Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye (2020 Special Release)

The nose is dense and rich starting with pecan pie, sautéed apples and candied fennel seeds then freshly baked pumpernickel bread and dark chocolate covered espresso beans followed by banana pudding, cherry pie and powdered sugar bubble gum that transitions to spearmint, lacquered oak furniture and pipe tobacco with high ethanol burn. The taste is a syrupy rich mouthfeel starting with pecan pie, sautéed apples and spearmint gum then a moderate spice that slowly fades to toasted marshmallow, charred pumpernickel bread and dark chocolate mocha followed by bananas foster, maraschino cherries and powdered sugar bubble gum that transitions to cloves, ginger, lacquered oak furniture and freshly lit pipe tobacco with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with banana pudding, charred pumpernickel bread, toasted marshmallow, dark chocolate covered roasted peanuts, spearmint, lacquered oak furniture and pipe tobacco. I find the regular single barrel rye to be a tasty dram but when bottled at barrel proof, I think it pushes the single barrel rye into another league as the flavors are intensified to be bold and syrupy rich with an incredible balance between spicy rye along with sweet creamy fruits and well-aged oak that really showcases the incredible rye that Jack Daniels can produce. These are unfortunately long gone outside of the secondary market, but I’ve heard they will be coming out with more of these in the future and I’m hopeful to locate a bottle on the next release. Until then, a huge thanks to @ctbeck11 for the generous sample of this tasty rye that I’m hopeful to get my own bottle of one day.

Jack Daniels is like that awkward kid in high school. You know, the kid with braces, pants that are 1 inch too short, glasses with a scotch tape in the center. Yeah, that kid. But then, that’s the same kid that 10yrs later is a knockout hottie , with a PhD in chemical engineering from Stanford, and a personality that lights up the room. Yeah, sudden metamorphosis from being a bottom shelf cola mixer to a much sought after limited release. This pour was generously sent by @ctbeck11 …we ( as in @pkingmartin , @Richard-ModernDrinking , and I ) had our quarterly online tasting. This was one of the highlight pours we had during the tasting. I’m so glad we had this as the last pour of the night. The first was an early 80s bottled Balvenie 10 (cognac bottle shape), followed by an amazing Bunna 30, and then this. The aroma is powerful. Herbaceous, minty. That mint burst even more on the palette, backed by chocolate and mocha. Just amazing. So…this is what I’m loving about Jack Daniel’s. About 10 years ago, all they did was make stuff we can mix into soda. Now, they have it all—-amazing limited releases like this that can stand up to the best of any rye, to the affordable new releases ( bonded, triple), as well as the single barrel ones that are in the $60-70 range. This is a special treat—-thanks again @ctbeck11

One phenomenal rye. Has loads of complexity ranging from bananas, cloves, mint chocolate, cinnamon, raisins, plums, molasses, treacle, pecan pie, nuts, and spices. From these tasting notes one might think it was aged in sherry casks when tasting it blind. This special release and the coy hill special release I tried earlier this year shows Jack Daniel’s is capable of producing stuff nothing like the Jack Daniel’s people took shots of and mixed with coke in college and ones that can hang in there with BTAC, Four Roses Limited Edition, Booker’s Rye, Wild Turkey Masters Keep, Michter’s, etc. Would be interesting to see what this year’s Jack Daniel’s single malt oloroso cask finish entails. Nose: Bananas, Raisins, Cloves, Molasses, Toasted Marshmallows, Maple Syrup, Plums, Milk Chocolate, Caramel, Blood Oranges, Ginger, Cotton Candy, Mint Chip Ice Cream, Peaches, Luxardo Cherries, Cinnamon, Lychee, Lavender, Blackberries, Buttercream Frosting Palate: Honey, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Spearmint, Dill, Brown Sugar, Pecan Pie, Toffee, Raisins, Smoke, Figs, Molasses, Treacle, Christmas Cakes, Maple Syrup, Raspberries Finish: Honey, Banana Bread, Walnuts, Toffee, Pecan Pie, Mint Chocolate, Plums, Raisins, Nutmeg, Licorice, Cinnamon, Dill, Maple Syrup, Treacle, Hazlenuts

Barrel No. 20-06873, Warehouse 1-02, Bottled 11-04-20 65.5 % abv, 131 proof Open 3 weeks Nose - Dark chocolate covered bananas, toffee, maple syrup, cinnamon, rye bread, browned butter, light coffee grounds, medium ethanol. Palate - Chocolate cake, bread pudding with raisins drizzled with maple syrup, mint chocolate. Long finish with more rye spice than in the nose or palate. Dry oak, cocoa powder, orange peel, medium ethanol. I ventured into Virginia to seek this bottle out, and it was worth it. This is one of the best whiskeys I've had, and surpasses the amazing Jack Daniel's SiB BP I purchased last year. It has everything the regular barrel proof has, but slightly more spice and bread notes while the standard "bourbon" barrel proof is a sweet dessert bomb. It tastes much more like a high rye bourbon barrel proof than a rye whiskey, which probably has a lot to do with the charcoal filtering that is uncommon with rye whiskey. If you see this, buy it. I doubt it's easy to find now, but Jack Daniel's should make rye single barrel barrel proof a staple on the shelves right beside their standard barrel proof. It's that damn tasty.

Appearance: Ruddy brown. Thicc oily legs that coat the glass and then fall slowly. Typical for JD Single Barrel Barrel Proofs. Nose: Maple syrup over fresh banana rye bread. You can smell subtle rye spices, but the sweetness of this nose is mesmerizing. Very faint pecan nuttiness, cocoa powder, and raw sugar. Taste: An initially sweeter rye than most. A quick flash of toasted rye bread sweeps low across the tongue, followed by a rising rye spice buzz. Everything then cools with a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream. There is also a very sweet end to it that is hard to pin down... bubblegum? Cocoa powder closes. Finish: Sweet, a bit snappy like the gold label JDSBBP. That “I just ate a green banana” mouthfeel. A sweet rye for sure. Succulent through and through with plenty of notes to chase. Retro nasal presents dried fruits, golden raisins and fig. Maple syrup. Overall: A fantastic rye!! I am glad to have found a bottle of this stuff. I will whip it out on cold nights, or share with others who are looking for a one-of-a-kind rye! Delicious!

Nose is pungent and full with snickerdoodle cookie, mint, oregano, white pepper, charcoal, maple, sea salt, brown sugar, fresh milled rye grain, and oak. Some ethanol presence, but it diminishes after a while in the glass. Very inviting. Flavors are punchy as hell and matches the nose well with additional notes of banana, clove, vanilla, butterscotch, menthol, and graham cracker. There’s a good amount of sharpness here. Finish is extremely long and brings white chocolate, cinnamon, black pepper, bitter oak, and wintergreen. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and slightly grainy, with prickly heat. Not for the faint of heart; everything here is turned up to 11. Somewhat lacking in refinement; this rye doesn’t whisper sweet nothings in your ear; it beats you up and steals your wallet. I paid a straight retail of $69.99 for this and at that price it’s well worth it, although it’s also very much a “have to be in the mood” whiskey due to a somewhat challenging profile, and I’d definitely have an issue paying much more. Rebuy at retail only.