Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selections – Barrel Proof Rye

By Christopher Null | August 19, 2019 |

The fourth release in Jack Daniel’s experimental Tennessee Tasters’ Selection series has arrived, and it’s a cask strength expression of its Tennessee Rye bottling. So, not too experimental… but as flavor profiles go, this one’s a huge step away for Jack.

Made from a mashbill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley, this rye is packaged without any additional water, hitting the bottle at a whopping 63.8% abv. As with all of the TTS bottlings, this is only available at the Jack Daniel Distillery and at select stores across Tennessee.

Let’s dive in.

The nose here is incredibly sweet, a powerhouse of Bit-O-Honey, molasses, and some crushed mint — it comes across a bit like a pre-mixed mint julep at times — but all filtered through a ton of heat; remember that this whiskey is clocking in at nearly 64% abv.

The palate however is a wholly different animal, and I mean that somewhat literally: Meaty and chewy, with a smoky edge to it, it’s a barbecue whiskey, with a long, simmering edge of nearly burnt molasses that lingers on the tongue. Water surprisingly doesn’t do much to even things out, muddying up the conclusion with a mess of cloves and bold barrel char notes. JD’s vaunted charcoal mellowing process hasn’t done much to tame this rye, and what’s left in the bottle is an untamed beast unlike anything else in the collection. But hey, maybe that’s what you’re angling for?

127.6 proof.

B- / $40 (375ml) / jackdaniels.com