Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Strength

Thanks to /u/devoz[+9] for pouring me a sample of this.

“Hey guys, I bought a bottle of Jack Daniel’s”

It’s one of those moments we all dread. He’s gotten the crazy. We have to take him outside, and shoot him.

I joke of course. We’d bring him to doctors to properly put down. Or keep making fun of him. That helps one’s mental health, right?

Alright, joking aside for real now. Devoz purchased a single barrel pick from Zyn. Specifically Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Strength – Zyn. We don’t know the date, however some people estimate these to be over 10 years old.

I’ve had some before. I didn’t mind it. No one dropped me off at an Asylum. Let’s see how it tastes this time, shall we?

Price: $61 CAD at Zyn in Calgary, Alberta

Region: Tennessee

Bottled for: Zyn.ca

Barrel No: 17-5593

Bottling Date: 8.25.17

Abv: 64.5%

Colour:10YR 4/6

Nose: Honeycomb, wood, raspberry, cereal, basil, banana

Sweet. Floral sweet. Wood, fruity, some cereal, water brings out that Jack Daniel’s banana.

What in the hell is going on here. Gone are the rougher elements, that strong sweet element, and now we have this fruit, herbal, and cereal/honey notes.

Taste: Cream, coconut, salted peanuts, caramel, banana, dry apple

Dry, fruity, and nutty. Just a tiny bit of salt to pair… Wait, am I waxing about a Jack Daniel’s product? What have you done Devoz?

I’m frankly surprised by this one. Don’t get me wrong. Nothing is combining here like some higher end Scotches, but the amount of different flavours is really going nuts.

Finish: Nutmeg, coconut oil, tobacco (minty, bit sweet), caramelized onion

Finish is a bit more straight to the point. Like that herbal, sweet, minty tobacco/earth note thing? Got it for you, right from a county that won’t let you drink in it but would be overrun with financial issues if people didn’t drink.

What I’m saying is I miss the fruit at the end, and am sad.

Conclusion: A really interesting, fun, well developed single cask. I was frankly surprised. I didn’t expect utter garbage, but I really didn’t expect the amount of different flavours, or the development. I looked back at one of my No.7 reviews, and I can see where it starts and then grows. Instead of wood or fruit simple flavours, elements of light nuttiness, or really that Cola note grows into fruit, tropical elements, and caramel/brine notes.

Overall I’ll be looking at more of these. The price is right, and it’s a good whiskey to grab for nerds. It’s not going to compete with some of the other high end high proof whiskies, but it’s going to leave money in your pocket while doing different stuff. Or at least this barrel is.

84/100

Bourbon review #253, Tennessee review #9, Whiskey review #1749