Jack Daniel’s Released a Limited-Edition New Rye Whiskey aged in Maple
As I’ve written about before, Jack Daniel’s has been on a remarkable run over the past few years, frequently releasing new expressions when it really could just rely on sales of the whiskey juggernaut that is Old No. 7. The Distillery Series has led the way with innovations, and the latest release is a new version of a rye whiskey that was finished in toasted maple barrels.
Jack Daniel’s released its first widely available rye whiskey in 2017, after experimenting with an unaged version, a young “rested” rye, and a single barrel expression. That Tennessee Straight Rye was the first new mashbill to be made at the distillery since 1866: 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley. But that version of the rye was replaced by the Bonded Rye in 2022, a bottled-in-bond whiskey that came out along with the Triple Mash Blend and Bonded Tennessee Whiskey.
There have been several other rye expressions released over the past few years, including an earlier incarnation of this particular one, which is the 14th entry in the Distillery Series (originally known as the Tennessee Taster Series). Like previous releases, this one was overseen by master distiller Chris Fletcher. “Here at the Jack Daniel Distillery, we have the ability to experiment and pull different levers to innovate all along the whiskey making process, from grains all the way to the barrel,” he said in a statement. “In this latest Distillery Series release, high toast maple barrels accentuate our award-winning rye whiskey while drawing out unprecedented seasonal flavors that lead to a special experience.”
This rye was made using the same mashbill of 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley as previous expressions. It is charcoal mellowed, as the distillery calls it, before being put into new charred white oak barrels (part of the Lincoln County process that defines Tennessee whiskey as a category). After initial maturation (likely between four and six years, but the age is not disclosed) it’s placed into high-toast, no-char maple barrels to age for an additional three years in a warehouse on top of Tanyard Hill at the distillery, which is much longer than the first 2022 release spent in those particular barrels. I didn’t get to try a sample of the whiskey, but official tasting notes describe tobacco and clove on the nose, with dried fruit, chocolate, rye spice, and caramel on the palate followed by a sweet maple finish. The whiskey is bottled at 107 proof.
Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in High Toast Maple Barrels (SRP $44) is available exclusively at the distillery in 375-ml bottles. There are only 3,300 available (the least to date in the Distillery Series, according to the brand), so head on over now if you’d like to get one. And you can find the rest of the lineup, including the excellent 10 and 12-year-old expressions, available at ReserveBar now.
