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Whiskey Review: Jack Daniels Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey

We review Jack Daniels Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey, a brand-new member of the Jack Daniels family.

OVERALL RATING

7
$27.00
  • Carin Moonin is a Portland-based whiskey enthusiast and writer.
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Tasting Notes

About:

About $27; 90 proof; mashbill of 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley.
Appearance:
Turmeric root; polished brass; and chunks of buttery, golden, delicious toffee. Mmmm, toffee.
Nose:
It’s really quite strong; I opened the bottle and all at once it came roaring out. I wouldn’t call it overpowering, but it did want to make itself known. With many other ryes, I can smell the grain right away, but this isn’t like that in the least. It’s got a sweet, almost bourbon-y character—melting Nestle chocolate chips, bananas, milk duds, the mixing bowl after scraping almost all the brownie batter into the pan. But even with such a dessert-like nose, it’s thankfully not bowling me over.
Palate:
Lip-tingly. Warming. Peppery, but a mix of types of pepper: less black pepper, more multicolored peppercorns. It’s much drier on the palate than the nose would have you believe. Based on the nose, I would expect a rounder, almost bubble-gummy mouthfeel. This is very dry. The grain comes through on the palate, but it’s not grainy, if that makes sense. The longer it sits out, the more I think it could stand on its own. But it might be lonely and I think it would enjoy hanging out with some companionable pals in a cocktail. In fact, hold on…I’m going to try it in a Manhattan right now.
Finish:
Comments:
Yes, I definitely recommend using this in a Manhattan. (Also: Try throwing in some orange bitters, which brings together the sweetness of this rye’s nose and the grain taste of the rye.) It’s like the beat behind a catchy song. A solid building block for an alcohol-forward drink.rnrnI thought I knew Jack but now I’m not so sure. Nice job, folks.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Carin Moonin

Carin Moonin swapped a 5th-floor walkup in Hoboken, NJ, for a house in SE Portland a decade ago and hasn't looked back. She appreciates Portland's vibrant whiskey scene, finding it complements both the weather and her mood. Carin enjoys exploring the diverse world of brown liquor and its many facets. Her writing has been featured in publications such as Salon.com, DailyDot.com, Willamette Week, Portland Monthly, and others. When she's not indulging in whiskey or writing about it, you can find Carin running, reading, or on the hunt for free samples in grocery stores.

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