Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey

Very tasty on the front end and then a small burn going down

130.7 proof is so unbelievably smooth. Classic notes of caramel, vanilla, chocolate with tobacco on the back end. The alcohol smell is actually very subtle for the strength. It’s by far my favorite barrel proof.

Barrel: 22-08252 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Vanilla and caramel. Sweet. Palate: Bananas, more vanilla. Finish: Medium-long, warm. Splash: Calms heat, apples again. Overall: 8/10 - decent enough to be a daily drinker. Better than expected, decent price.

Tonight's not a bad night. I'm watching Die Hard next to the Christmas tree and sipping on some Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof. It took a bit of convincing for me to divorce my idea of Jack Daniel's from trashy rock bands I don't like all that much (e.g., Aerosmith), but I tried the standard single barrel and that was decent, and I've coveted the Special Releases of the past few years (Rye, Coy Hill, Single Malt), even when I couldn't get my hands on them. The Single Barrel Barrel Proof was on my list, but I just couldn't seem to find the will to drop $67 on it. There always seemed something in that price range I simply wanted more. Enter the 375 mL bottle. This came to stores around here about a month ago. And honestly, I wish there were more brands available in 375 mL or even 200 mL. Seems I'm always having to buy 750 mL of the pours I want simply because that's what's available and by the time I get through half the bottle, I'm a little tired of it and want to move on to something else. Doesn't mean I don't like the whisky, but I'm just craving novelty, and I'm not the type to keep 40 open bottles of varying liquid levels in my house. I open 2 or 3 and that's what I'm drinking until they're done and I decide to open another. So, the 375 mL with the JD SBBP was $35, which means if I had bought a full bottle I would have saved $3, but the full bottle didn't seem worth it. Now for the opening. The nose is delicious, wonderful. I get rum raisin, candied orange and ginger, not to mention banana, which is the standard JD aroma and flavor right? Only with JD SBBP, I would talk about that banana the way Bubba talks about shrimp in Forest Gump. It's banana bread in certain whiffs, and banana pudding in others. Bananas foster in some and pureed banana smoothie in others. Upon first opening the bottle, there was a slight edge of mint/ethanol in the background, as in, it was obviously an alcohol aroma but it was sweet and wasn't horrible, and at 130 proof, obviously that was going to be there. Though also, at 130 proof, it doesn't drink harsh. Seasoned drinkers should be able to take it without splashing or ice and still find it smooth. However, with that comes a caveat. After having this last night, I poured a Wild Turkey Rare Breed and the Rare Breed, at 116 proof, was much subtler, gentler, and overall, better (I would choose that over this if offered a bottle, and WT RB is about $20 cheaper), but that doesn't mean I regret buying this at all. This is a solid pour and the palate continues the banana citrus ginger extravaganza. With the bottle open one night and this being my second pour that I'm reviewing, I can say, it's quite delicious, and the finish lingers longer than almost any finish I can think of, by which I mean, it lasts for the next few minutes after you've swallowed, and it's straight up banana bread here. Would I buy a bottle? I see some reviews ending that way. And here the question would be would I buy a 750 mL bottle? And the answer is, sure, but there are also so many other whiskies to try before I get around to that, that it may never happen, so I'm thankful for the 375. And when it's gone, will I miss it? Probably not. There are many other kingdoms to see, many other pleasures to partake of. And now, in closing, given what I have playing in the background, I'm gonna raise my glass to all of you and say: Yippie Ki-yay Motherf----