It’s been 100 years or so since the Jack Daniel Distillery released a whiskey of 10 years of age or greater. Evolving Jack Daniel’s past aged-stated whiskey process, these Tennessee Whiskey barrels have been aging in the Buzzard’s Roost of our barrelhouse, and methodically relocated to the lower floors of different barrel houses to extend the aging process for the last 10 summers. The extreme weather variation at different locations in the barrel houses along with longevity in our handmade oak barrels creates an intense, unique character of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.
Jack Daniel’s is now fully committed to experimenting with their lineup. After spending decades churning out Old Number 7 and Gentlemen Jack, the distillery in Lynchburg, TN has finally decided to fully embrace the whisky craze and explore new and exciting expressions for their lineup. After winning praise for their Barrel Proof and Bonded products, it feels right that they are now exploring longer maturations. So, while typical Jack Daniel’s is aged for “at least 4 years”, what we are drinking today is aged for at least 2.5 times that – meaning we have a full 10 year age statement!
Jack Daniel’s debuted this 10 year product last year to raucous excitement, and have continued the fun this year with a second batch of 10 year and the addition of an even older 12 year product this time around. And while Jack Daniel’s 12 year, this 10 year is rocking a 97 proof. And honestly, that seems pretty reasonable in a world of wildly expensive limited editions.
Jack Daniel’s 10 year (Batch 2) is an impressive follow up to the highly regarded first batch of Jack Daniel’s 10 year. While I never had the chance to try that first batch, if it was anything like this one, I know why there was so much hype. The 10 years in oak has clearly made a significant impact on the spirit, taking that sometimes brittle Jack Daniel’s profile and creating a rich and deep profile with more oak, complexity, and a fantastic mouthfeel. The longer maturation has balanced the banana Laffy Taffy sweetness and has elevated the profile to an approachable, yet complex place. This is a great pour worth seeking out. The MSRP is spot on here, so anything close to it is an instant buy for me. So, while it isn’t as challenging as Jack Daniel’s Barrel Proof can be, this is a fantastic addition to the lineup and might have you rethinking your Jack Daniel’s prejudices.
Availability: Limited; 42,000 bottles