Who among us never had a moment in our lives where our flirtation with Jack Daniel’s didn’t evolve (or devolve) into something a little more devoted and perhaps even…ahem, toxic? From country-tinged jukebox hymns to urban legends about Old Blue Eyes himself’s fondness for the dram, to one of the greatest horror movies of all time. To regular old Americans getting a little too worked up and conflating badassery with intolerance, there is something about the Old Number 7 that has become inextricably woven into the fabric of Americana.
This has been the case so much so that, despite branching out in recent years with new products, some genuinely interesting and others mere gimmicks, when one hears the name Jack Daniel’s it’s still the Old Number 7 we see in our mind’s eye.
But finally last year, after decades of relying on that iconic black & white labeled bottle as practically the sole face associated with the signature name (aside from a few strategically employed global marketing schemes ), Jack Daniel’s released a 10 Year Old Tennessee Whiskey.
The Long-Awaited Debut of the Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Old
After the success of last year’s release, dubbed ‘Batch 01,’ which itself was the first age-statement release since old Jack himself was alive, the company doubled down and released not only a second 10-year-aged expression, but their inaugural 12-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey to boot.
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The results thus far are, dare I say it, solid revitalizations of their classic high corn mash bill. The Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Old features an aromatic personality that feels like a more studious, almost aristocratic interpretation of the classic Jack Daniel’s nose. This one is much more tobacco and leather forward, with the recognizable sweet fruit character taking a welcome back seat. On the palate, it’s much the same.
The maturation team went and let their oak freak colors fly as, even at a robust 107 proof, you get distinctly dominant wood and tobacco notes.
Jack Daniel’s 12-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey, like all their releases, relies on the classic mash bill of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye, but this is the first release I’ve tasted where they really allowed the overall experience to be something other than a distinctly Jack Daniel’s experience.
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While the results are mixed and a little unbalanced, it is nevertheless a welcome addition to their newly expanding catalog.
Is Jack Daniel’s Bourbon?
No, Jack Daniel’s isn’t bourbon. It is Tennessee Whiskey, as it states on the JD bottle. Technically, Jack Daniel’s does meet the requirements to be considered ‘bourbon’. However, the distillery chooses not to accept this classification, arguing that the charcoal filtering process (also called the Lincoln County Process) makes Tennessee whiskey a distinct product.
For a more detailed run down, please see here.
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