Distillery: Jack Daniel Distillery
Region: Lynchburg, Kentucky
Aging: 14 Years
ABV: 63.15% ABV
Proof: 126.3 Proof
Mashbill: 80% Corn, 8% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
MSRP Price: $150
Secondary Price: $400+
Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Tasting Notes
Appearance: Dark Chocolate Amber
Nose: Rich dark fruits, black cherry, plum, raspberry, caramel molasses, cinnamon, charred oak, spice, dark chocolate, charcoal mellowing, vanilla
Palate: Extremely rich caramel and molasses, toasted and charred oak, dark fruits, cinnamon, tons of tannic oaky spice, pepper, earthy, tobacco, leather, light notes of grassy/dirt, clove
Finish: Extremely long finish that seems to last forever and leaves your mouth coated in a heavy oily and spicy mouthfeel – absolutely jam-packed full of oak flavor and spice
Is Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Approachable?
Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Batch 1 is not exactly what I would call “approachable”.
For most, the 63.15% ABV will give their taste buds a run for their money.
But if you’re a fan of the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof, you will absolutely LOVE this bottle.
While this bottle isn’t for the meek, it is one of the richest whiskeys I have ever tasted.
It has layers and layers of flavors and each flavor is bigger than the next.
Is Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Complex?
Jack Daniel’s 14 Year is necessarily complex, but it does have many layers of flavors that just continue to build on each other as you continue to sip the whiskey.
It starts with your standard Jack Daniel’s notes of caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, and charcoal mellowing, but oddly enough, I hardly get any banana on this pour.
Then as it hits your palate, you start to really get the intense richness of the almost molasses level sweetness which goes above and beyond your usual caramel notes.
Next you get some rich dark red fruits that flash across your taste buds but are quickly dwarfed by the rich charred oak and tannic oaky spices and pepper flavors.
This pour is a whiskey you have to taste multiple times just to really pull out all of the flavors you’re truly tasting.
It’s a real treat to sip on and one of the boldest expressions of aged bourbons I’ve ever tasted (yes, I know it’s not technically a bourbon).
What are Jack Daniel’s 14 Year’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Jack Daniel’s 14 Year’s strongest attribute is absolutely the level of rich molasses and bold oak that shine through on each sip.
Many whiskeys that are aged this long stray too far in the direction of oak and lack other flavors, but this bottle of Jack Daniel’s has created one of the most oak-forward whiskeys I’ve ever tasted while also drawing out a spectacular range of other flavors that balance extremely well with the bold oak.
Is Jack Daniel’s 14 Year a go-to whiskey?
Jack Daniel’s 14 Year is a whiskey I will be reserving for special occasions for two reasons:
- It’s extremely limited release makes it hard to find without paying a fortune
- It’s a bottle I don’t want to drink to quickly so I can savor it an ounce or so at a time
If this bottle were readily available and at a lower price, I still am not sure I would drink it all the time because it just feels so rich that it deserves to be savored and wouldn’t strike me as a go-to.
For that, I’d stick with my regular go-to of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof.
Is Jack Daniel’s 14 Year priced accurately to its quality?
Jack Daniel’s 14 Year costs $150 MSRP.
I was a bit surprised by the jump in price from the Jack Daniel’s 10 Year ($80) and Jack Daniel’s 12 Year ($90).
While I do think the bottle is worth the $150 price tag, it is extremely limited and I think Jack Daniel’s knew they had a special release that would be extremely limited.
I am certainly glad I found myself a bottle to taste and review, but 99% of people this bottle will only be found on the secondary market for $400+.
And to be honest, it is unique enough that it’s probably worth purchasing a bottle at $200-300 if you can find it, especially if you’re a big fan of Jack Daniel’s.
All-in-all I’ve been extremely happy with Jack Daniel’s pricing on bottles and I cannot complain that this is their first special release they’ve jacked up over the $100 price point.
The only other bottle I’ve seen over $100 is the Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select which is a bit overpriced, but also the smoothest of all the Jack Daniels.
Overall Conclusion on Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s 14 Year is a spectacular whiskey.
Do whatever you can to get yourself a bottle because it’s hard to do this whiskey justice with words alone.
It’s one you must taste for yourself to understand.
But trust me, you want to taste it.
Let Us Know What You Think
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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