Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Legacy Edition #1

A companion offered me a pour of this, which feels like it must have been nearly a decade ago. I considered purchasing a bottle but never got around to it before it apparently went out of circulation. However, I managed to find this a few months ago and decided it was fated. Had it not been for the low cost, I might not have tried this, but why not? Nose: Strong corn and wood shavings. Toffee, vanilla, and dark syrup. Brown sugar. Gala apple. Banana and walnut. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Toffee, brown sugar, and vanilla. Gala apple and sugar candy. Raisin. Some pipe smoke. Strong almond and some pecan. Orange peel. Banana and walnut. Some milk chocolate. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Toffee and vanilla. Almond and walnut. Pipe smoke. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderately long finish. A nice finish. Not a regrettable purchase. Quite pleasant, in fact. Nothing extraordinary—after all—this is simply the standard Old No. 7 bottled at a slightly higher 43% ABV. Sometimes that added intensity is all that is required. The Old No. 7 is somewhat thin, and interestingly, the lower ABV makes the experience more difficult. This is a better offering. At $30, this was a great value. 3.5/5.

This vintage looking bottle is how the original Jack Daniel's label used to look (in a ceramic bottle) at least until 1904 when it won the gold medal for best whiskey in the world, then switching to the iconic black and white label. Legacy edition No. 1 is part of a collector's series which I believe nowadays there are three of them. Bottled at 43%abv, caramel color. On the nose, a very nice, fruity aroma. Banana, pepper, red fruits, cherries, glazed pork, burnt caramel. It has the traditional sourness on the nose; milk powder (milk formula), dehydrated bananas, banana milkshake, chocolate milk powder, sawdust. Very fancy and appealing aroma. After a first sip, it revealed prunes, caramel and oak spice. On the palate, it was fairly good. A Sour banana flavor if that exists; prunes, feels fancy; slight hint of vanilla. Second sip was a little watery; caramel and sweet vanilla. Very easy drinkable. Aftertaste was pleasant. Creamy but also dry. Raw rice, a very enjoyable mild pepper note. Long, rewarding finish, oak spice and pepper. Overall, this one felt like a better version of the classic old no. 7; the extra 3%abv sure gives more flavor to it and a more rounded experience. Nice whisky, 87 out of 100.

The positive is there's no alcohol on the nose, but the negative is it has nothing in common with the classic Jack Daniels (lacking the caramel and vanilla of number 7). We received an average bourbon.

Remarkably mild and agreeable. This pleasant individual will greet you warmly at first and leave you feeling content and slightly buzzed before you realize it, much like a good companion.

Classic Jack Daniels with a slight increase in proof. For a couple of dollars more than the original, it makes an excellent gift and stands out in a collection with its vintage label.

A very harsh, unpleasant whiskey. The alcohol aroma is quite off-putting, which is unfortunate for such a brand. It's among the worst I've ever tasted.