Jack Daniel’s New Rye Whiskey Is Excellent

Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Sunday for his latest whiskey review.

Jack Daniel’s has been releasing some seriously good new whiskeys over the past few years, something that I’ve covered here extensively. The portfolio now ranges way beyond Old No. 7, the classic Tennessee whiskey workhorse that anchors the distillery’s lineup and is one of the most popular whiskeys in the world. There have been new age statements expressions (and rumors of even older ones to come), single malts, and various blends and cask finishes, but the best category the distillery has been releasing is rye whiskey—and the latest limited-edition release is proof of this.

Jack Daniel’s didn’t even make rye whiskey until 2011, the year it introduced its first new mashbill since 1866: 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley. That is similar to the rye mashbills used by some Kentucky distilleries, although Jack uses a much higher rye percentage than many that go with the “barely legal” percentage of 51 percent rye. The first release was an Unaged Rye in 2012, followed by a Rested Rye two years later, and a Single Barrel Rye in 2016. A year after that, Tennessee Rye arrived, but it was replaced a few years later with the Bonded Rye (also a superb whiskey). There have also been several ryes released as part of the limited-edition Distillery Series, formerly known as Tennessee Tasters, including the Twice Barreled Rye, Oak Barrel Rye, and a Maple Barrel Rye in 2022.

This new whiskey is kind of a revamp of that last release. Distillery Series Selection #14, a.k.a. Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in High Toast Maple Barrels (a mouthful), was aged for approximately four to six years and was then put into a “high-toast, no-char maple barrel” for an additional three years (20 months longer than the original release). The result is a very appealing rye that retains the Jack Daniel’s character, but has become something truly unique and delicious. The banana notes that are often associated with the distillery’s whiskey are toned down, with flavors of spiced nuts, apple, pear, cherry, orange, oak, and cinnamon taking centerstage. There is a sweetness from the maple barrel (maple wood, not a cask used to age maple syrup it should be noted), but it is not overpowering or cloying. And the higher than usual 107 proof pushes this whiskey even further, giving it a soft blanket of heat on the finish.

Distillery Series #14 is one of the better rye whiskeys produced at Jack Daniel’s, and just a really good rye whiskey overall. If you’re a diehard rye fan who likes spicy 95 percent (or higher) expressions, I think you’ll appreciate this bottle, and it will surely appeal to bourbon fans who lean towards the sweeter end of the flavor spectrum. I’m looking forward to seeing what Jack Daniel’s has in store for us next—fingers crossed it’s a high age statement rye whiskey.

Score: 93