Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye was released in September of 2017 and is the further evolution of their rye products which stem from the first new mashbill they’ve distilled in over 150 years. It started with the Rested Rye, then they released the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye and now we have the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye released in the iconic JD bottle but with a green label instead of black.
In Jack Daniel’s Words: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye
“Introducing rye whiskey made Jack’s way. Crafted with our 70-percent rye grain bill, natural spring water from our own Cave Spring Hollow, and Jack’s time-honored charcoal mellowing process, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye is a whiskey that could only come from Lynchburg, Tennessee. Master Distiller Jeff Arnett and the whiskey makers of the Jack Daniel Distillery have created a unique rye that’s undeniably spicy and complex yet sippin’ smooth. It might be one of our first new recipes in over 150-years, but if you know Jack, you’ll know Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye.”
The whiskey carries no age statement which means it’s at least 4-years-old and some of the other sites I’ve read report unofficial age statements of 5 years. Since I put the score on the image you can already see I think the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye is ok, but nothing amazing or revolutionary. So far I’ve liked every bottle of the single barrel I’ve had more than I have this one.
Enough rambling, let’s get on to the business at hand; on to the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye review!
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye Info
Region: Tennessee, USA
Distiller: Jack Daniel’s
Mashbill: 70% Rye, 18% Corn, 12% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: NAS
ABV: 45%
Price: $30
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye Review
EYE
Light amber
NOSE
Banana, spice, marshmallow, oil, char and a bit of orchard fruit.
PALATE
Spice, banana, oak, marshmallow, char and a bit of orchard fruit.
FINISH
Medium fade of banana, spice and oak.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Not fully balanced, medium body and an oily soft feel.
OVERALL
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye is ok. The aroma is soft and pleasant the palate follows suit as does the finish and it’s perfectly sippable. Bottled at 45% it could do well in cocktails and might work fairly well in something like an Old Fashioned. The price point is fairly cheap and if you’re a Jack fan this might be a great rye since it has some of that same char and oil Jack profile.
However, for me, the banana note rides too high from the aroma through the finish; that combined with the marshmallow note reminded me of the banana Nesquik I drank as a kid. I’m a bit shocked by the level of fruit in this, it’s something I typically associated with young rye. I was doubly shocked when, after tasting, I remembered it was a 70% rye mash. I would have imagined a higher spice profile overall.
But here’s the weirdest thing… I kinda like it. Sitting here, writing this, glass in hand, I can’t bring myself to put it in the C range. Intellectually it’s overly sweet and banana-heavy and I should be placing it in the 70s. But holding this glass, sipping it and sniffing it while I move my handwritten notes to typed notes and re-living the whiskey I just can’t drop it below a B-. Take that for what it is… odd.
SCORE: 80/100 (B-)
