Whiskey_Hound
Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed
June 30, 2019 (edited September 2, 2019)
I once bought this as a gift for a friend who almost exclusively drinks the Old No. 7. When he gave me some, I remember thinking it was pretty good, much to my surprise. I'm not a fan of the Old No. 7, but based on my past experience I do have some expectations for this one.
Nose: Musty and oaky. Heavy leather, tobacco, and cocoa. Some standard bourbon notes lie caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, baking spices. A hint of classic JD banana floats somewhere in the background. A little cherry somewhere in there. Good start.
I'm guessing this is a high-corn mash based on the lack of rye characteristics; interestingly though, it's not all that sweet.
Palate: Chewy caramel and vanilla sweetness. Instead of the past-ripe overly sweet banana I get with the old No. 7, this one presents more like a banana bread. Great note. Cherry, honey, brown sugar, walnut, leather, and cocoa round off the palate. Good stuff.
Finish: Long, and it comes in two waves. The first is all banana, vanilla, and a creamy sweetness. After this subsides, there's a kick of cinnamon and black pepper to remind that at 47%, this is not your run of the mill Old No. 7.
All things considered, I think a 3.75 is fair. Maybe a bit generous. I'd like to point out this is a prime example of why the glencairn is the best way to drink whiskey. Maybe it was just an off day, but I tried this two nights ago in a rocks glass. The nose was a mess, and everything else was mediocre at best. Yet, tonight, in a glencairn, everything just seemed to come together.
At $48, I think this is a respectable effort. I'll give credit where its due, and JD is on the mark with this one. Considering that I associate these guys with youthful misadventures followed by horrendous morning hangovers, I'm impressed with the quality of this one. It's good to see that the big guys are capable of putting out a solid product. Let it be known that this is far superior to Old No. 7 and Gentleman Jack. Well done JD.
48.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@BDanner And the Gentleman Jack for that matter. Hoping the Barrel Strength version of this one delivers. I've read good things about it
This one reminded me that JD knows how to make whiskey. It's a shame that their flagship is so disappointing.
@Old-Dude IMO, this is definitely worth a try. Glad I didn't let my negative impression of No. 7 steer me away from this one. @1901 thanks! If I can get a couple more glencairns, I relegate all my rocks glasses to guest use only. They're not bad but the experience between the two isn't even comparable
Nice review and you are dead on about how the glass can make a difference.
Your assessment of Old No. 7 is on par with mine as well, I might have to look into this one now though.