Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye is the first time the Jack Daniel’s distillery has used a mashbill other than their traditional 80% corn, 12% barley and 8% rye since 1866. To make this rye the good folks at Jack Daniel’s didn’t just eek in across the line at 51% rye like some brands tend to do. No sir, they came barreling across the line at a whopping 70% rye to really dig into that lovely rye character.
In Jack Daniel’s Words: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye
“This historic creation marries the smoothness of Jack Daniel’s with a unique 70% rye grain bill. Complex flavors of ripe fruit mingle with light toasted oak notes to create a taste rich with spice and a pleasant lingering finish. This is a big, bold rye that does not overpower.”
This departure from the norm to embrace the changing whiskey landscape is a big shift for a company as large and old as Jack Daniel’s. It’s phenomenal to see a big storied brand like this breaking out of their 150 year comfort zone and bring something new to the market place. Though as we all know new doesn’t always mean good so let’s jump on into the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye review and see how this experiment holds up.
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye Info
Region: Tennessee, USA
Distiller: Jack Daniel’s
Mashbill: 70% Rye, 18% Corn, 12% Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: NAS
ABV: 47%
Price: $55
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye Review
EYE
Caramel
NOSE
Brown sugar, butterscotch, rye spice, cinnamon, musty oak, dark fruit and light bits of nutmeg and waxy cardboard. That waxy cardboard note mixed with the fruity notes makes me think of the Topps Baseball cards that came with a stick of bubblegum in them. Smells a bit like opening a fresh pack.
PALATE
Rye bread, clove, brown sugar, dried grains, vanilla, cinnamon and a bit of dried fruit and wax. Like the aroma there’s an overall essence to this whiskey that reminds me a bit of the bubblegum from Topps Baseball cards.
FINISH
Long and spicy with bits of dried grain, dark sweets and fruit throughout.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Decent balance, medium body and a waxy feel.
OVERALL
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye is a decent whiskey, it really is. I have a hard time paying $55 for it, I’d be more comfortable around $45, but for something that’s a small amount of what the distillery puts out and is labor intensive to create it makes sense that there’s a premium on it. It’s something that carries a lovely sweet and spicy character throughout, but isn’t quite as complex as some of the ryes out there.
However, since the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye is, as its name clearly states, a single barrel product that means there is going to be a fair amount of variability in the bottles. Which if it follows the regular Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel pattern then they’re either going to be dynamite in a glass or they’re going to be woefully disappointing with very little in-between. Since this is the only one I’ve had I don’t know if this is the upper end or the middle, but it’s definitely not the lower.
SCORE: 86/100 (B)
