Today, we will be tasting and breaking down the entire lineup of Jack Daniel’s whiskeys (plus a few). Our goal is to not only taste and review these whiskeys but to explore the best Jack Daniel’s flavors and determine which of the bottles are worth their price tag.
Jack Daniel’s is a whiskey I’ve been drinking for years. But to be honest, for most of those years, it was just in Jack and Cokes during my college years.
I’ve always considered Jack Daniel’s an absolute staple for my home bar, but I saw the single barrel options recently and decided to compare them to the standard Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7.
So today, we’re going to be going through the entire lineup of Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottles that I could find at my local Fine Wine and Spirits in Pittsburgh, PA and we’re going to break down the flavors of each and determine what the best bottles of Jack Daniel’s are and which bottles are truly worth their price tag.
So to begin, we will take a look at the bottle we all know and love – Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey.
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 ($25)
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 will always hold a dear place in my heart.
Jack and Cokes were always my go-to drink throughout my college life at Penn State.
But as much as I have always loved Jack and Cokes, I always thought of Jack Daniel’s as a whiskey that should be mixed with Coca-Cola.
And to be honest, this base-level Jack Daniel’s bottle is right where it should be – a $25 lower-tier whiskey that should absolutely be used as a mixer with Coke.
Let’s be honest, it’s a match made in heaven.
But now it’s time to take a look at the higher-tier Jack Daniel’s bottles and see whether they can hold their own against the best of the best in the Bourbon, Rye, and Scotch arena.
Read my full Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Review.
Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack ($35)
Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack costs $10 more than the Old No. 7 bottle.
For the extra $10 you are getting a more balanced option that offers sweet toasted barrel notes, toffee, vanilla, and dark fruits on the palate. It is much easier to drink than Old No. 7 and offers a decent amount more flavor.
While it’s not the best whiskey in the $35 price range, it is a much better option from Jack Daniel’s.
Read my full Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack Review.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded Review ($40)
Next, we have Jack Daniel’s Bonded. At the $40 price point (only $5 more than Gentleman Jack), it offers significantly more flavor than Gentleman Jack.
With that being said, the flavors that it offers are very different than Gentleman Jack.
While Gentleman Jack is light, mellow, and easy to drink… Jack Daniel’s bonded is a bold and spicy kick in your taste buds. With notes of sweet caramel apple, vanilla, spices, and oak on the nose paired with toasted oak and charcoal mellowing flavors on the finish, this whiskey is a great option for the more experienced whiskey drinker.
While this bottle may taste okay mixed with Coca-Cola, this is the first of the Jack Daniel’s lineup I would prefer to drink neat or on the rocks rather than in a mixed drink.
Read my full Jack Daniel’s Bonded Review.
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select ($50)
Next, we have Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select.
Not only does the bottle for this one look different, but its level of quality is also quite different.
The moment you sniff the nose on this pour, you’ll experience a much deeper experience than in the previous Jack Daniel’s offerings.
When you smell this one, you get sweet caramel, oak, and toasted barrel notes mixed with dark fruits and spices. Each of these characters stands out and puts this bottle in an entirely different category than the previous bottles in this review.
When you take your first sip, you get lovely dark fruit flavors, spices, caramel, and light notes of vanilla. The finish is smooth and easy with very little burn. The spices linger a bit and leave you with a nice blend of spices and toasted oak flavors.
I feel this is the bottle you should purchase if you have always brushed off Jack Daniel’s as just a whiskey for Jack and Cokes. Not only is it readily available everywhere but the price point is pretty competitive.
Read my full Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Review.
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel – Barrel Proof ($70)
Next up we have Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel – Barrel Proof.
When I saw this on the shelf, I didn’t give it much thought. I figured it was similar to the Single Barrel Select which I just tasted and kind of blew it off since it was $20 more.
But then I took a look at the ABV… 64.85% versus the 47% of Single Barrel Select. This caught my interest and I was curious how much the barrel proof would make a difference and if it’d be worth the extra cash.
And let me tell you…. it absolutely was!
I’m extremely glad that I purchased this bottle and it’s changed my opinion of Jack Daniel’s altogether.
I’ve tasted plenty of whiskeys ranging in price from $15 all the way up to $400. So when I saw the $70 price tag on a Jack Daniel’s bottle, I was hesitant to purchase it thinking it wouldn’t hold up to the competition.
This bottle changed my mind.
For those of you who don’t know, barrel proof means that the whiskey is within 2 degrees lower than the proof established at the time the whiskey was gauged for tax determination. Basically, it means that it is right around the proof that the alcohol left the barrel.
