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Liquor Review: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel

Published on October 23rd, 2007 in Liquors of the Month, Whiskey & Bourbon by Kevin

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Jack Daniel’s is one of the most recognizable brands in the spirit world. There have been a number of songs written about it, from David Allen Coe’s Jack Daniel’s If You Please to the more recent Sex Slaves’ Thank god for Jack Daniel’s. When you think whiskey, you probably think Jack Daniel’s. However, most of the fame is enjoyed by the original “Old No. 7″. Fortunately for drinkers around the world, No. 7 has a better-aged and more refined sibling, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel.

The first thing you notice when you get your hands on a bottle is the awesome deep red amber color of this spirit, that is if you are into judging a liquor by its color. Unfortunately, for us at BoozeBasher, we couldn’t care less what our liquor looks like. We are firm believers that booze is for drinking, not decoration. Luckily, this single barrel beverage has much more to offer than good looks. Jimmy Bedford, head distiller, has the arduous task of tasting each barrel and setting aside select barrels that he feels are a cut above the rest. These barrels age for about 8 years before each is drained and and hand-bottled. The aging is apparent when you first open the bottle and the smokey, woody aroma with just a hint of vanilla escapes. We were all in agreement at this point. However, the taste is where we had a difference of opinion.

I like whiskey, actually I really like whiskey and I prefer it with a very bold, slap you in the face flavor. Unfortunately, I am the only one on the BoozeBasher staff that feels this way. Lucky for me, JD Single Barrel has a rich, bold taste. When poured over ice and enjoyed immediately I found the smokey, woody and peppery taste pleasing to my pallet. However, nobody else had much good to say about it. After tasting a few other liquors, I returned to my lonely drink and discovered the flavor to be much improved by the melting of a little ice. I let the other guys try it and we all agreed that cutting it with just a little water seemed to release the subtle corn and caramel flavors. It is still not a smooth as Maker’s Mark, but to me, the difference is made up by the extra flavor of the JD Single Barrel.

The drunkability testing also brought mixed results. The first test was in the midst of a BBQ and resulted in a very sober Kevin. Apparently, grilled meats counteract the effects of alcohol, who knew? The second test was after a particularly frustrating day of work; one drink turned into two, which turned into three and then into a full fledged drunkability test. This time the whiskey turned me into a tipsy, giggling idiot. Honestly, the feeling was similar to the Clear Spring 190 buzz except without all of the yelling. The best part is that I felt great the next morning. There was no indication that I had spent the previous night knocking over or dropping just about anything I had in my hands.

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel is a bit pricey at about $50 a bottle. If you are not a whiskey drinker or you prefer it with a more subtle taste, the price is not worth the product. With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed my bottle and will probably keep one on hand for future consumption. If you are big on drinking bold-flavored whiskey and have never tried this liquor, I suggest you pick up a bottle. If you are fanatical about it, you can just buy yourself an entire barrel for the low price of only $8400.

Also check out our review of Jack Old No. 7.

Sipability – 7.5

October 2007 Mixability – N/A