicy by any means, but more like the cinnamon part of a cinnamon roll.  And, of course, those rich, dark raisin notes were immediately noticeable as well. 

There was a sort of buttery note to this as well, and that, along with the sweet notes gave it sort of a butterscotch flavor. There was also just a touch of bitterness, and that seemed to translate into a sweet coffee note, kind of like tiramisu or coffee with a healthy amount of Irish sweet cream.

This was a heater for sure, and that was very noticeable on the finish. That heat was certainly there up front, but on the finish the alcohol vapors seemed to just consume every inch of space in my mouth and throat. That heat, though, still paired with the sweet, and it was those tiramisu and butterscotch flavors that seemed to linger, making this, in my mind, a sweeter whiskey than most, despite the high proof.

I only got to try the one single barrel, but others I know who had different barrels were likewise impressed. This was yet another success in the Jack Daniel's relatively new line of limited releases.

Grade: A-

Jack Daniel's Triple Mash Bottled-In-Bond Blended Straight Whiskey

VITALS:
- $35

- 100 Proof

- 4 years

- Tennessee

When Jack Daniel's initially released two no bottled-in-bond expressions -- it's standard whiskey and this Triple Mash -- I didn't initially pick up both. Rather, I grabbed the standard expression and a friend of mined picked up the Triple Mash. It made sense, as we had planned that evening to then try them together.  At the time I enjoyed my pour of Triple Mash, and decided, for the price, I should go ahead and pick one up for myself.

But, by then they had all been cleared from the shelves. After a few weeks, the standard bottled-in-bond release began re-emerging on the shelves, and I thought that I had missed out on my one chance at getting the Triple Mash.  Patience is a virtue, as they say, and eventually while making a side-trip down the liquor aisle at Jewel, I was surprised to find it sitting on the shelf. So into the cart it went.

This "triple mash" is a blend of American malt whiskey, rye whiskey and Tennessee whiskey. So, given the presence of sweet malt as well as the sweet Tennessee whiskey, I was not at all surprised that the aroma was as sweet as expected. It was full of creamy, boozy caramel notes, with some light chocolate and even a bit of a bready note. The boozy note was a bit of a surprise, though, as this is certainly not a burner.

The flavor likewise matched my expressions. It had that sweet caramel note backed by a bit of a chocolate note. This was the backbone of this whiskey and lent to a sweeter profile. There was also a bit of a nutty quality, but a softer, sweeter note, kind of like a cashew note.

The rye did come through a bit, but it was somewhat muted. I got notes of cinnamon, but without any sweetness or any spicy kick. From the malt I did get a bit of a doughy, pastry like note, and the two combined reminded me of cinnamon rolls but without frosting. 

The one thing I found interesting, though, and which I didn't particularly enjoy, is that this came across as a young whiskey. It had that green apple type note to it that I often find in young, craft whiskeys that were bottled too soon. I don't know if it's one particular mash that resulted in this young note (my money would be on the American malt, if so), but that young quality, matched with the heightened sweetness of this whiskey, just didn't work for me all that much.

Friends have really enjoyed this bottle, in fact raved about it, and on my first pour I thought I really liked this new release. But, having sat with it for a while and gotten to know it, it's just not really for me. There's a real possibility I'm in the minority here. 

Grade: C+

Jack Daniel's Bonded Tennessee Whiskey

VITALS:

- $36

- 100 Proof

- 4 Years

- Tennessee

Excitement for Jack Daniel's releases seems to be at its highest these past couple years. With the limited annual releases, including their single barrel rye and the Coy Hill release, not to mention the 10 Year, Jack Daniel's has been cranking out some limited bottlings that bourbon fans have been actively hunted.

On the heals of Coy Hill, Jack Daniel's announced two releases in one -- a triple mash and this Bonded Tennessee Whiskey.  It's not clear to me whether these will be regular staples on the Jack Daniel's section of the whiskey shelves or not, but they might be given that after the initial wave of their release I'm now seeing these bottles fairly regularly on liquor store and grocery store shelves. If that's the case, then great! I'm all for more good, available whiskey appearing on shelves!

The nose was immediately and noticeably sweet.  I got a load of brown sugar, along with a somewhat more refined caramel note. I even got a vanilla note, but a very sweet vanilla note, reminding me of those vanilla wafer cookies. There was also a slight burnt sugar note, offering a touch of char on the nose.

Surprisingly, on my initial pours I didn't get any of that banana note that I've come to expect from Jack Daniel's products. I don't refer to that note negatively by any stretch, just more that it's characteristic of the brand. However, it did eventually make its way through, particularly on later pours. It wasn't that fake banana note, however, almost more like a cooked and caramelized banana.

It definitely had a lot of that sweetness that I got on the nose, though. I got that vanilla wafer note, and I certainly got a healthy amount of the brown sugar that I got on the nose. In fact, those two notes together were a fairly strong flavor in this bottle. 

