Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Review

Updated September 20, 2024

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

The single barrel whiskey concept, in America at least, began with the introduction of Blanton’s in 1984 by the legendary Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee. Back then, however, that Frankfort, Kentucky distillery was known as the George T. Stagg Distillery. It wouldn’t be renamed Buffalo Trace until 2001, and was a relatively obscure outpost in the liquor business. Lee introduced single barrel whiskey as an American answer to the success of Scottish single malts; at the same time, another relatively obscure distillery, Maker’s Mark, was positioning itself as a luxury, small batch product.

A couple of years later, the biggest name in American Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s, cut the proof on its flagship Old No. 7 “Black Label” expression from 90 to 86. The whiskey was cut again in 2002, all the way down to the minimum of 80 proof. In my mind, this was symbolic of what Lynchburg was about at that time: they put an overwhelming emphasis on producing mass market whiskey for a global palate. During a period where other American whiskey distillers were introducing new, distinctive and boldly flavored brands in an effort to reinvent themselves, JD seemed to be moving in the other direction. Their answers to small batch (Gentleman Jack) and single barrel were unremarkable by comparison.

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select, on the other hand, has received an upgrade on both the inside and outside. The look of the bottle is much more refined; insofar as what goes into that bottle, improving a single barrel expression is both as simple and as complicated as choosing better (and perhaps fewer) barrels to bottle. Ten years ago, I thought their barrel selection for Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel yielded a product little better than Old No. 7; today, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select (94 proof) is a markedly better expression.

The Whiskey
A pour of JD SB Select has a light amber/darkened copper look to it. The scent draws a sweet character from candy corn, banana chips and vanilla, accented by toasted oak and a hint of nuts.

Sipping on the whiskey is characteristically mellow, that being a signature of Jack Daniel’s, but with no sacrifice of character. Once again, it’s quite sweet, with brown sugar and vanilla, plus slices of fresh banana. A few slivers of spicy, oak-driven flavor have just enough presence to keep things interesting, but without disturbing the mellow, relaxing experience of the whiskey. I found the finish mild and minty.

Jack Daniel’s doesn’t produce bold and ballsy whiskey. It’s not a characteristic one finds, not even in its cask strength expressions. What they do well down in Lynchburg, Tennessee is produce mellow sipping whiskey. During the last decade, they’ve expanded out of that base, adding more and more character and complexity to that fundamentally mellow foundation. This Single Barrel Select is a sound example of that growth.

I came back around to this expression again in 2024, and found the spicy note more cinnamon than minty for that particular barrel. The banana had that slightly overripe smell on the nose, where some red berries were present as well. But otherwise, I am struck by how similar the two barrels separated by four years actually were.

The Price
A survey of retailers shows how the price on this item has risen these last few years. Whereas it was hovering right around $50 on average in 2020, now that is the floor for the price range. Depending on where you buy it, this could set you back anywhere from $50 to $65.