This means a few things when it comes to the strength, flavor, and consistency of the bottles.
- The strength will be much higher than a normal 40% ABV bottle
- The flavors can often be much stronger than the more diluted offerings
- This often means that the bottles are non-chill filtered
- Each barrel can be different which can sometimes offer variation of flavors
That being said, all of the options above are present in the bottle of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel – Barrel Proof that I purchased.
Not only is this bottle far stronger in flavor than the Single Barrel Select, but the texture and mouthfeel are also much different in this bottle.
I’ve written a complete review for Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel – Barrel Proof if you’re interested in reading exactly what stood out in this bottle.
To sum up the review, not only did I get strong bold caramel, toasted oak, vanilla, dark fruits, and spices on the nose and taste of this whiskey, it felt like my entire mouth was coated with all of this flavor.
It wasn’t labeled on the bottle as being non-chill filtered, but since this bottle is barrel proof it was not put through the process of removing all of the oils from the whiskey. This means that it retained all of the buttery and oily textures that are often removed from whiskey nowadays.
Overall, I would say that this bottle completely changed my opinion of Jack Daniel’s distillery and has opened my eyes to the quality of whiskey that they can produce.
If you enjoy strong bold whiskeys, I highly recommend that you purchase a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel – Barrel Proof whiskey.
Jack Daniel’s 10 Year ($75)
Next, we have Jack Daniel’s 10-Year Whiskey.
The Jack Daniel’s 10 Year whiskey started with its first release in 2022.
Now, it is a yearly release alongside Jack Daniel’s 12 Year.
But about the Jack Daniel’s 10 Year Whiskey…
This bottle is one of the best that I have had from Jack Daniel’s.
It offers all the complex flavors of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel – Barrel Proof, but without all of the heat from being a 120+ Proof whiskey.
Granted, this bottle is a limited-release whereas you can get the Single Barrel – Barrel Proof on the shelf at all times, there is something to be said about getting all the incredible depth of flavor in a whiskey without having to completely blow out your taste buds with all the heat of a barrel proof pour.
This bottle is also non-chill filtered which means that you still get the nice oily, buttery mouthfeel full of savory flavor and one of my favorite parts of this pour is the leather and tobacco notes you get on the finish.
This bottle really is a treat and if you have a chance to purchase a bottle, I would suggest buying a backup because you will likely drink this one fast.
Read more in my full Jack Daniel’s 10 Year Review.
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year ($85)
Next, we have Jack Daniel’s 12 Year.
I originally missed the release of this bottle because I was 10th in line at my store and each store in my area only got 6 bottles total.
So that being said, this bottle is extremely limited.
Thankfully, I was able to find myself a bottle of this to review from a friend.
Right off the bat, you can tell this bottle is bigger and bolder than the Jack Daniel’s 10 Year.
Being aged in the barrel for an additional 2 years has really given this whiskey a nice, heavy oak and spice flavor profile that is about as complex as you can get with an American whiskey.
I’m a big fan of heavy oak whiskeys, so this bottle is right up my alley.
As you sip on this pour, you will pull more and more flavor notes each time you take a sip.
The first sip feels a bit hot and spicy and really wakes up all of your taste buds.
I would have honestly thought this was a 55%+ ABV by the initial heat on this one, but by the second and third sips, it really starts to mellow out and you start appreciating the nuance of this bottle.
Behind the heavy oak, spice, and pepper you get a nice caramel sweetness, and notes of vanilla and fruits.
But the real pride and joy of this bottle is the spectacular finish that just lasts forever and leaves you with an amazing oily mouthfeel and flavorful body that just sticks around for minutes after you take the sip.
It is one of the most impressive finishes I have found in a whiskey in a long time.
This bottle is probably the best of the Jack Daniel’s lineup, but since it is so hard to find and expensive on the secondary market, I would probably say your closest comparison would be Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Whiskey.
If you want to read more, you can check out my full Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Review.
Jack Daniel’s Rye ($25)
Next up we have the Rye offering from Jack Daniel’s.
To be honest, I never even knew that Jack Daniel’s had a rye bottle so I decided to pick it up and include it in this comprehensive Jack Daniel’s whiskey review.
To my surprise, I really enjoyed this bottle!
I assumed that since it was just a $25 bottle that it would be similar to its counterpart Old No. 7. I thought it would serve the same fate of forever being served in mixed drinks.
However, after tasting this one, I was pleasantly surprised.
While it’s nothing complex, it offers exactly what it describes on the bottle. A straight rye experience full of earthy, dirt, and grassy floral notes.
