Jack Daniel’s High Angel’s Share Tennessee Whiskey Review

By Randall H. Borkus

Rating: C+

The Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee is known for its signature whiskey, filtered through sugar maple charcoal to give it its distinctive flavor which so many either love or hate. For the longest time, Jack Daniel’s stuck with just a few expressions, and although they weren’t as stubborn as Maker’s Mark about brand extensions, they weren’t really with the era of experimental releases, cask finishes and such. That has changed in the last few years, and in October 2018 we saw some experimental variants that Jack Daniels calls the “Tennessee Tasters’ Selection.”

“This collection exemplifies our whiskey-making in a new way in that each whiskey will undergo its own process for unique flavors chosen by our esteemed Master Tasters,” Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Jeff Arnett says in a statement. “We plan on releasing several of these new products each year as we continue to tap the expertise of the master tasters who make our Tennessee whiskey every day.”

The line is sold exclusively at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery and select stores throughout Tennessee. Each experimental release is expected to be approximately 24,000 375ml bottles followed by another limited release every few months.

This one is High Angel’s Share, a 107-proof whiskey barreled in January 2013, which was an unusually low yield. It was selected by Assistant Master Distiller and Master Taster Chris Fletcher. The note from Fletcher reads, “Sometimes as Our barrels rest in our barrel houses, the angels take more than their usual share. Such is the case with this small batch of barrels from January 2013. The result of this increased loss to the heavens is a unique concentration flavors left behind in these very special barrels.”

The Whiskey
The whiskey color is a beautiful dark amber sporting oily legs that cling to the sides of my glass. The nose is noticeably hot, yet yielding a ligneous or toasted hazelnut essence.

The mouthfeel is hot and spicy upfront, and bit numbing to my tongue. A few drops of water mellow it out and I pick up hints of fresh hay and cured tobacco leaf. The finish is hot and numbing with loads of cinnamon spice. Again, a few drops of water yield a little more flavor with hints of ginger, cinnamon, and ever so slightly anise.

Overall, it’s much better than the traditional Jack but mostly hot, dry and loaded with cinnamon oak spice.  Not something that will be greatly sought after in my opinion but interesting for a whiskey adventurer.

The Price
Like the others in this line, this expression will be sold in 375 ml bottles for around $40 at the distillery.