Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Special Release Review

David Levine -

BOTTLE DETAILS

  • DISTILLER: Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee
  • MASH BILL: 100% Malted Barley
  • AGE: NAS - No Age Statement, but at least 6 years old according to the press release
  • YEAR: 2022
  • PROOF:  105.7 Proof (52.85% ABV, ranges from 105.7 - 107.8 proof)
  • MSRP: $70 (700mL)

DAVID'S REVIEW OF JACK DANIEL'S TWICE BARRELED SPECIAL RELEASE

SHARE WITH:  Your local bottle share, if only to get opinions. I had great difficulty figuring out whether I liked this or not. Alternatively, share with lovers of American Single Malt as well as lovers of oloroso – there’s plenty of oloroso in this.

WORTH THE PRICE: I guess? If you get it at MSRP, frankly it’s worth the price to have the bottle and either open it or keep it as a collectible.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle for the collectors. Bust for the rest.

OVERALL: With the confusing news about this release (it was originally travel retail only, then in the US as a special edition) I got the distinct sense that Jack Daniel’s doesn’t know what they want to do with their single malt. After tasting this, I’m that much more convinced on the matter. There’s so much oloroso that it verges on becoming syrupy like a PX sherry, and whatever the Jack Daniel’s Single Malt character might be is obliterated by the two years “in the finest quality Spanish Oloroso sherry casks from the Antonio Paez Lobato Cooperage before bottling at cask proof.”

That “finest quality Spanish Oloroso” is delicious. It’s also all you can taste. Sweet sherry, bright Seville oranges, and a dusty candy texture reminiscent of crushed Necco wafers blanket the nose, palate, and finish. On the first taste, when I tried it completely blind, I was convinced it was a Dickel product finished in PX. Take that for what you will flavor-wise.

It makes me question whether Jack Daniel’s even wants us to try their single malt. The two products in which it has appeared so far – this and the Triple Mash – were blended and finished, covering up the single malt behind other mash bills and over-finishing. I tried this three times, failing each time to identify what I thought the malt profile could be. When the single malt comes out on its own, tentatively in mid-2023, perhaps we can revisit this and evaluate whether that character is present. Until then, this is high proof oloroso and nothing more.


BRAND TASTING NOTES

“Our Special Release series highlights our ongoing innovations and exceptional whiskeys from the Jack Daniel Distillery, and I’m excited to share this expression as our team set out to craft an American Single Malt that’s uniquely Jack Daniel’s,” said Chris Fletcher, Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller. “The combination of maturing in oak barrels and finishing in sherry casks produces incredible complexity and provides a full-bodied and sophisticated whiskey experience. We’ve never crafted a whiskey like this in Lynchburg and can’t wait to share it with our friends.”

NOSE: Soft oak, fruit and cocoa

TASTE: Caramel and vanilla are complemented by notes of chocolate-covered nuts and berries

FINISH: Subtle sherry