Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series #8 Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in High Toast Maple Barrels

This bottle (and the 9th release, too) start out with a hilariously dumb story, told to me face-to-face and with a straight face by a high-ranking Jack Daniel’s employee.

You might know how much I loved the Tennessee Tasters series. I talked about them with Jeff Schwartz (Whiskeyfellow) on the Podcast, went on Clifton McDaneil’s BourbonBytes to walk through the first seven, and wrote about a handful of them for this site. The fourth release, the rye, was a hell of an achievement, and some of the others were fascinating attempts at innovation. I can honestly say none of them were busts and all were interesting.

Towards the end of the series, now-former Master Distiller Jeff Arnett departed, with Chris Fletcher taking over as Jack Daniel’s 8th Master Distiller. Lexi Phillips rose to become the Master Taster (she and her husband Josh picked the 8th and 9th releases). There was thus a break in the series, and fans wondered if it would continue.

Turns out, it would - just under a different name: the Distillery Series (though, oddly, the numbering did not restart). The change was made - according to the JD employee - because these bottles are just a bit different from the first seven releases. The team thought fans would be upset by the change since the bottle size would have changed in height and profile and thus wouldn’t be as aesthetically pleasing, so a name change was required.

How different is the bottle, you ask?

About an inch.

That’s right - AN INCH.

I just…that’s insane. They’ve been changing the shape of the cubic bottles for years, first having a more curvaceous look before settling more recently on a harder, more angular profile. Look through the page of special releases - it’s all over the place. Hence, the assertion that “fans” would be upset because the bottle changes less than an inch in height is bonkers. But here we are.

The product itself is ok. My first taste was all wood, a hint of maple but otherwise licking a stave. The second and third pours were a little more balanced, but it was still too oaky. The saving grace was the rye underneath, which continues to be my second favorite rye recipe behind the 95/5. Maple is a light, fragrant note throughout that is fairly true to the label - you get toasted maple wood, mildly caramelized sugars, and new oak. It might take a few tries to get past the woodiness, though.

Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series #8 Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in High Toast Maple Barrels: Specs

Classification: Tennessee Rye Whiskey

Origin: Jack Daniel Distillery

Mashbill: 70% Rye, 18% Corn, 12% Malted Barley

Proof: 101 (50.5% ABV)

Age: 4+ Years Plus Finishing

Location: Tennessee

Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series #8 Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in High Toast Maple Barrels Price: $41.99

No Official Website (Yet)

Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series #8 Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in High Toast Maple Barrels Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Fittingly, maple syrup. Drooping rims, slow teardrops and disappearing legs.

Nose: Ooh - that’s nice. No proof, not overly woody or sweet, just a classic maple-and-cinnamon mix. Cinnamon raisin toast fresh from the toaster slathered in the cinnamon honey butter from Texas Roadhouse. A delicious nose that’s warm and inviting.

Palate: OK, this takes a few tries. The first round is an intense oak, like licking a baking-spice-laden maple wood stave. The maple remains gentle throughout, like the leftover taste in your mouth after finishing French toast. The initial pour is too woody and doesn’t let up. With a few days of oxidization, the wood tones down a bit and this gets closer to a balanced product. Still too oaky for me overall, but with enough underlying sweet rye flavor to make it worth drinking. Clove and white pepper on the front half of the tongue following a cooling mouthfeel that’s astringent and baking spice-heavy. On multiple tries, it feels like a fruit note is fighting to break through but didn’t succeed.

Finish: The fruits keep trying but can’t get past the wooden barrier. The toasted maple remains the dominant flavor on a medium-to-short length finish.

Overall: Going off the second and third try, this is a better product than I initially thought. I don’t think it’s on the level of the Tennessee Tasters series, but it’s a somewhat interesting idea with so-so execution. It gets this rating largely due to the rye, with deductions based on execution.

Final Rating: 6.2

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary

8 | Excellent | Exceptional

7 | Great | Well above average

6 | Very Good | Better than average

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary

4 | Has promise but needs work

1-3 | Let’s have a conversation

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