Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey

Nose is of banana taffy, vanilla, bright powdered sugar, and barrel spice. Tastes of peanut brittle dust and boiled peanuts with apricots coming in at the very end. Didn't like it at first but I let it sit for a few minutes and the sweetness really opens up.

I think it would be good, but the proof is too strong. It has too much of a rubbing alcohol taste.

It's that time again. That magical time of year when all the "Best Whiskey of the Year" lists come out. I've been searching around and found that most of these lists consist of highly aged Scotch and limited release or allocated Bourbon, and while I'm sure these drams are delicious, the fact remains that most of us will likely never taste most of these, so over the next five days, I present to you this longhorn's humble top 5 whiskies of 2020. Most of us could agree that this was not our best year. However, all the time spent at home resulted in expanded imbibing of our favorite brown beverage. This is the criteria for my list: (1) The whiskey has to be readily available on store shelves. No special releases. This means the most excellent Wild Turkey Masters Keep expressions I tried and rated this year are out, though you should feel confident to buy on sight. (2) Every dram on my list is $80 or less. Everyone should be able to taste great whiskey, and yes, I realize my definition of "great" might be different than others, but that's the fun of what we all do here, and (3) I had to have tasted it in 2020. None of the whiskies on my list were released this year, but this year is when I finally got around to them. Coming in at #4 is a surprise for me and anybody who had one (or more) nights in college praying to the porcelain god after imbibing too much Jack and ________ (insert sugary mixer here). This bottle was spoken about in back rooms and hushed tones as an available, affordable, equally high proof alternative to the ever elusive Stagg Jr., but everyone was reluctant to admit they liked a Jack Daniels product given the brand's...cultural profile shall we say. Even my regular drinking partners were skeptical. So was I. I bought a 375 initially to confirm my suspicions, and with those heartily confirmed, I bought a full bottle. My bottle rings in at a whopping 66.5% ABV, with powerful notes of dark chocolate, walnuts, toffee, caramel, and yes, the JD banana, which I very much enjoy. In my review, I compared it to Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream. A little goes a long way, and water opens it up, but isn't necessary. As with any single barrel, mileage may vary, but feel empowered to buy with confidence. At around $50, it's a lot of whiskey for your $$$. Cheers!

Appearance: Deep amber in color, with hints of mahogany. Legs form very slowly. Nose: A cacophony of underripe banana explodes into the nose, followed by a high octane burn. You can smell the horsepower. It’s also peppery. Palate: A very unique experience — I get a rush of brown sugar sweetness that seems to focus on the sides of my mouth, and a black pepper spice that carries to the top of my tongue and roof of my mouth. Baking spices (cinnamon, cloves) peek through as the pepper spice fades. Very creamy and rich on the tongue. The palate also has a certain FEEL to it — a snappy character like a green banana. Finish: Once again, black pepper spice announces itself with a woody undertone. As the finish fades, it becomes dry and reveals a green banana taste and smell that concentrates in the back of the throat and nose. I got to taste this blind, courtesy of @anorakjackson — thanks, man! A great experience overall, definitely a unique one for me. I will admit, the banana was not apparent until I knew this was Jack Daniel’s SBBP, but I think it was more of a case of missing words than my experience being influenced. I’m very impressed, and will add this to my collection soon.

Neck Pour - Glencairn - Neat 134.2 proof / 67.1% ABV Appearance: Polished Mahogany. Legs are incredibly slow to form. Nose: Carmel custard (Flan), Brown sugar, woody, spices. The ethanol is faint and you can put your nose close to the glass. After letting the glass sit for a while, a subtle note of wet charcoal appears. Taste: Big brown sugar (bordering on dominating), Ceylon cinnamon, very subtle barrel char (or toasted bread), and salted peanuts. Faint banana, like if someone made banana pudding with underripe bananas. Does not drink hot for the ABV. Very drinkable. Finish: With the neck pour, the original mouthfeel was as if I had just eaten an underripe banana. Sweet, but smacky dry, as if just eaten some peanut butter. The underripe banana really shows in the retro-nasal action. There is definitely a nuttiness of sorts on the finish. Like natural peanut butter you find in those hippy dippy grocery stores. Lastly, there is a very faint dill note in the aftertaste. I only caught it once but it wasn’t terrible. Overall: This is a testament to the integrity of barrel proof whiskies. This whiskey is full of bold flavors. Coats the mouth. I felt and tasted it under my upper lip. Very rich. Delicious. Worth a try, if not the purchase of a bottle. The fact that this is so readily available knocks it up a mark or two in my ratings. Great stuff! (This being a neck pour, I may come back with edits and updates to my tastings. I have heard this improves with oxidation.) UPDATE: Oxidation of two weeks has already leant to more complexity in the burnt sugar tastes. The crunchy top on a Creme brûlée comes to mind. More banana nut bread on the palate. Definite nuttiness complexity developing. Peanut brittle. Will buy this bottle again.

Just wow! Smooth with some oaky undertones. No ice needed.

Wow, definitely a sleeper bottle that really surprised me. Been avoiding JD for years due to past experiences, but this one has won me over, especially at 60%+ for less than $60. Nose is straight up bananas, vanilla and oak with a hint of cherry. Very little ethanol considering the proof. Palette starts very oaky, transitions into some more of that unique bananas foster and finishes long and strong with some slight cinnamon, cherry and more lingering oak. A winner for sure that I’ll be coming back to!

129.7 proof, Rickhouse 6, Barrel 20-06492. First off, the bottle is gorgeous. I’m thinking of using it for my new infinity bottle. The pour comes out dark, almost amber. On the nose, I get the toasted bananas Jack is well known for, but there’s some caramel, a little mint, some oak, and maybe some honey? The ethanol is definitely there too. Wow. First sip is hot and rich and spicy. Bananas foster or banana split with a slight burn on the lips and down the throat. There is a dry aftertaste that lingers but is overtaken by something reminiscent of a bite from a chocolate sundae. This drink packs a punch, which is expected with the high proof, but it fits well with the dessert theme. I absolutely love this. I wanted to like it so bad and had to search around a bit for it. I truly can’t believe it’s a Jack Daniels. It drinks heavy and strong but delicious. A wonderful addition to any collection and amazingly worth the price. Pick it up if you can find it.