Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Rye

Sweeter side of rye. Sips more like a bourbon. Very smooth. #Dad

I'm back for a serious look at this rye. I was gobsmacked by my first taste at a casual restaurant and I knew immediately that JDSBR was a near future purchase. This bottle has been open for about 4 days and I've had maybe 4 oz from the bottle, so this is as good a look at a bottle as I can manage. I tasted this neat from a shot glass. I also enjoyed a similar taste of my current favorite in the rye category, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye. Looking at them side by side in the glasses they are indistinguishable. Both are old copper penny colored. I've had enough of both to know they have a similar viscosity. On the nose the JDSBR is fruitcake covered in warm caramel. It's just beautifully sweet and fruity. By comparison the rich nose of the WTRBR is more akin to warm cinnamon banana bread with more of a baking spice note. They are nearly equally rich, one leaning towards the yin and the other the yang of the smell spectrum. I mean seriously, I could go on but would you want me to? On the palate the JDSBR is Christmas candy and sweet bran muffins with butter. I get a bit of clove, ginger, dark rye bread, cream cheese frosting. It's just a dessert in a shot glass with a great, oily mouthfeel. This is a very good, reasonably complex rye whiskey with absolutely no sharp edges. This is too easy to drink. In comparison the WTRBR is all about cinnamon red hots and Jamaican jerk spice. There's rye bread, darker pumpernickel notes, a bit of smoky char, barrel oak, black pepper, plums, apricots and maybe a bit of banana and cherry. This is rich and demands a bit of attention be paid. No Willy Loman in a bottle, this rye wants you to pay attention "right now". On the finish the JDSBR is modest with a touch of heat and a nice slow, sweet fade to a fruity exhale. The balance here is just perfect - this is a light, fruity, complex rye and the finish is moderately long with a variable flavor profile that never strays from a pleasing sweetness coupled with a touch of heat. The WTRBR is a brute. It leaves with stone fruit sweetness in an envelope of chile pepper fire. Complex, brash, maybe even loud and unapologetic - I'll restate my previous admonishment that this might not be a good choice for a beginner. Bring your grown-up palate to this party. Pick your mood. If you find yourself feeling lyrical, euphoric and in need of a whiskey version of Don Giovanni then I'd say it's Jack Daniels all the way. If you're feeling a bit more "Ride Of The Valkyries" then maybe you should consider the bird for the win. Either way, you can't lose! I'm increasing my previous rating on this, it's a solid 4.

3.5 stars - Very good Thank you for going full banana. No other rye tastes like this. There must be the same yeast Brown Forman uses for Jack, Woodford, and Old Forester. Will I see the same for Benriach and Glendronach? While I assume “no” part of me is slightly terrified yet excited. There is something so original and so simple with this whiskey. I cannot get it off my mind. After trying a few hundred whiskies, I appreciate someone making something truly memorable.

This bottle came from Barrel No. 19-01148 that was bottled on 2-14-19 from Rick No. L-17. The nose starts with an upfront blast of caramel mixing with lots of rye spice. After the initial caramel and rye wave, there are aromas of freshly baked pumpernickel bread, roasted peanuts that fades into sweets of banana pudding topped with vanilla wafers then powdered sugar bubble gum that finishes with spices of spearmint, leather and tobacco with a light ethanol burn. The taste starts with a medium-thin mouthfeel with candied peanuts and pumpernickel bread leading to sweets of big league chew bubble gum, banana laffy taffy before spices of spearmint and a slight oak char spice take over with light ethanol burn that finishes short to medium length with banana pudding, pumpernickel bread, roasted peanuts, and light barrel spices. This is along the sweeter side of ryes with a balanced mix of rye spices, nuts, bubble gum, banana and barrel char that works well for me. I tried this next to Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye, which was Jim Murray’s 2020 whiskey of the year, and I thought this was a better balance and not as much of a rye kick in the teeth that the Alberta delivers. At the price of 50 dollars per bottle, this will cost you 20 dollars less than the Alberta and I think the VFM is high on it.