Review #103 Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Rye Special Release: Tennessee Rye

Score: 9.1 / 10

Distillery: Jack Daniel's

Type: Tennessee Rye Whiskey

A bit of research shows this to be particular bottling to be estimated around the 5-6 year old age range and having less of a charcoal taste than typical JD, as it only runs through 3 feet of charcoal instead of 10 feet. Its's actually a really interesting process if you ever hear about it on the Jack Daniels's Distillery tour.

As the name suggests, this was a very small release. We estimate that there are about 25-30,000 bottles. It is certainly not impossible to find knowing those numbers. It's also nice to note that even though this is an allocated whiskey, the brand name will scare off the "Rare Release" crowd. You should be able to have it all to yourself if you come across a bottle bwahahaha.

This will make you forget what you think you know about Jack Daniel's. The Special Release Barrel Proof Rye is the real deal! It packs unique and potent flavors that deliver an easy drinking experience juxtaposed by its 135 proof.

Whiskey Review:

Nose: Big rye spice (no surprise), raison, pepper, fresh wheat and ripe banana. Very sweet and sugary with cascading vanilla, whipped cream and cake frosting.

Palate: Lemon rind touches the tongue first alongside cinnamon spiced red and green apples. There's a layer of creamy vanilla and medicinal cherry that turns into a perfectly balanced smoky cinnamon pepper spice. Raisin appears with a splash of banana pudding / Nilla wafers to round out the drinking experience.

Check the proof here, because this bottle is at 135.1, and it drinks so far under that number its incredible (seriously, I've had 107 proof whiskies hotter than this).

Finish: Very dry and long lasting. Potent rye spice sticks around indefinitely, leaving big wheat notes, dry oak and orange rind all accompanied by a nice but persistent smoke.

Score: 9.1

Scale:

S+ Sensational - The Pinnacle (9.5+)

A - AXEceptional (astounding) (9-9.5)

B - bravo (step aBove average) (8-8.9)

C - competent (7-7.9)

D - disappointing (6-6.9)

F - flush it down the toilet (fail) (5.9 below)

Availability? Rare. This is going to take some time to search around, but as aforementioned, if you find it they'll have a few. So if this is your jam, by all means buy it up! My suggestion is check out some bigger stores. Small "around the corner" liquor stores are not going to get this release.