RANDOM HAZMAT SHOWDOWN 1792 FULL PROOF TOTAL WINE SINGLE BARREL SELECT JACK DANIELS SINGLE BARREL BARREL PROOF Ladies and gentleman, I am overdue. Life calls, etcetera. For my audience of eight, mea culpa. I like to think of myself as a stats guy. As Sergeant Joe Friday would say, “Just the facts, ma’am.” (I’ve delivered facts in spades with that reference alone). While facts and stats are my bread and butter, if I were to hazard an outright guess, I’d bet that the mean demographic of Distiller users is someone like me: A guy unwilling to admit that he is likely on the back nine of life, and having experienced both birdies and bogies before the turn, finds time to enjoy the view on the way to the finish, even if he is always keeping score. 1792 FULL PROOF TOTAL WINE SINGLE BARREL SELECT Clear dark orange mahogany color, akin to Pantone 153. Close inspection of the subtle nose reveals strawberries, toasted oak, burnt caramel, and vanilla. Mouthfeel has a little glycerin, and the high-proof ethanol announces its presence on entry, walking and then stomping toward the back and greeting some mulled cider en route. The heat continues on the finish, with a supporting role from chocolate covered cherries, some oak, and vanilla. As a purist, I’m a lover of high-proof whiskey. It’s unadulterated, or nearly so, and the resultant need to sip—when taken neat, as I do—requires more time and coerces more contemplation, which enhances the overall experience. But higher proofs can be more difficult to differentiate than lower-proof whiskies due to the higher alcohol content; the nose, taste, and mouthfeel have to meet the higher ABV on its own robust terms. I like the 1792 FP, but it lacks balance. There’s a lot of heat—to be expected, of course—but there’s no overt characteristics in its flavor or olfactory profile that set it apart. Where the 1792 FP is more differentiated is in terms of relative value; it can be found for around $50 at retail. This is good, not great, bourbon. Would I buy it again? Yes. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. 125 proof. NAS. Non-chill filtered. JACK DANIELS SINGLE BARREL BARREL PROOF Color is a dark and brooding pure mahogany, a shade darker than the 1792 (Pantone 159). The first impression on the nose is not one of olfactory descriptors but rather tactile ones: there is an effusiveness, warmth, and fullness that first appear, shepherding notes of peanuts, peanut brittle, BBQ sauce, and a little brown sugar. The mouthfeel has a similar weight to the 1792 on entry, and the alcohol is better integrated, despite the higher proof. Sweet creamed corn leads the way. The finish is surprisingly soft: the alcohol is there as it should be, but held in check, and again there is a tactile sensation that enhances the atypical flavor profile. The finish displays a soft oakiness, an even softer and subtle cotton-candy sweetness, and some vanilla. Overall, the profile is more savory than sweet. The JDSBBP does a better job distinguishing itself than does the 1792 FP. This is immediately apparent on the nose: it doesn’t exhibit the typical bourbon descriptors like caramel, toasted oak, and vanilla that come at you, but rather peanuts (typical for Tennessee Whiskey, yes) and BBQ sauce. Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof can be found for around $65—just $15 more than the 1792 BP. Would I buy it again? Yes. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. 129.4 proof. NAS. Charcoal filtered per the standard Lincoln County Process. CONCLUSION Aside from the color and high ABV, these whiskies don’t have too much in common. While the 1792 FP comes across as an overpowered Camry, the JDSBBP is on the threshold of being very good: it is fuller, richer, smoother, and has a greater depth of flavor. The charcoal-filtered “Lincoln County process” delivers on its promise to mellow the sharp edges. The JDSBBP not only has greater complexity on the nose, but it also has greater depth of flavor, a longer finish, and a superior whiskey experience. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.