Review #194 - Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof
One of the more reasonably-priced barrel proof single barrel products, if you can find it - in some places, this is regularly available on the shelf, but in others, it's a bit harder to find. It technically meets the requirements to be called a bourbon, but Jack Daniel's brands this as a Tennessee whisky, like most of their corn-heavy products.
As with all single barrel whiskies, the quality and flavors will vary at least a little bit from barrel to barrel, from bottle to bottle. That said, this product is generally thought to have a high quality floor, so we have high expectations going into the review.
These bottles are also somewhat famous for their high bottling proof - ours comes in just over the 65% mark. It's 65.1% ABV, or 130.2 proof, to be precise.
Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof
USA - Tennessee Whisky
Price Paid: USD 70 ($35 for half bottle - 2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 60 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 65.1% ABV
Details: Warehouse 3-04, barrel no. 22-04985, bottled May 24, 2022
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 5 months; bottles at 100%, 80% (blind tasting), 70%, and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Spicy hot bananas, tart cherry, and some sharp, bold oak to start - packed with flavor, and it becomes a bit more sweet. There's mild chocolate, rich brown sugar, and caramel-coated popcorn; hints of leather, vanilla bean, and molasses arrive in time, accented by clove and more spice.
Palate: A thick mouthfeel, with warmth, but it doesn't really drink at its 130+ proof. Still some sweetness like brown sugar, molasses, and a bit of plum, but this palate is more dry and woody - wood smoke, burnt caramel, tart cherries, nutmeg, and clove. With time, strong banana notes, like banana bread, come in, and there's a bit of an oatmeal taste.
Finish: Medium-long, with plenty of lingering heat and oak notes. Oak spice, charcoal, and slightly bitter coffee; there are subtle flavors of dry vanilla, freeze-dried bananas, clove, and molasses.
Final Note: Rich and strong, nice flavor development, not the most complex. This is a very enjoyable cask strength whisky, and it just barely lacks that depth and complexity to elevate it to the next level. It's a single barrel, of course, so results will definitely vary from bottle to bottle; either way, value is very good. The prices on these often hover around $70 in our area, but we've seen it creep as low as $60 before, which is a fantastic price.
Our Average Rating: 7.6 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.47
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