Jack Daniel's Silver Select Single Barrel

A duty-free exclusive with scant details, resembling JD Single Barrel but with higher proof and potentially superior barrels. Rumor has it this exists solely to meet duty-free 'exclusive' product demands. It's tawny with a reddish hue. Aromas include milk chocolate, cooked bananas, banana-flavored medicine reminiscent of childhood penicillin, pine, maple, tree sap, rich caramel, vanilla, dark cherries, other berries, light wood-smoke, honey, cinnamon, custard, hints of apple, fresh flowers, and cereal. The palate is soft, creamy, and smooth, featuring sweet vanilla, custard, caramel, grape flavors, simple syrup, those bananas, tree sap, saltwater taffy, cocoa, crab-apples, maple syrup, hints of maple charcoal from filtering, barrel char, light nuttiness, and sweet orange. It's all good until the finish, which abruptly becomes sour, soggy, cardboard-like woodiness with a faint garbage-juice note. A potentially great whiskey utterly spoiled by that almost undrinkable finish. It's a significant upgrade from standard JD and regular Single Barrel, but that finish... yuck.

$60 Brown sugar, vanilla, and toasted oak on the nose. The palate mirrors these notes. The finish offers roasted nuts and marshmallows. This ranks among the best I've tried, and I'm not typically a big Jack fan. It's remarkably smooth for 100 proof. It lacks complexity and depth but is a fantastic whiskey for sipping! It's certainly a bottle worth acquiring if you have the opportunity.

I've consistently enjoyed JD. It was my entry point to drinking spirits neat. As I've aged and explored more whiskies, JD began to slip from my preferred drinks. However, this bottling is by far the best Jack Daniel's I've encountered. I appreciate the subtle sweetness of vanilla alongside the potent character of Jack Daniel's classic flavor.

Likely my preferred Jack Daniel's variation. The increased alcohol content elevates the already exceptional Single Barrel to a greater intensity and level.

The flavor is similar to the standard Jack Daniel's single barrel, but this one is 50% ABV and is a better single barrel.

One 750 ml Silver Select bottle (dated 01-31-07) One 750 ml Single Barrel Select bottle (dated 06-16-16)