Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey Review

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In the spring of 2022, Jack Daniel’s launched a bottled in bond version of their Tennessee Whiskey as a permanent extension of their main lineup.  This release was accompanied by another new label: Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash.

The Bonded Rye release would come the following year with all three sharing the same new bottle design (and 50ml less liquid inside at 700ml). Known as Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey, this label would go on to be ranked #1 on Whiskey Advocate’s “Most Exciting Whiskies” of 2022. High praise for something that wasn’t entirely new.  What do I mean by that? Back in 2018, Jack Daniel’s had already released a bottle with similar specs and labeling (but in a 1 liter size).  That was Jack Daniel’s Bottled-in-Bond Tennessee Whiskey, but you could only find it at Duty Free shops around the world as a travel exclusive (or at Military Installations).

Jack discontinued the travel exclusive shortly after the new Bonded version came out, but many enthusiasts wondered if there was a difference between the two (age, warehouse selection, etc).  After researching this question, I can’t seem to find anywhere where they were two different versions.  It just seems to be the label design and the size of the bottle that separates them.

Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey

To this day, Jack’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey (80% corn, 8% rye and 12% malt) comes off of the still at 140 proof and is dripped through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal held in giant wooden vats.  Once its collected, water gets added until it reaches 125 proof and then it goes into a #4 Char oak barrel. Jack (and Brown-Forman as a whole) doesn’t make their barrels anymore and even when they did, it was a little known fact that they couldn’t make enough to supply their own needs.  So they sourced barrels from ISC which, ironically, was the company that they sold their Alabama Cooperage to.

These barrels of Tennessee Whiskey have the option of being stored in ricked (on their side) barrel houses on their two main campus’ or in palletized (upright) warehouses on their newest campus.  It’s not exactly clear which campus or warehouses Jack Bonded was aged at, but suffice to say that since it’s not a special release, it probably came from one of the more mundane ones.

So how is this whiskey?  Let’s find out.  I sampled it neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Typical Jack Daniel’s sweetness enters my nostrils as I inhale.  I always find a fresh-baked banana nut bread scent and that’s what I find here.  The sweet sugary notes – reminiscent of caramel and maple syrup – play nicely with the limited amount of spice (cinnamon).  Softer scents like vanilla also wrap up with the tiniest bit of seasoned oak and char. There is even a bit of cigar wrapper if you keep your nose in the glen long enough.

Palate: Despite being 20 proof points more than a standard bottle of Old No. 7 Jack, there isn’t much of a burn on my tongue.  Brown sugar and maple sweetness start the show with a kind of nuttiness lingering behind.  One interesting thing I found throughout my sessions with this bottle is just how much more apparent the nuttiness is depending on what you drank before this.  If this bottle is your first pour of the night, you won’t taste it as much.  But have it after a non-Jack product and it’ll really hit you.  A small amount of cinnamon spice pairs well with the slight banana and vanilla note.  These add some graceful elements behind the scenes.  As for oak or tannins, they’re not really key players in this dram.  There’s the essence of oak and tobacco leaf, but not enough to make me seek seek this whiskey out solely for the tannins.

Finish: Graham crackers, vanilla and brown sugar linger on my tongue long after the sip is complete.  Barrel char is also present along with a little bit of oak.  The finish is moderate in length with very little burn or proof sting.  It’s a simple finish that does its job, but there is nothing exciting to note.

Score: 6.4/10

I think that Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey makes a good case for any buyer to never reach for its 80 proof counterpart again.  There’s just so much more flavor and precision with this bottle.  Plus, with the higher proof you don’t have to worry about it being washed away in a Jack & Coke.

I know it will cost more ($20 vs $30) but I think the flavor difference is worth it.  Also, if you’re a college kid reading this, you could heed the advice of your elder and learn to skip right by that 80 proof bottle you have on your shelf and get this one next time.  I know you’re on a budget, but this is going to give you more flavor per ounce.  You can thank me later.

Final Thoughts

I don’t know if any of my readers are so new to the hobby that they haven’t already tried this bottle – or Jack Daniel’s specifically. That’s why writing these final thoughts seems a little useless to me.  Either you know you like Jack or you don’t.  I find both comfort in its approachability and boredom with its basic flavor profile.  They’ve aimed for consistency so much that I rarely buy their new products on a whim.  In fact, I’ve owned this bottle for over a year before I even opened it.  I just didn’t feel compelled to taste it and even after I did, it was exactly like I thought it would be.

Tennessee Whiskey, or should I say bourbon that’s undergone the Lincoln County Process, is a mixed bag for some.  The charcoal filtering has an effect on flavors, mouthfeel and overall profile versus a traditional bourbon.  But if you’re a drinker that doesn’t discriminate between the two, you should definitely shop this bottle compared to its other Bottled-in-Bond competitors like JW Dant, JTS Brown, Evan Williams, Jim Beam Bonded, Wild Turkey 101 and Old Forester 100.  For smoothness and drinkability, Jack might have an edge over all of them.  It’s a predictable sip that’s always sweet and never has much burn.  But if you’re wanting full-fledged flavor and excitement, you may want to look elsewhere.