Jack Daniel's throws us a curveball alongside the 10 year batch 2 release; I've seen a lot more buzz on the 12 year, but I was more excited about the 10 year personally. I've had a few exploration drams of this bottle now and I'm ready to offer my well-triangulated thoughts to you, my dear reader. I am admittedly up against a short window of review time, so I'll get right into tasting and keep todays intro short. Let's get into the whiskey!
Company on Label: Jack Daniel Distillery
Whiskey Type: Tennessee Whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: 80% Corn, 8% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Proof: 107°
Age: 12 years
Further identification: Batch 01 is displayed on the front label of this release which was first made available in March of 2023 alongside the 10 year Batch 2
Nose: Up front the nose is dark, viscous and clearly well-aged. Diving deeper caramel, dusty oak and molasses brood in the heavy nose-feel. Heavy black pepper, anise and rough linen bombard the senses. The glass is overall almost too bright to nose and I'm pushed nearly to the point of a sneeze. Faint hints of cherry skins can be made out from the heavy blanket of barrel influence. Let's dive into a sip and see if this will open up a bit more.
Coming back from a sip shows off a reformed glass; delicate vanilla bean and marshmallow now undulate slowly off the surface. The aromas of the glass have become much softer and I'm reminded of a well-worked woodshop now. A touch of minerality can be found in the late, weathered glass. Barrel funk continues to be the driving force of the remaining liquid. The empty glass smells of maple sugar, molasses and a hint of barbecue smoke.
Palate: At first sip I'm greeted by soft caramel chews, sherry and nilla wafers. The linger is soft and lovely as it sits long on the tongue like the afterglow of a bite of lemon meringue pie. Another sip accelerates particles of cherry blossom, honeysuckle and freshly buttered toast onto my taste buds. The flavors present cohesive, approachable and well-refined here. As I continue to work through the glass my enjoyment grows, but some of the luster fades. What was exceptionally unique for a moment is now fairly consistent with normality. Vanilla and oak dominate late in the glass as layers are shed and true colors are shone. My final sip is a delicate, bready confectioners delight; soft crépe meets butter and a drizzle of caramel completes an easy sip.
Rating: 4/5
Now that I am not tasting the 10 year and the 12 year alongside each other, I am finding way more similarities between the two. Many of the notes from the 10 year review are shining through in incredible detail. I'm happy to say I'm damn glad to sip either of them and beyond blessed to have both of them on my shelf. The 10 year smells like I'm back at the distillery, so maybe there is a nostalgia factor there for me. The 12 year is deeper and offers more for you to chew on, for better or worse. The 10 year is more unique, the 12 year is more 'classic good' in my opinion. On my level playing field of quality, I still prefer the overall profile of the 10 year, batch 2, but only by a hair. As such - this still gets my lustrous 4/5 score, but will fall out of favor on the "Keep Amongst the Whiskey" distinction. All in all - this is damn good whiskey from the fine folks at Jack Daniel Distillery. I am certain this is going to be another crowd pleaser.
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