During March this year, I got to meet Cam Dawson at a Jack Daniel’s function and taste a few exciting Jack Daniel’s releases. It was a great function that introduces a few whisky friends to more of how Jack Daniel’s is made. We got to taste a variety of releases, however, the Jack Daniel’s release that impressed me most was the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Tennessee whiskey.
I liked it so much, I went out and bought a bottle. At R600 a bottle, it is not too expensive and quite readily available.
Jack Daniel’s whiskey is not bourbon, but it is classified as a Tennessee whiskey. Despite bearing most of the same characteristics as bourbon in production methods, Jack Daniel’s whiskey enjoys filtration through a 10-foot stack of sugar maple charcoal before maturation.
This extra step, known as the Lincoln County Process, removes impurities and the taste of corn. It is what makes a Tennessee whisky different from a bourbon. Jack Daniel’s refers to this filtering step as “mellowing”.
The mash bill for Jack Daniel’s is made from corn, rye and malted barley, and is distilled in copper stills. Jack Daniel’s is labelled as a sour mash” whiskey, which means that when the mash is prepared, some of the wet solids from a previously used batch are mixed in to help make the fermentation process operate more consistently.
Jack Daniel’s is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee, by the Jack Daniel Distillery, which has been owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation since 1956. Other releases include the Gentleman Jack whisky and Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select whiskey.
Also Read: Jim Beam Double Oak Bourbon
All Jack Daniel’s whiskey start out as Old No. 7. To become Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, the whiskey is matured in toasted and charred new white American oak barrels and stored in the uppermost part of the warehouse. Here the dramatic changes in temperature cause its colour and taste to deepen further. It is bottled at 94 proof.
COUNTRY: USA
ABV: 47%
COLOUR: Dark copper with hints of mahogany
NOSE: Ripe red berries, vanilla, a hint of mint, caramel sweetness, a bit of toasted oak.
PALATE: The Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel whiskey is creamy with notes of cherries layered with caramel, vanilla, hints of coffee and cereal balanced with cinnamon and pepper spice. It is rich and complex and the layers open up slowly when you take a second sip. Water releases some more of the sweetness and softens the pepper. I just love it.
FINISH: Long and lingering and ends in notes of pepper and citrus.
RATING: EXCELLENT
This Tennessee whiskey is big and bold and has a yummy’ness to it. It is one of those drams that just begs you for a second glass. Easily my favourite of the bunch that I have tasted so far. Rich, rewarding, sophisticated and just simply delicious. I also love the bottle shape.
Playing around, I found that the fruity nature of this whiskey pairs well with a sweeter Monterey Jack cheese.
I have started a series where I compare two whiskies with each other. A side by side comparison to look at the strong point of each whisky. The first comparison is between Woodford Reserve vs Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. Go and look what how they differ and my suggestion for when to drink each release.
Talking about Jack Daniel’s, I have also done a side by side comparison between the Old No 7 and the Gentleman Jack whiskey.
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