Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye (2020 Special Release)

The aroma is deep and rich, beginning with pecan pie, sautéed apples, and candied fennel seeds, followed by freshly baked pumpernickel bread and dark chocolate-covered espresso beans. It then presents banana pudding, cherry pie, and powdered sugar bubble gum, transitioning to spearmint, lacquered oak furniture, and pipe tobacco, with a strong ethanol presence. The taste offers a syrupy, rich mouthfeel starting with pecan pie, sautéed apples, and spearmint gum, followed by a moderate spice that gradually subsides to toasted marshmallow, charred pumpernickel bread, and dark chocolate mocha. It continues with bananas foster, maraschino cherries, and powdered sugar bubble gum, evolving into cloves, ginger, lacquered oak furniture, and freshly lit pipe tobacco, accompanied by a potent ethanol burn. The finish is extended, featuring banana pudding, charred pumpernickel bread, toasted marshmallow, dark chocolate-covered roasted peanuts, spearmint, lacquered oak furniture, and pipe tobacco. While I find the standard single barrel rye to be a palatable dram, bottling it at barrel proof elevates the single barrel rye to another level. The flavors are intensified, becoming bold and syrupy rich, with an exceptional balance of spicy rye, sweet creamy fruits, and well-aged oak, truly showcasing the remarkable rye Jack Daniels can produce. These are unfortunately long gone from general availability and only found on the secondary market, but I have heard they plan to release more in the future, and I hope to find a bottle during the next release. Until then, immense gratitude to a friend for the generous sample of this delightful rye, which I hope to own one day.

Jack Daniels is like that awkward kid in high school. You know, the kid with braces, pants that are 1 inch too short, glasses with a scotch tape in the center. Yeah, that kid. But then, that’s the same kid that 10yrs later is a knockout hottie, with a PhD in chemical engineering from Stanford, and a personality that lights up the room. Yeah, sudden metamorphosis from being a bottom shelf cola mixer to a much sought after limited release. This pour was generously sent by a friend…we ( as in a friend, a friend, and I ) had our quarterly online tasting. This was one of the highlight pours we had during the tasting. I’m so glad we had this as the last pour of the night. The first was an early 80s bottled Balvenie 10 (cognac bottle shape), followed by an amazing Bunna 30, and then this. The aroma is powerful. Herbaceous, minty. That mint burst even more on the palate, backed by chocolate and mocha. Just amazing. So…this is what I’m loving about Jack Daniel’s. About 10 years ago, all they did was make stuff we can mix into soda. Now, they have it all—-amazing limited releases like this that can stand up to the best of any rye, to the affordable new releases ( bonded, triple), as well as the single barrel ones that are in the $60-70 range. This is a special treat—-thanks again to a friend

A truly remarkable rye. Offers abundant complexity with notes of bananas, cloves, mint chocolate, cinnamon, raisins, plums, molasses, treacle, pecan pie, nuts, and spices. Tasting this blind, one might assume it was aged in sherry casks. This special bottling, along with the coy hill special release sampled earlier this year, demonstrates Jack Daniel’s capacity to produce spirits unlike the Jack Daniel’s often consumed with coke in college. These expressions can stand alongside BTAC, Four Roses Limited Edition, Booker’s Rye, Wild Turkey Masters Keep, Michter’s, etc. It would be intriguing to discover the profile of this year’s Jack Daniel’s single malt oloroso cask finish. Nose: Bananas, Raisins, Cloves, Molasses, Toasted Marshmallows, Maple Syrup, Plums, Milk Chocolate, Caramel, Blood Oranges, Ginger, Cotton Candy, Mint Chip Ice Cream, Peaches, Luxardo Cherries, Cinnamon, Lychee, Lavender, Blackberries, Buttercream Frosting Palate: Honey, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Spearmint, Dill, Brown Sugar, Pecan Pie, Toffee, Raisins, Smoke, Figs, Molasses, Treacle, Christmas Cakes, Maple Syrup, Raspberries Finish: Honey, Banana Bread, Walnuts, Toffee, Pecan Pie, Mint Chocolate, Plums, Raisins, Nutmeg, Licorice, Cinnamon, Dill, Maple Syrup, Treacle, Hazlenuts

Barrel No. 20-06873, Warehouse 1-02, Bottled 11-04-20 65.5 % abv, 131 proof Opened 3 weeks Nose - Dark chocolate-covered bananas, toffee, maple syrup, cinnamon, rye bread, browned butter, faint coffee grounds, moderate ethanol. Palate - Chocolate cake, bread pudding with raisins drizzled with maple syrup, mint chocolate. Extended finish with more rye spice than in the nose or palate. Dry oak, cocoa powder, orange peel, moderate ethanol. I traveled to Virginia to find this bottle, and the journey was worthwhile. This is among the finest whiskeys I have tasted, surpassing the excellent Jack Daniel's SiB BP I acquired last year. It possesses all the qualities of the standard barrel proof version, but with slightly enhanced spice and bread notes, whereas the standard "bourbon" barrel proof is an overly sweet dessert experience. It bears a stronger resemblance to a high-rye bourbon barrel proof than a rye whiskey, likely due to the charcoal filtering, which is not typical for rye whiskey. If you encounter this, buy it. I doubt it's readily available now, but Jack Daniel's ought to make rye single barrel barrel proof a permanent fixture on shelves alongside their standard barrel proof. It is that exceptionally delicious.

Appearance: Reddish-brown. Thick, oily legs cling to the glass before descending slowly. Typical for JD Single Barrel Barrel Proof. Nose: Maple syrup over fresh banana rye bread. You can detect subtle rye spices, but the nose's sweetness is captivating. Barely perceptible pecan nuttiness, cocoa powder, and raw sugar. Taste: A sweeter rye initially than most. A brief wave of toasted rye bread washes over the tongue low down, followed by a building rye spice sensation. Everything then cools with a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream. There's also a very sweet finish that's hard to identify... bubblegum? Cocoa powder provides the closing note. Finish: Sweet, a little sharp like the gold label JDSBBP. That "I just ate a green banana" texture. Definitely a sweet rye. Rich throughout with many flavors to explore. The retronasal aromas include dried fruits, golden raisins, and fig. Maple syrup. Overall: An outstanding rye!! I'm happy to have found a bottle of this. I'll bring it out on chilly evenings, or share it with others seeking a unique rye! Delicious!

The aroma is potent and full, with notes of snickerdoodle cookie, mint, oregano, white pepper, charcoal, maple, sea salt, brown sugar, freshly milled rye grain, and oak. There's some ethanol presence, but it fades over time in the glass. Very appealing. The flavors are incredibly intense and mirror the aroma well, with added hints of banana, clove, vanilla, butterscotch, menthol, and graham cracker. There's a considerable sharpness present. The finish is exceptionally long, bringing white chocolate, cinnamon, black pepper, bitter oak, and wintergreen. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied and slightly grainy, with a prickling heat. Not for the timid; everything is amplified here. It lacks a certain refinement; this rye doesn't offer gentle reassurances; it's aggressive and overpowering. I paid the standard retail price of $69.99, and at that cost, it's well worth it, although it's also very much a spirit for specific moods due to its somewhat challenging character. I would have significant reservations about paying much more. I would only repurchase at retail price.