Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

The American Single Malt isn’t an official thing yet, but it seem inevitable that it will become one in the near future, and heretofore that has been a category dominated by small and medium-sized distillers. Yet it seems Brown Forman is showing some serious interest in the category.

First came Woodford Reserve American Malt, but notice that this whiskey isn’t a single malt, because it isn’t made with 100% malted barley. Now the second-biggest whiskey brand in the world is weighing in on the category: Jack Daniel’s now has a full-on single malt whiskey, complete with an Oloroso Sherry cask finish. It is true that Jack Daniel’s has released a single malt before, but this one is a regular brand-extension, not a special edition. I’m quite sure Brown Forman’s rivals over at Diageo, owners of the top whisky brand Johnnie Walker, paled at the news. True

The new make for this all malted barley, column-distilled whiskey was drip-filtered through Jack Daniel’s signature vats of sugar maple charcoal, just like all the whiskeys made at the distillery. From there, it was aged for five years in new white oak barrels, then finished for three years in 79.25 gallon Sherry casks. Eight years later, this Tennessee meets Scotland style of whiskey was bottled at a very not Scottish 90 proof.

The Whiskey
Tennessee whiskey, new white oak and Sherry casks have all combined to take the coloring of this pour beyond being merely amber. Instead, it looks like strongly brewed tea: brown with red highlights.

The nosing leads with boozy four-berry jam, strongly underscoring the Sherry cask finish. Behind this is buckwheat honey and vanilla. It’s a thick, potent scent. Sipping on the malt reveals that boozy berry current joined by earthy cocoa, again laid over vanilla and dark, buckwheat honey. Finally, the finish turns to raisins and toast oat bread smeared with honey, before turning lightly peppered.

This is an intensely flavorful pour, and although it certainly doesn’t occupy some mid-point between Scotch and Tennessee Whiskey, one can see something of a Scottish style Sherry bomb in it. Also, like everything coming from Lynchburg, it is supremely smooth, and this despite its intensity.

The Price
This stuff comes in one-liter bottles, priced at $100 each.