Jack Daniels 12 Year Old Batch 2 70cl 53.5%
$750.00
Introducing Jack Daniel’s 12-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey. The Jack Daniel Distillery is one of the most complete whiskey distilleries in the world, and we’re able to craft premium whiskeys in a way that honors our heritage while highlighting the modern-day world-class whiskey-making. To honor our distillery’s past, our Master Distiller, Chris Fletcher handcrafted these aged-stated whiskeys and evolved our whiskey process to achieve a rare flavor profile.
I’m certain I’m not the first to say this, but this bottle and its Bonded and 10-year siblings are all the proof one needs to be convinced that Jack Daniel’s is best at higher proofs. The 12-year is a whiskey of tremendous complexity, character and texture, and the 10-year (review forthcoming) is barely less arresting. This Jack is mannerly, wizened, confident and worthy of standing alongside any American whiskey on a back bar. It belies its shockingly modest MSRP.
The nose is that unmistakably fruity-acetone yeast note from Brown-Forman whiskeys–that curious combo of fresh orange, bubble gum, cooked stone fruit and Luxardo Maraschino liqueur that I love. It’s lush and floral on the palate. Every sip is a wave of warmth and flavor rocking forward with fruit and oak and back with pie crust, pipe tobacco and baking spices. Finishes are rarely at the top of my list of interests, but this one is long, just barely dry and pleasant in every way.
Admittedly, it didn’t hurt a bit to taste it at the distillery in Lynchburg (a must-visit if you’ve not been there) with master distiller Chris Fletcher, an unabashed fan of the 12- and 10-year. Watching a guy’s face–who’s tried this liquid countless times–slip into a long and satisfied grin with a few sips says a lot about what’s in the glass and how it commands a pro’s attention.
For what it’s worth, I enjoy Jack Daniel’s cask-strength releases and even those orange-labeled brutes from Coy Hill (the highest rickhouse on Jack’s campus). But this 12-year is my favorite of the family.
Tasting Notes
Eye: Dark amber maple syrup, though oddly a little lighter than the 10-year-old. Medium drooping rims and teardrops on thin legs.
Nose: Warm cinnamon coffee cake. Warm, warm, warm. The Jack profile is surprisingly understated here, present but not dominant. Some proof and oak, not distracting. Banana and caramel syrup flavoring freshly ground coffee. Remarkably balanced nose.
Palate: Peppery, spicy soy sauce and aged ponzu in oak, lots of Asian sauce vibes: savory and dark and sweet all at once. Berry cobbler with a slight char on the crumb. Mouthfeel is light on the tongue but deeply rich, hints of the Coy Hill and whatever Jack Daniel’s extract would taste like. Oddly less oak and less concentrated Jack flavor than the 10-year-old, maybe from a longer time at lower places in the warehouse. Caramel and spice more characteristic of a similarly-aged bourbon than Tennessee whiskey (let that one lie – don’t focus on the semantics).
Finish: Medium-length, nuttiness developing exponentially at the end. Warming al over with oily, creamy, and mouthfilling banana custard.
Overall: While the 10-year-old concentrated the Jack Daniel’s profile, the 12-year-old gives an entirely new dimension. Berry sweetness but not acidity, a slightly burnt crumb topping, and a slightly underdone banana bread. The umami and soy notes at the top are wild, and I had to double-check to make sure I wasn’t the only one getting them. If I have to go with only one bottle, I’m going with this one.
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