Distillery: Jack Daniel’s
Proof: 94
Age: No age statement
Mashbill: 80% Corn, 8% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Price: ~$50
Company
Located in Lynchburg, Tennessee and owned by Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel’s is one of the most well-known names and highest-selling brands in whiskey. They’re most known for creating sour mash Tennessee whiskey—which is like bourbon but the distillate goes through an extra step called the Lincoln County Process (charcoal filtering).
Production
Jack Daniel’s uses barrels in the upper levels of their rickhouses for single barrel bottlings. It’s estimated that JD whiskey is aged for 4-7 years and follows the exact distillation process as bourbon except the addition of charcoal filtering.
Nose – 94/100
Hints of charcoal with sweet corn and caramel. It’s a richer version of the well-known Old No. 7 bottle.
Palate – 94/100
Easy, light drinker that’s incredibly sweet. Smoky caramel and vanilla with a touch of oak. It’s a simple, mellow pour that’s crazy easy to drink.
Finish – 89/100
Short and sweet with mild rye. Carries the corn and vanilla notes from the nose and palate. It’s simple, but not memorable.
Value – 87/100
At $50, this isn’t something I’d buy over and over. It’s great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s far too simplistic for this price point. I think $35 is a more reasonable price for this Old No. 7 on steroids.
That being said, this is really tasty and dangerously easy to drink.
Verdict – 91/100
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 95+
- Gold – 90 – 94
- Silver – 80 – 89
- Bronze – <80
Hunter Branch is the Founder and Director of Editorial for Bourbon Inspector. He has been writing about and professionally reviewing bourbon since 2020 (and has been drinking it for much longer). He’s been able to interview big names in the bourbon industry like Trey Zoeller from Jefferson’s Bourbon and his work has been featured in publications like TastingTable, Mashed, and more.