Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel 100º Proof
Travel Retail Exclusive | 50% ABV
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
A lovely bourbon is delivered in every sense but the name
If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck…
Jack Daniel’s.
Arguably it’s the best known whiskey brand in the world, and if not, it will definitely be giving Johnnie Walker more than a run for its money when it comes to being ‘famous the world over’. Literally millions of people drink the stuff and in terms of global sales figures, it takes up sixth place, after Johnnie Walker and four Indian whisky brands.
The information found in the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2023 tells us in 2021 Jack Daniel’s sold 13.5 million, nine litre cases, which equals to 162 million 75cl bottles. That’s more than 443,000 bottles a day, or almost 19,000 bottles each hour, or some five bottles every single second. Safe to say: people like their Jack. Probably with cola or with a big chunk of ice - and that’s absolutely fine.
As far as easy-sipping, good for mixing, budget friendly, consistent quality American whiskey goes, the Tennessee distillery tends to deliver. Numbers don’t lie and I’m about to throw out some more.
The vast majority of these sales numbers will be down to their standard Old No.7, although it’s interesting to see that in recent times, Jack Daniel’s has been branching out and catering across the board. Be it by going super smooth and mellow with the likes of Gentleman Jack, their flavoured expressions, their rye whiskey, limited releases or their recent more experimental, higher proof releases, chances are you’ll find something to your liking within their ever expanding range.
To enable this, they rely on a staggering 145 million lpa capacity distillery; that’s roughly the same as all of Diageo’s Scottish malt distilleries and Macallan combined, mounting to some 1.7 million barrels, spread out across 77 warehouses. The adage, ‘everything is bigger in America’ definitely applies here. Summarised: If ever there is a distillery where numbers matter, it might well be Jack Daniel’s.
Despite these impressive figures, me, a self-declared scotch enthusiast with a keen eye fixed on what’s happening across the pond, I often find myself overlooking Jack Daniel’s. When cheating on my beloved scotch by going all lovey dovey on American whisky, I’ve had this built in tendency to look past the biggest player in the field. And might this be because they are deemed guilty by association.
How many of us are genuinely bothered about what Glenfiddich or Glenlivet (let alone Macallan) are doing, most of the time? The obvious assumption here being ‘Big player = catering to the mass market’, with the occasional exception to the rule. Right?
When it’s not Balcones, Westland or another upcoming American distillery I might rave about, I usually settle for any of the 30 or so different Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill or Four Roses brands. Anything, but Jack Daniel’s it seems. And for no other reason that it never crossed my mind to give them a closer look. To me, Jack Daniel’s was just a brand in the same line-up Jameson, J&B or Johnnie Walker Red; something you order at a bar on ice and/or with cola when going out or kicking back on holiday, but not something you fill your own liquor cabinet with.
Review
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, 100º Proof, Travel Retail Exclusive, 50% ABV
€45 (£40) paid. Widely available.
Flashback to roughly a year ago when I came back from my summer holiday. The location; a fairly small airport somewhere on the Spanish Canary Islands. Before reaching our gate, I was keen to do some window shopping. However, I quickly became discouraged by the either underwhelming or expensive selection of the travel retail spirits and wine store.
Up to the point where I was willing to give up, especially as I already had a few locally purchased bottles packed away in my suitcase, were it not for a bottle of Jack Daniel’s single barrel that caught my attention. With a price tag of about €45 (£40-ish) and presented at 100 proof and bottled in bond, it seemed I finally found something which was both affordable and presented with useful and factual information such as barrel house, cask number, bottling date. The words ‘bottled in bond’ guarantee whiskey comes at 50% ABV and is essentially four years old rather than being drowned in marketing drivel with a cynical presentation to go along with it.
The irony that it was indeed one of the biggest players in the game that presented me with this no nonsense approach to whisky, particularly in an area where cynical marketing nonsense came in no short supply, didn’t go past me. And also, I quite like the look and shape of the bottle: it has a sort of retro, understated classiness to it, without painting it on too thickly. I am a bit of a sucker for aesthetics, it seems.
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
A lovely bourbon is delivered in every sense but the name
Nose
Cherry, vanilla, cola cubes, honey and hints of wood with pencil shavings in the mix. Oiliness from corn-oil and linseed oil. Over time, hints of sweet bananas appear. This practically screams bourbon to me, and a nice one at that.
Palate
Sweet and sour arrival, with cherry sweetness and banana and a pleasant glue like sweetness, leaning against a gentle woody bitterness. The ABV is noticeable but also helps bring a full, dense, half dry-half viscous mouthfeel before turning towards a dry and wood driven finish.
The Dregs
Balanced, rich and engaging yet classic and easy going. I particularly enjoy this on the back of some sherry cask matured single malt, as I find it easily stands its ground after a sherry bomb barrage, bringing out its own intrinsic quality and flavours.
To me, this is a perfectly palatable and very enjoyable, super decent bourbon in every sense but the name. I get why Jack Daniel’s emphasises the whole Tennessee whiskey thing, especially when you’re aiming to build your brand while your neighbouring state is deemed the whiskey and bourbon capital of America. Also, when you’re the biggest player in the game, having a USP to differentiate you from everyone else, will likely receive a round of applause from your marketing department.
But, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then surely it’s a duck. If anything, the whole Lincoln county process - where they filter the spirit through charcoal to give it extra smoothness - they use as their trump card to distinguish themselves from everyone else and particularly Kentucky bourbon, only adds to the bourbon like qualities of their whiskey.
It tastes more bourbon than some bourbon, in fact. Whatever the case, I’m very glad to have caved in on this blobal travel retail exclusive - it’s easily available outside of airports too, from what I gather. It’s affordable, tasty, ticks all the boxes in terms of presentation, and with autumn just around the corner, I might just have found a lovely evening sipping bourbon. I mean whiskey.
Just know, that by the time you’ve finished reading this, Jack Daniel’s have sold yet another 3,000 or so bottles.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA
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