The char came through as well, but more in the form of a toasted marshmallow.  This was particularly the case on the finish. In fact, the finish was the most interesting part about this bottle, as that's where I also got notes of cherry and toffee.  Even the last few pours left a distinct bananas foster note in the back of my throat.

If it were just the finish, this bottle would be a standout. But, ultimately it was just too much on the sweet end for me, and in that respect a bit one dimensional.  However, there's a lot to like there, and for some people this is definitely going to hit the right spot for them.

Grade: B-

Jack Daniel's 10 Year Tennessee Whiskey

VITALS:

- $80

- 97 Proof

- 10 Years

- Batch No. 10-001

- Tennessee

While it may have occurred in the past (I didn't bother to research, so feel free to Google it for yourself), I have never seen an age-stated Jack Daniel's. So, given that their single barrels and their limited releases have all been hitting home runs the last few years, when this release was announced, I put my feelers out everywhere to make sure I got my hands on a bottle.

I've never really considered myself a Jack Daniel's fan. I've certainly never drank it with any sort of regularity. Heck, I've never even tried the Gold or the Sinatra's Select releases. But, those annual limited edition cask strength releases, both the bourbon and the rye, have been phenomenal. I've also had some amazing store picks. So, while I don't proclaim to be a Jack Daniel's fan, I think deep down inside I just might be. 

I absolutely loved the nose on this. It was very dessert-like.  I immediately got notes of rich toffee and chocolate, along with a sweet nutty note, perhaps like cashews. It wasn't just a nutty Heath bar, though. There was this other aroma there, and the note I wrote down was "kind of a liqueur-soaked yellow cake note."  I don't know if I've had liqueur soaked cake before, but if I did, I'd imagine this is what it would smell like!

As for the flavor, it seemed to go a bit of a different direction. Right away I got sweet wood notes. It didn't have that tannic quality you sometimes get with older whiskeys. This was just the oak influence, but it paired with notes of sweet vanilla and rich caramel.

I thought this actually drank at a higher proof than is stated on the bottle. It had a healthy alcohol burn, even on the final few pours. I found myself double-checking the proof on the label more than once. That said, that heat dissipated quickly and the flavors made themselves noticed.

After having this open for not even a week, it developed an ice cream dessert like flavor. One of my favorite milkshake flavors is chocolate-banana. This reminded me of just that. It, of course, had notes of chocolate and banana (not an uncommon tasting note in a Jack product), but with the vanilla notes and even a bit of a cherry syrup note, this reminded me of a banana split.

In fact, that milkshake/banana split note was all that lingered on the finish as well.  And, while the proof on this didn't break 100, the finish still lasted much like a higher proof whiskey.  

This bottle simply took Jack Daniel's and made it better . . . way better.  While it is certainly on the sweeter end and, in my personal preference, could have used a bit more spice, it is nonetheless one of the better Jack Daniel's products I've had.

Grade: A

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Special Release Barrel Proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $70

- 132 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel No. 20-06945

- Tennessee

It's been a while since I've been truly excited for a new release to the point that I put my feelers out there early that I was after a bottle. It was to the point that even my local liquor store guy commented that he hadn't seen me chasing after a bottle quite like I did for this one. But, those efforts paid off, as he let me know as soon as this came in and he set one aside for me.

I've had the Jack Daniel's Heritage Barrels in the past. That was their typical annual limited edition release, and that was absolutely delicious! For 2020, it is almost as though Brown Forman had been listening to its fans, who have been clamoring for the Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Ryes to be released at cask strength. Even before I got my hands on my bottle, I saw a lot of hype and love for this bottle, so I was pretty amped to give it a try.

On the nose I got a lot of pine notes along with a healthy amount of soft vanilla. It had a certain sweetness to it as well, like honey. But it also had a darker, richer sweetness as well, like molasses, which I thought was kind of interesting. I also got a darker cherry note, kind of like a Luxardo cherry. It smelled good, but nothing mind-blowing here.

However, what it may have lacked on the nose it made up for in the flavor. I immediately noticed the nice, thick, viscous texture of this whiskey. My mouth was immediately coated with an almost oily residue of flavor. I also immediately noticed that this rye was on the sweeter end of the rye spectrum, but yet it still had that punchiness that I love.

It was a very caramel forward rye. I got some of those pine notes from the nose, as well as a rich cinnamon note that you'd expect from a good rye. But the caramel note seemed to take centerstage and the other flavors were complementary. I also got a consistent undercurrent of soft and not really sweet vanilla.

On the finish the spice really came through. The sweet caramel seemed to take more of a back seat and I was left with delicious notes of cinnamon and black pepper spice. It wasn't anything that burned or was offensive in any way, but rather it simply made my mouth water a bit and made me eager for that next sip.

