Jack Daniel's 12 Year Tennessee Whiskey (Batch 1)

I only have a sample, so I'm unsure of the actual cost, but a fifth is listed at $85.99 on the Total Wine website here in Albuquerque. The mash bill is 80% corn, 12% rye, and 8% barley. It's 107 proof. I don't have the bottle, so I don't know if there's an age statement. It appears dark gold in the glass. NOSE: I detect vanilla, caramel, corn sweetness, butterscotch pudding, ambrosia, maple syrup, waffles, whipped cream, and mandarin oranges on the nose. The aroma is generally soft, sweet, and warm, with notes I haven't encountered before. MOUTHFEEL: Oily. TASTE: Brown sugar, Red Hots, oak, char, buttered waffles, and sugar syrup - again, some unique notes. FINISH: Long, starting with honey and transitioning to sweet oak. SUMMARY: This is an amazing whiskey. It's sweet and bright, with just enough dark undertones. I wish I could afford to buy it myself, as there's more to explore than I can discern from a sample alone. I'd love to spend time with a full bottle, analyzing all the nuances in the aroma and taste that I could identify tonight. RATING: On my personal scale, I give it the highest of eight possible ratings - Mighty Fine. This is equivalent to five stars, 100/100, or 10/10.

Nose: Oak, toffee, and dark fruits harmonize, with a strong red wine presence. The scent is intriguing, though not quite what I anticipated. Taste: Butterscotch and dark fruits begin, followed by intense oak that carries through to the finish. Subtle hints of vanilla bean appear occasionally, leaning more bitter than sweet. The finish leaves a somewhat dry sensation. Overall: A very good spirit, I'm debating between a 4.5 and 4.75 rating. My only criticism is the finish; the drying oak detracts slightly from the initial butterscotch. Avoid paying over $120. 4.6

Nose - brown sugar, maple syrup, caramel corn. The aroma is perfect. Palate: Echoes the nose with added caramel. I'm also getting a fantastic french toast with maple syrup note, and a burn that indicates its proof. This is excellent whiskey. Finish - Some smoke, maple syrup, and a touch of heat. It's long and satisfying. The only drawback is a slight dryness from the oak... but if you appreciate wood, this isn't a flaw at all! Overall - This is truly GREAT whiskey! Not just good, but GREAT! I compared it directly with the 10-year expression and give the 10-year the slight edge.

Sweet oak bomb with notes of molasses, banana foster, tobacco, brown sugar, raspberries, plums, honey, and burnt caramel. Think I liked 10 Year Batch 2 more. Aroma: Caramel, Honey, Maple Syrup, Molasses, Bananas, Plums, Dark Chocolate, Marshmallows, Brown Sugar, Raspberries, Raisins Taste: Tobacco, Dark Chocolate, Leather, Raisins, Bananas Foster, Strawberries, Luxardo Cherries, Molasses, Walnuts, Treacle, Pecan Pie, Burnt Caramel Finish: Charred Oak, Tobacco, Plums, Bananas Foster, Raspberries, Luxardo Cherries, Vanilla, Makuna Honey, Spearmint, Cloves, Cinnamon

Revisited this one. Aroma - Incredible JD character… bananas, caramel, slightly burnt marshmallow. Also berries… bread and buttery notes. Fantastic Taste - caramel and banana are there. Beyond that, there's nothing else. Overall - A single barrel, barrel proof expression is much better than this. If your palate can't handle high proof offerings, then this will be great. If you prefer bold, intense, high-proof profiles… you will be let down.

Glass: Glencairn, allowed to rest for 15 minutes. Color: Deep amber. Nose: Oak and maple syrup are prominent initially, with some subtle peanut notes. Palate: Oak, maple, and peanuts persist. It's not as spicy as I anticipated. Finish: It's long but not very warm. Splash: No new flavors emerge. Overall: 5/10 - My expectations were high due to the complexity of the single barrel, barrel proof version. This tastes more like standard JD than the premium offering. Frankly, it's just average.