Distillery: Jack Daniel Distillery
Region: Lynchburg, Kentucky
Aging: 12 Years
ABV: 53.5% ABV
Proof: 107 Proof
Mashbill: 80% Corn, 8% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Non-Chill Filtered: No
MSRP Price: $85
Secondary Price: $300+
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Tasting Notes
Appearance: Dark Chocolate Amber
Nose: Sweet caramel, lots of oak, vanilla, touch of cinnamon spice, clove, dark fruits, black cherry, plum, creme brulee, charcoal mellowing – reminds me of my grandma’s cinnamon sugar toast
Palate: Rich oak, tannic spice, pepper, leather, tobacco, caramel, vanilla, hints of banana, clove, dark fruits
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 12 Year Approachable?
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year is a heavy hitter when it comes to both flavor and heat.
Despite being 53.5% ABV, it drinks quite hot and this is backed up by the amount of flavor in each sip.
This whiskey will probably be a bit much for beginners to whiskey, but experienced whiskey drinkers will absolutely love it.
Is Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Complex?
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year is incredibly complex and has a ton of depth and flavor.
The nose is just brilliantly balanced and full of heavy oak, pepper, and spices.
It has a lot of your typical Jack Daniel’s traits like hints of banana, charcoal mellowing, and a caramel sweetness.
Since it is aged for 12 years, the oak really dominates the flavor profile and creates a nicely balanced pour full of rich flavors.
On the palate, you get extremely nice oak and spice flavors.
While not quite as sweet as your usual Jack Daniel’s whiskey, this bottle packs so much flavor from the barrel that it feels so much more complex and layered on your palate.
While the sweetness and fruity banana notes are still there, you get a robust level of oak and tannic spice that just seem to linger on your palate for minutes.
The finish just doesn’t quit.
It sticks around minutes after your last sip and the flavor left in your mouth is full of oak, spice, and notes of Jack Daniel’s classic charcoal mellowing.
What are Jack Daniel’s 12 Year’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year’s strongest attribute is its finish.
It’s very rare to have a whiskey that just fills your entire mouth with flavor and really wakes up all of your taste buds across the board.
I’m a big fan of oaky whiskey so this pour is right up my alley.
Is Jack Daniel’s 12 Year a go-to whiskey?
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year is a limited-release bottle and this is the first batch they have ever done of it.
Since it is quite rare, this is a bottle I will reserve for special occasions or to share with friends who will appreciate the pour.
Is Jack Daniel’s 12 Year priced accurately to its quality?
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year definitely delivers on its MSRP price tag of $85.
I would buy this bottle up in a heartbeat if I saw it on the shelf at that price.
Unfortunately, I missed this bottle on release because they only had 6 bottles at each store in my area and 12 bottles of Jack Daniel’s 10 Year.
I did manage to get myself a bottle of Jack Daniel’s 10 Year, but I had to trade a friend for this bottle to review for you.
Overall Conclusion on Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year is a very spectacular whiskey.
It is basically the Jack Daniel’s 10 Year but aged an additional 2 years to pack even more oak, spice, and flavor into the whiskey.
I have only had a few whiskeys over the years that have left me with the balance, finish, and complexity this whiskey offers.
The few that come to mind would be the Jim Beam Lineage, Russell’s Reserve 13 Year, Duke Grand Cru Founder’s Reserve.
The more I sit with this pour, the more and more I am enjoying it, too.
This is one of those bottles that you will continue to revisit and pull out new flavors each time you taste it.
I’m going to have to figure out where I would place this bottle in my list of Best Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Bottles and Flavors, but I know it’s going to be somewhere near the top.
If you find this bottle on the shelf, definitely pick yourself up a bottle (or 4).
This is one I’ll be keeping my eye out for in the future.
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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