On later pours, some of the more traditional rye flavors seemed to pop a bit. I got a bit of a tannic oak note, and the pine and cinnamon seemed to come forward a bit. But it always had that undercurrent of soft caramel to balance everything out.

This really was everything I look for in a rye--nice viscous mouthfeel, high proof, and a great balance of spicy and sweet. In fact, after opening this bottle and trying it, I made it a point to track down a backup bottle, something I rarely do. But I just had to have one of these in reserves, it was that good.

Grade: A

Jack Daniel's Heritage Barrel Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey - 2019

VITALS:
- $65
- 100 Proof
- NAS
- Barrel No. 19-06173
- Tennessee

Though I used to consider myself not a fan of Jack Daniel's, more and more I'm finding that I really like what they're putting out.  Perhaps not Old No. 7, but I have yet to find a single barrel that I didn't enjoy. That being said, it's still been quite some time since I've grabbed a Jack Daniel's product off the shelf.

But then last year, their release of their Heritage Barrel single barrel whiskey got all sorts of buzz on social media, blogs and in other reviews. For the most part, I was seeing nothing but love for this product. However, by that time it was gone from the shelves. So, when this year's release hit, and I found one looking back at me from the shelf, FOMO got the best of me and I had to have it.

For what it's worth, when I write these reviews, it's after I've finished the bottle. And, while that remains the case here, in actuality, the bottle fell off the top of my fridge shortly after opening it, breaking the cork. So, I ended up having to decant the remainder, which was most of the bottle. That being said, this bottle was (spoiler alert) absolutely delicious, and it didn't remain in that decanter for very long.

The nose was interestingly feint. I really had to shove my nose into my Glencairn in order to get the aromas that were there, but when I did, I got a somewhat odd combination of toffee and black pepper. It was kind of like a spiced Heath bar. I also got notes of cinnamon sugar graham crackers. I realize that it's very specific, but there used to be a cinnamon sugar flavor of Teddy Grahams (I think it came in a red box), and that's what I was reminded of here. Apparently this nose evinced lots of callbacks to food memories for me.

As to flavor, the first thing I noticed was a heavy corn flavor. But, it wasn't hot in any way, nor did it come across as a corn flavor the likes you might get in a young whiskey. Rather, it was kind of like a sweet creamed corn, soft on the palate and with no harshness whatsoever.  That flavor seemed to match the texture perfectly, too, as it had a nice viscosity that almost came across as pillowy.

In addition to that sweet creamed corn note, there was a peach note that blended with what was kind of a yogurt note. I'm not sure how best to describe it, but those two flavors provided a certain tanginess and added some nice, fruity and even earthy complexity balanced out by sweet vanilla flavor throughout.  Notably, I did not get that traditional Jack Daniel's banana note, despite watching out for it.

What I loved most about this whiskey, though, was the finish. After each swallow, I was left with this great marshmallow and nougat flavor that was absolutely amazing. There was even a bit of a milk chocolate note to the finish as well, and all I could think of was 3 Musketeers bars. Yes, that's the third reference to candy and/or snacks in this review, but that's what I was getting and I thought it was incredible. That's what kept me going back pour after pour, and it's that finish that made sure this whiskey didn't stay in that decanter very long. I'm glad my FOMO got the best of me!

Grade: A-

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey

VITALS:

- $64
- 130.3 Proof
- Barrel No. 16-0429

I couldn't help but notice the high praise going around for Jack Daniel's single barrel barrel proof whiskey, and, while I tend not to gravitate toward Jack Daniel's products, I felt I owed it to myself to give this one a try and see for myself if it's worth of the praise that it has been receiving.

The nose is distinctly charcoal, a characteristic that is somewhat unique to Jack Daniel's. The aroma of pipe tobacco seemed to come through later, along with the scents of burnt sugar and plum. I don't know what exactly I expected, but it certainly wasn't a blend such as this, and it certainly had me eager to try that first pour.

That first pour was not what I was expecting given the nose, however. Rather, I notice a mix of vanilla and walnut, with some maple syrup to sweeten it up. On the finish were cloves to kick in a little spice and even more vanilla. I found myself really enjoying this at the start.  I also noticed that banana flavor that many people get from Jack Daniel's products, but this was relatively slight compared to the other bold flavors.

As I worked my way through the bottle, however, I found myself enjoying it less. The charcoal flavor that I was expecting finally showed up and seemed to take over the party, and by the end, it was almost impossible to get beyond it. It remained sweet throughout (and I actually enjoyed it paired with Peanut Butter M&Ms, for what it's worth), but the flavors that I found enjoyable to start seemed to dissipate as I worked my way to the bottom of the bottle.

In the end, I was a bit disappointed in this. It started out with so much flavor and promise but gradually became one-dimensional and disappointing.

Grade: B-