Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 92 |
| Style | Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Tennessee United States |
| ABV | 45% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $41.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Review Updated | 2024-02-15 |
Jack Daniel's Distillery Series Straight Tennessee Whiskey Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks Review
Jack Daniel’s has already experimented with malt whiskey finished in sherry casks. The latest Distillery Series release applies that same curiosity to its standard Tennessee whiskey mash bill: 80 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and 8 percent rye. Like the Old No. 7 bottlings, this is charcoal mellowed before being aged in new charred oak barrels.
This experimental expression diverges toward the end of its lifecycle. After the whiskey is “fully matured,” the distillery dumped the whiskey and finished it in oloroso sherry casks for three more years.
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks: Stats and Availability
This is the 12th overall Distillery Series release, exclusively sold in 375-milliliter bottles. Let’s see how it stacks up.
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks: Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
Dried, burnt orange leads on the nose, a strong, zesty, and caramelized citrus note that both invites and livens the senses. Just under that first pop of orange comes some classic Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey notes: caramel, ripe banana, and light molasses.
More time in the glass brings the aromas closer to what one expects from fully matured (and then some) Jack, especially as the fruit influence evolves into cooked banana. That citrus was fun but fleeting at the start of the nose.
By scent, it’s brighter, fruitier, and altogether richer than the classic Old No. 7. The reasons are likely multifactorial: This is higher proof and older than the familiar black label expression, in addition to the sherry influence.
Taste
Oakier than its 80-proof sibling, this release certainly benefited from an additional three years in the barrel. The wood brings a dark and leathery — but certainly not drying — quality. That’s carried well by a semi-viscous mouthfeel that keeps flavors lingering at both the tip of the tongue and midpalate. There’s a spicy quality toward the mid, back, and sides of the palate, a note often present in the distillery’s barrel proof offerings but all too absent below 90 proof. Jack Daniel’s certainly isn’t a “high rye” mash bill, but with age, it gets enough from that grain to convey baking spice flavors.
The pour also brings sweetness in droves. And while citrus kicked off the nose, other fruits dominate on the tongue, both cooked and sweet. Semi-dark caramel is backed by both bananas foster and apple strudel.
The sherry finish certainly imparted some additional dried fruit. But as we’ve seen with Jack’s 10 and 12 year age-stated releases, additional time in the original barrel is also a blessing to its style of Tennessee whiskey.
Finish
The finish brings light red cherry and a touch of continued spice in the form of cinnamon. Those flavors melt quickly into brown sugar sweetness. The flavors fall off a few seconds quicker than one hopes, but it’s not so brief as to torpedo a fine effort from Jack Daniel’s experimental line.
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks Rating
92/100
Recap
Jack Daniel’s isn’t shy about branding its Distillery Series as experimental; as such, some will soar while others tumble. Release number 12 certainly succeeds as a tasty whiskey in its own right.
The most difficult part of assessing it is, however, where exactly the elevation in flavor comes from. Does that additional depth and character from the sherry finish? Or is aging Jack Daniel’s standard expression longer a one-way ticket to better whiskey, as evidenced by the very good 10 and 12 year expressions?
Perhaps more time and novel releases will tell. Let’s hope we get even more successful experiments in the meantime.
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