Distillery: Jack Daniel Distillery
Region: Lynchburg, Kentucky
Aging: At least 4 years in a Government Bonded Warehouse
ABV: 50%
Proof: 100
Mashbill: 80% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 8% Rye
Price: $40
Appearance: Amber
Nose: Sweet Caramel Apple, Vanilla, Spices, and Oak
Palate: Toasted oak, caramel, and spices create a nice balanced flavor. While you do get a bit of caramel and oak flavor from the 4 years of aging, the spicy heat and charcoal mellowing seem to steal the show here.
Finish: A long and heavy finish with strong spices, burnt oak, and caramel charcoal mellowing. This one finishes with a nice bit of heat but in a good way.
Is Jack Daniel’s Bonded Approachable?
Jack Daniel’s Bonded definitely has a bit more heat than your standard 40% ABV bottle of Jack Daniel’s. In addition to the extra heat comes a lot more flavors as well. While I wouldn’t recommend this bottle to a beginner whiskey drinker, I think it would be a good option for someone who is familiar with whiskey and wants to taste a better option than the base-level Jack Daniel’s No. 7.
Is Jack Daniel’s Bonded Complex?
Jack Daniel’s Bonded has a nice level of complexity. If you compare this to the standard Jack Daniel’s No. 7 the flavors are far superior in this one. Not only do you still get the caramel and oak flavors, but you get the extra heat from being a bonded bottle of whiskey which comes with spice, heat, and a more charcoal-mellowing finish.
What are Jack Daniel’s Bonded’s strongest attributes/flavors?
My favorite attribute of this bottle is the spicy kick on the finish. It’s a flavor that I wouldn’t have expected from Jack Daniel’s because they are usually much sweeter and filled with more caramel flavors. Jack Daniel’s Bonded still has a little caramel to it, but it’s accentuated by the spices and charcoal kick.
What Does Bonded Mean?
Since this bottle is labeled “Bonded” it has a few requirements that it must meet to qualify as a bonded whiskey.
Back in 1897, the government issued the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 to regulate the inconsistent quality of whiskey of the time. In order to create a standard level of quality, the government provided tax incentives to distilleries that met their requirements.
Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 required the following:
- Made by a single Distiller
- One Distillation Season (January-June or July-December)
- Aged in barrels for a minimum of 4 years
- Must be aged in a government-bonded warehouse
- Must be bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% ABV)
By regulating the quality of the whiskey the government was able to incentivize distilleries to create quality products rather than using flavor and coloring agents like iodine, tobacco, and other substances.
While the importance of having “bonded” attached to your whiskey isn’t nearly as important as it was in the late 1800s, it’s still a good way to know the level of whiskey you will be getting when you purchase a bottle of any whiskey with the label “bottled-in-bond” or “bonded whiskey”.
Is Jack Daniel’s Bonded a go-to whiskey?
I could easily see this bottle being a go-to whiskey. At the $40 price tag, it’s not all that much more than your standard bottle of whiskey and the additional kick is worth the price tag. And if you’re having a rough day, this one will help you get to where you want to be going that much quicker.
Is Jack Daniel’s Bonded priced accurately to its quality?
While I do enjoy this bottle and think that the price tag is accurate to its quality, I think there would be other bottles I would choose over this one. For example, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select cost $50 and is much smoother, and has a more balanced flavor profile than this one.
Other options I would probably go for would be a bottle of New Riff Single Barrel – Barrel Proof and Four Roses Small Batch Select.
Overall Conclusion on Jack Daniel’s Bonded
This is a solid bottle of whiskey. It is worth the $40 price tag if you are a fan of spicy whiskey with a bit of heat. I do enjoy the flavors quite a bit and will be reserving this bottle for snowy days next to the fire.
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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