It has a little bit of heat to it, but nothing that doesn’t fit with its mash bill.
Overall, I was quite surprised by this purchase and it’s a pour that I would easily drink neat rather than in a mixed drink.
Read my full Jack Daniel’s Rye Review.
Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Review ($40)
Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash is a unique blend of three different mash bills – American Malt, Rye, and Tennessee Whiskey. This means that rather than just getting one profile of flavors, you will be getting a blend of all three of the Jack Daniel’s lineup.
This bottle is also Bottled-In-Bond so I will compare it against the rest of the bottles in this review, but mostly against the Jack Daniel’s Bottled-In-Bond mentioned above.
Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash certainly delivers on what it advertises. You get a whiskey that does indeed include all of the flavors from three different styles of whiskey. At first, you get the spicy bold flavors from the Rye, followed up by the malt and bourbon-y caramel and vanilla flavors offered from the American Malt and Tennessee Whiskey mash bills. The finish is strong and spicy leaving you with mostly the rye spice flavors at the end.
I enjoyed the flavors in this bottle, but I prefer the more traditional Jack Daniel’s profile of sweet caramel flavors. If you generally like Rye Whiskey, I would recommend picking up this bottle to try it out. It’s a unique offering and I’m glad I purchased it.
Read my full Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Review.
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye ($50)
That leads us to the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye.
As mentioned before, I never knew that Jack Daniel’s offered a Rye Whiskey. So after tasting the base offering of Jack Daniel’s rye, I assumed this bottle would also be quite good.
With this bottle costing $50, it definitely stepped up the flavor over it’s $25 counterpart.
However, I don’t think that the price point justified the improvement.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a tasty Rye whiskey and it offers much of what I would expect in a Rye… I just think there are better options for Rye Whiskey in the $50 price range.
The main Rye whiskey that comes to mind would be New Riff Rye – Single Barrel.
As far as Rye whiskeys go, this is one of my absolute favorites and at the same price point, I would have to steer you in the direction of supporting the new up-and-coming whiskey distillery located in Cincinnati Ohio.
Read my full Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye Review.
Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled – 2022 Limited Special Release ($70)
I was lucky enough to find myself a bottle of this Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled – 2022 Limited Special Release and it is quite the pour.
This is Jack Daniel’s first attempt at a 100% American Single Malt and it leads you in a different direction than your standard Jack Daniel’s products.
The main difference is that this bottle is not nearly as sweet and sugary as your normal Jack Daniel’s.
Instead of the heavy brown sugar notes, you get a bit more of the malty graham cracker and cocoa powder flavors on this one.
It is finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks which gives it a lot of dark fruits, cherry, and plum flavors which I enjoyed.
On the finish, you get all of those flavors but it finishes out with dark chocolate, heavy oak with lingering pepper, and dark fruits.
Since this bottle is rare and will be a lot harder to find than all the others, I would say that if you see this bottle for less than $100 I would buy it up. If you see it for more than that, only purchase it if you’re really looking to have a nice sit-down with a unique bottle and experience that is new from Jack Daniel’s.
I have also heard that Jack Daniel’s may be starting to produce more 100% American Malt Whiskey in the near future and may have a cheaper more affordable version of this available soon for $30-40.
Read my full Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled – 2022 Special Release Review.
Overall Review Of Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Lineup
I hope you enjoyed going on this experience with me as I explored the Jack Daniel’s whiskey lineup.
It has definitely opened up my eyes to the quality of whiskey that the Jack Daniel distillery offers.
I have found a definite contender for top bourbon/whiskeys in the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel – Barrel Proof and even though the Jack Daniel’s 10 Year and Jack Daniel’s 12 Year are more refined bottles than the Barrel Proof, it’s limited-release so I have to take that into consideration.
I will likely be comparing many of my whiskeys against this bottle in the future to determine if they will beat this one out.
If I had to choose only three bottles to keep out of all of these, it would be the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof, the Jack Daniel’s 10 Year, and the Jack Daniel’s 12 Year.
All-in-all, this was an excellent learning experience that helped me appreciate the Jack Daniel’s distillery.
I hope my reviews will help you find which bottles fit your budget and help you learn more about your own tastes and preferences when it comes to whiskey.
Additional Mentions
While the next two bottles aren’t technically whiskeys, they are part of the Jack Daniel’s lineup and since I had the bottles already, I figured I would include them here.
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey ($25)
Surprisingly, this bottle of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey was pretty delicious.
