Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selection – Barrel Reunion #2
Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selection – Barrel Reunion #2
Jack Daniel’s experimental releases continue to roll along, including the second release in the Barrel Reunion series, itself part of the Tennessee Tasters’ Selection line. These whiskeys are only available at the distillery proper.
For those in need of a refresher, Barrel Reunion #1 (aka Reunion Barrel #1) was Tennessee Whiskey finished in local wine barrels. Barrel #2 spins that concept just a bit: It’s finished in oatmeal stout barrels.
I’m curious. Let’s give it a whirl.
While Barrel Reunion #1 was clearly heavy on wine, Barrel Reunion #2 is thick with those beer barrel notes. Malty and rich on the nose with notes of fresh oatmeal, cloves, and cinnamon, it’s a big glass of breakfast, ready to be served. Notes of barrel char become more prominent as it opens up in glass, but the primary focus is otherwise quite sweet.
The palate continues the theme. There’s applesauce and more cinnamon oatmeal, but there’s also a woody savoriness that, at times, gets in the way rather than complementing the experience. Notes of Turkish rug shop, coconut husk, and some dark chocolate notes emerge in time. The finish has fruity notes of chocolate-covered cherries, backed up with a racy vein of spice.
As with Barrel #1, this a major departure for JD — but it comes together nicely as quite a worthwhile one.
92 proof.
A- / $40 (375ml) / jackdaniels.com
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Tasters' Selection - Barrel Reunion #2
$40
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