Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Heritage Barrel Tennessee Whiskey (2018 Special Release)

Now that the rush to 500 whisky reviews is over, I can refocus and get caught up with everything else I’ve been drinking and compiling notes for. Let’s start with this amazing Jack Daniel’s pour I received from @dubz480 out in Arizona: Heritage SB whiskey. This was a special bottling taken from just 200 hand selected casks, it’s also bottled at 100 proof versus the normal 94 of the single barrel line. It’s a beautiful rich mahogany/copper in color and makes very oily and fat legs after a nice little spin around your glass. It also leaves behind the tiniest of droplets when you’re done playing with it- evidence of the high proof. The nose definitely smells like a typical JD- minus the crazy banana note (and how wonderful that is). There’s clove and some very light dill and traces of all spice if you really give it some time and get down in there. The lingering notes of caramel popcorn and peppered oak really hold it all together- spicy, but sweet...and somehow familiar. The palate comes across as pretty hot, and it should, which allows more flavors to settle across the tongue: spiced oak chips, more all spice and something close to the dessert bananas foster. The heat definitely keeps you focused because if you swallow too quickly it’ll definitely take your breath. The finish is ultra long and steadily warming with a heavy mouth coat that starts out feeling oily, but the constant heat turns it dry. Lingering caramel and buttered popcorn close things out very well. This is hands down the best JD whiskey I’ve ever had. It’s also evidence they need to bottle the standard stuff with an elevated proof- especially if it brings out more flavors than just bananas. Overall, as a Jack Daniels release it’s the 5-star dram of the family- on its own as a whiskey is still a 4-4.25 star one. Yeah, you can find better bourbon a lot easier but that’s water under the bridge. If you are a true JD fan then you need to seek out a bottle or pour of this one. Cheers.

MB is presumably: 80% corn, 8% rye, and 12% malted barley. Aged 6-7 years. Barrel char: toasted barrels. (Brown Forman). Here the company used "a long, slow toasting prior to charring. A further tweak was using a much lower than usual entry proof (100, lower than even the distilleries that claim low entry proof as a selling point!) and putting those specially made barrels on the top floor of a warehouse...Lower entry proof simply means more water in the barrel with the whiskey, so it will absorb more of that wood sugar and break down volatile chemicals in the spirit faster. Finally, the top floor of the warehouse is where the building’s internal climate is hottest, so the contents of the barrel expand more in summer, pushing deeper into said toasted wood" (Whiskyreviewer.com: http://whiskeyreviewer.com/2018/11/jack-daniels-single-barrel-heritage-tennessee-whiskey-review/). Full of vanilla and brown sugar on the nose. Flavor is sweet and surprisingly spicy with some licorice and another unidentifiable, though good, flavor. Additional water seems to hurt this whiskey. Interesting enough to be happy that I tried it but at this price there is just better stuff out there.

To start, admittedly, I have NEVER been a fan of JD until now...at least with this one. On the nose, it smells like something else completely; something better with more depth, leather, and charred oak. These scents transfer right on through to the taste. After some initial heat on the lips, a smoothness and full body settled in for some enjoyment. This is definitely not a thin, overly filtered and marketed whisky. Additionally, there is a touch of spice and maybe clove, perhaps. Overall, this was a surprising pour for me and one worth recommending...as a kid, I didn't like beets, but sometimes it's worth giving things a second chance. Cheers!

The nose is sweet and woody. A forest of wood notes. Cedar, oak spice, sassafras, cola syrup, caramel and brown sugar, vanilla, creme brulee, banana pudding, cherries, leather. I could linger over the nose of this glass for hours. There’s a lot going here. The palate is sweet on entry with a little peppery spice on the sides of the mouth. Going down it explodes in some ethanol heat. Cherries, caramel, vanilla, toffee, chocolate. Finishing with big sour oak and drying leather note. Very tannic. The heritage barrel is an exploration in oak and woodiness and I have loved every moment of this journey.

Underrated. If you don't like Jack period you will not like this. If you have come to appreciate the JD single barrels & barrel proofs that have been launched over the last decade then you will Love this. They have come a longggg way from black label. Sweet but not too sweet with some complexity on the palate. Only thing I can think of that is missing would be a longer finish however at this proof & price its a Must Buy.

I’m trying this at a whiskey bar because I couldn’t find it at any liquor store. 26 dollar pour. I really like this one better than the barrel strength. Nose it smells sweet Taste is on the front to middle of my tongue nothing on the sides. The char added flavor to this one. You have to give this one a try at retail.