Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Taster’s Selection Barrel Proof Rye
Released in 2019, this bottle was an experimental selection by master distiller Jeff Arnett and various master tasters throughout Jack Daniel’s. It came out in simple, 375ml bottles, not much adornment and not carrying any of the usual Jack Daniel’s imagery other than the name and the black tax strip with DSP TN-1. I didn’t hear about it until early fall 2020, a full year after it came out - and I haven’t stopped searching for it since.
Simply put, this bottle is a tester for the Jack Daniel’s 2020 Special Release Barrel Proof Rye. It’s stats and story are nearly the same: taken from the top parts of the warehouses at barrel proof (all the Tennessee Tasters’ are at 127.6, whereas the Special Release varies from 125-140). This was a test that Jack Daniel’s aced in full spades. I would argue that the Tasters’ set is even better than the Special Release, but honestly that changes day by day.
As successful as the 2019 Barrel Proof Rye release was, Jack Daniel’s has now started putting out other Tasters’ batches - finished in Jamaican Allspice casks, a hickory-smoked finish, and more - but I can’t believe any are as good as this rye. It’s just that good.
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selection Barrel Proof Rye: Specs
Classification: TN Straight Rye
Origin: Jack Daniel’s Distillery
Proof: 127.6 (63.8% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: Upper parts of the Jack Daniel’s warehouses
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selection Barrel Proof Rye Price: $50 (MSRP)
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selection Barrel Proof Rye Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Maple syrup. Medium rims and droplet legs.
Nose: Tight nose at first, just hints of caramel and rye. No proof at all. Christmas/winter rye opens up first, followed by sweet maple, brown sugar, and baking spices. Becomes really lovely in just a few minutes.
Palate: There’s the rye! Tons of banana Runts, banana nut bread, spices, and Brown-Forman character. This is delicious. The proof hits my whole tongue at once, drying yet packing tons and tons of flavor. Toasty rye and sweet caramel keep coming out. Mouthfeel is, in a word, incredible. The rye and banana are both there, heavy, viscous, coating, a little hot, and sticky - so so good.
Finish: Long, spicy and sweet. Reminds me of a kicked-up Michter’s Toasted Barrel Rye.
Overall: Fantastic - I want 10 more.
Final Rating: 8.3
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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