Jack Daniel’s has come a long way over the past few years from just being known for making Old No. 7, the Tennessee whiskey that is one of the most popular brands in the world. There have been a couple of American single malts, 10 and 12-year-old age statement whiskeys, and various entries in the experimental Distillery Series. The latest whiskey to join the latter collection is #13, a Twice Barreled Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey that expands the distillery’s rye offerings.
Jack Daniel’s released its first rye whiskey in 2017, and it was the first new mashbill to be produced at the distillery in more than a century: 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley. That whiskey was discontinued and replaced last year by a bottled-in-bond version, which per legal guidelines is at least four years old, 100 proof, and the product of one distillery and one distillation season. There have been various other rye whiskey releases from the distillery over the past few years as well, including single barrel ryes at 47 percent ABV and barrel-proof, and a previous twice-barreled special release that was aged in proprietary heavily toasted Heritage barrels for an additional two years after initial maturation (I didn’t much like this one).
The new Twice Barreled Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey is similar to that previous release, with one major difference. It’s made from the same rye whiskey mashbill as the others, charcoal mellowed as part of the Lincoln County process that defines Tennessee whiskey, and aged in new charred oak barrels. Finally, this whiskey was re-barreled into a new set of charred oak barrels for another two and a half years. That’s a secondary maturation that other whiskeys in the Brown-Forman (the parent company of Jack Daniel’s) portfolio have undergone as well—Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is a good example.
The effects of this lengthy finishing period amps up the wood influence on the whiskey, bringing notes of leather, tobacco, and some wood smoke onto the palate, coming close to the edge of dominating the fruit and spice notes that define the rye but not quite overwhelming them. “Our Tennessee Rye is a take on rye whiskey that is uniquely Jack Daniel’s,” said master distiller Chris Fletcher in a statement. “The 70 percent rye grain bill allows the whiskey to shine through with just the right amount of spiciness and boldness. We’re excited to add a limited-edition expression to our rye lineup with this release, which introduces the whiskey to a second barreling to create a profile with even more depth and character.”
Like all the Distillery Series releases, this whiskey (SRP $42) will be available to purchase at the distillery’s White Rabbit Bottle Shop and select retailers throughout Tennessee in 375-ml bottles. You can find previous releases online at secondary retailer websites as well, but prepared to pay highly inflated prices. The rest of the Jack Daniel’s lineup is available to purchase from websites like ReserveBar, including the excellent single barrel expressions and the 10 and 12-year-old whiskeys.
