Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 94 |
| Style |
Tennessee Whiskey American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Tennessee United States |
| ABV | 53.5% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $41.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Review Updated | 2024-08-26 |
Jack Daniel's Distillery Series Twice Barreled Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey Review
Jack Daniel’s isn’t afraid to experiment with its Distillery Series releases. A recent Tennessee whiskey finished in sherry casks was a success in my book. Some previous big swings didn’t connect as strongly, particularly a tequila-finished whiskey that felt more thin than agave-forward. Kudos to Jack, though: The team is always tinkering, and these bottles are glimpses into what might be coming down the wider release pipeline.
Today, we’re looking at lucky number 13 in the series, a Tennessee straight rye whiskey with secondary barrel aging. The whiskey starts with a traditional Jack rye mash of 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley. After “maturation” — in this case non-aged stated, though typically over five years — the whiskey was aged for an additional 2.5 years in a second new, charred American oak barrel. The final result was bottled at 107 proof.
Note this is quite similar to last year’s Jack Daniel’s Heritage Barrel Rye, which featured a similar aging profile, though at 100 proof. I’ll be interested to see if and how this more recent bottling stands apart.
Like all Jack Daniel's Distillery Series bottlings, this rye is sold in 375 milliliter bottles. Let’s see how it tastes!
Jack Daniel's Distillery Series Twice Barreled Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey: Stats and Availability
The Distillery Series Twice Barreled Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey is available mostly in Tennessee, with bottles hitting select retailers in the Volunteer State. While supplies last, it’s perhaps most widely available at the White Rabbit Bottle Shop at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. The MSRP is about $42, but due to the relative scarcity of this bottle, expect higher price tags with online retailers shipping out of state.
Jack Daniel's Distillery Series Twice Barreled Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey: Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
The early nose practically bursts with complex rye spice and oak. Cinnamon and clove lead, along with anise and ground coriander. Dark (almost burnt) molasses provides a sweet underpinning that never lets up even as fruitier notes develop later on. That twice barreling is no joke, and this is already as rich (if not slightly more) as some of the best barrel proof rye single barrels I’ve had from Jack.
On to that fruit. There’s a wave of classic Jack Bananas Foster just below that spicy surface, though it takes some extra time in the glass to really develop; the cinnamon and clove are nearly overpowering at first. I also smell cooked pineapple, and paired with the clove, it’s reminiscent of a holiday baked sweet ham. (That’s a familiar preparation, at least in my household!) Wintergreen and pine sap add yet another layer to an already busy array.
Ultimately — and given enough time — the combination of heavy spice and fruit pushes this into apple butter territory, even though the aromas tend to focus on other fruits. This is one of the most decadent, complex noses I’ve encountered for a Jack Daniel’s product under 130 proof. (And at 107, it’s well under that mark.) I can’t imagine what this nosed like at cask strength!
Taste
The first few sips are a little drier than the nose implied, lacking a bit of that cooked fruit spread character. That’s not entirely surprising, given what twice-barreling in a new charred oak cask can do. Wood tannins hit early on the tip of the tongue and most of the way back, carrying dry and oaky sweetness. The sugars don’t stick around long on the tongue, giving just a hint of sweetness before other notes take the reigns.
There’s a lot more at play than run-of-the-mill oak and barrel char, however. Mint builds even before the midpalate, along with some other herbal and botanical elements including licorice root, gentian, and wormwood. Those aromatics never quite lose their grip on the palate, and every element of sweet is more than balanced by herbal/botanical. Manhattan drinkers are going to like this a lot.
Rye spice is present, though a bit less pronounced than on the nose as clove (more perceptible) and cinnamon take a backseat to tannic and dry.
Additional sips bring some red fruits: amaro-soaked cocktail cherries, dried/candied strawberries, and semi-tart cranberries. They’re a nice reintroduction of some typical whiskey notes after an early flavor profile that veered heavily into vermouth territory.
Finish
This is a long, dry, and (again) botanical finish that reminds me of equal parts rye whiskey and minty fernet. Booze-soaked cherries and spearmint stick around for well over a minute after I put down the glass. Waiting that long is a slight challenge, however, as I’m immediately keen to sip more.
Jack Daniel's Distillery Series Twice Barreled Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey Rating
94/100
Recap
I found this 107 proof release markedly better than last year’s Heritage Barrel Rye. It’s notably complex, and while it won’t be every drinker’s perfect cup of tea, the intersection of dry sweetness and aromatic flavors truly stuck its landing with my palate. I sure hope the Jack team has some more double barrel experiments cooking up, because I could get used to this sort of fun and tasty curveball.
*Image retrieved from Jack Daniel's
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