It’s labeled as a “honey liqueur blended with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey” and that is exactly how it should be described. It is not a whiskey at all, but more a liqueur.
While I could easily drink this liqueur straight, it’s something I would easily find myself mixing into my tea on a cold winter day or when I am sick.
Read my full Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Review.
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple ($25)
Jack Daniel’s Tennesee Apple is a similar comparison to the Tennessee Honey.
It delivers on what it advertises… whiskey infused with crisp green apples.
It smells almost exactly like a Green Apple Jolly Rancher but still tastes like a whiskey infused with natural apple flavors.
It’s not a fake-tasting flavored liqueur like many other bottles on the market.
If you like sweet candy-like shots, this is a bottle that could be a great option for a party.
I enjoy the flavors in this one and may be experimenting in the future to create a fun riff on the Apple Martini but with whiskey.
Read the full Jack Daniel’s Apple Review.
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire ($25)
And last but not least (okay, maybe it’s least), this is Jack Daniel’s Fire.
Again, not a whiskey at all, but a “Cinnamon liqueur blended with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey”, this liqueur really brought me back to my childhood.
It reminded me of when I used to visit my aunt’s house and my sister and I would walk up the street to the local candy shop.
When you first smell this bottle, you’ll immediately be reminded of Red Hot Candy. That’s it. Just Red Hot Candy. It has no other flavors.
Granted, that can be a good thing depending on the crowd at your party.
If you find someone who isn’t a big whiskey drinker and are looking to give them a shot, the Jack Daniel’s Honey and Jack Daniel’s Fire are both excellent options.
Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack ($17)
Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack is exactly what it says it is… a Spice Apple Cider Punch.
While not really a whiskey, it is a blend of apple cider liqueur and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey.
Think of this as a warm apple cinnamon dessert liqueur that you could serve after dinner at a holiday party, add to your tea on a cold winter day, or use to make tasty holiday cocktails.
It’s very easy to drink and could be a great option if you’re looking for a cheap gift to take to a holiday party or need a drink for people who aren’t fans of the good stuff…. aka… good whiskey.
International Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Releases
I have had some friends who travel and they know I love Jack Daniel’s so they sometimes find me international releases that are different from bottles we can find here in the United States.
I wanted to add them to this comprehensive list so I will be adding them as I can find them here.
Jack Daniel’s Bottled-In-Bond ($54 International)
This bottle was one I thought would be identical to the Jack Daniel’s Bonded we have here in the United States.
I was excited to compare the two so I actually wrote a Jack Daniel’s Bottled-in-Bond vs Jack Daniel’s Bonded article to taste them side by side and compare them (the results were surprising).
When I tasted the two side-by-side, I was shocked at how different they were.
This bottle of Jack Daniel’s Bottled-In-Bond was far more focused on refined sweet notes like honey-caramel, vanilla, and nice fruit notes whereas the Jack Daniel’s Bonded was more oak and spicy flavors.
All-in-All this Jack Daniel’s Bottled-In-Bond turned out to be one of my favorite Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottles out of them all.
It has all the rich flavors that I know and love from Jack Daniel’s but is more refined than the single barrel versions that usually contain all the flavor.
If you’re traveling internationally and see this one, I definitely recommend getting yourself a pour (or a bottle for home).
Overall Conclusion for Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Lineup
While I started this tasting expecting to write off Jack Daniel’s as basic whiskey that should always be mixed with Coca-Cola, I was quickly proven wrong.
Jack Daniel’s deserves a lot more respect than I had previously been giving it and my bottle of Single Barrel – Barrel Proof may not last long at all.
If you’re looking for the best options to pick up to experience the best of Jack Daniel’s, I would highly recommend both the Single Barrel Select and Single Barrel – Barrel Proof options.
So far though, my favorite bottle is the Jack Daniel’s 10 Year.
It is just so full of flavor and delivers everything I love about the Barrel Proof bottle but without as much heat.
I’ll really look forward to finding a bottle of the Jack Daniel’s 12 Year and hope I can manage to get to the store 10 minutes earlier next time.
That being said, the limited-release Jack Daniel’s 10 Year is absolutely worth the purchase if you can find it and both of the single barrel editions should be relatively easy to find on any liquor store shelf and will give any bourbon a run for its money.
*Note: I finally managed to get myself a bottle of the Jack Daniel’s 12 Year (mentioned above now) and it is the best whiskey from Jack Daniel’s on this entire list.
Let Us Know What You Think
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
If you decide to give these bottles a shot, please let us know on social media via Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Thanks for reading and cheers!
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