Jack Daniel's Tennessee Tasters' "Twin Blend" Whiskey Quick Review

My reviews tend to be long-winded and very in-depth. I know that many readers don’t have the time or patience to read them all. This is why I have decided to create a “Quick Review” format. I’m not going to cover backstories, distilling methods or anything like that if I know I’ve covered it in a previous review of a similar bottle. You’ll find that a lot of these quick reviews will be based on single barrel picks because their backstory is usually the same with the exception of the group that picked them.

Introduction

Jack Daniel’s introduced the Tennessee Tasters’ Series in 2018 as a way to showcase unique ways of crafting whiskies – at least that’s what the public releases all said. In reality, this is a multi-pronged attempt by Brown-Forman to have all three of their major US distilleries have regular releases of limited production whiskies available only in the states they’re produced (Tennessee or Kentucky).

Woodford Reserve initially led the way with their Distillers Series in 2015 while Old Forester would wait until 2021 to release their “The 117 Series.” All three producers would use 375ml bottles.

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ “Twin Blend” Whiskey

Let’s get straight to the facts: this is a “bourye.” Jack wasn’t the first, but they were still early enough to the party to recognize that blending bourbon (Tennessee Whiskey) and rye whiskey was something that could create an entirely new taste profile. This blend consists of 20 barrels of Jack’s famous Tennessee Whiskey and 30 barrels of their rye whiskey. The label says that the barrels were filled on “14-E-19” which is distillery speak for May 19, 2014. Twin Blend was released at the end of 2020, so we can assume that this batch is 6-years-old.

After Twin Blend went on sale, Jack changed the Tennessee Tasters’ name to “Distillery Series.” The bottle shape also changed and become taller and slightly more narrow. It still only 375ml in size and retains its “flask” shape and screw cap. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Sweet brown sugar pairs with melted butterscotch chips and toasted pecan scents. Typical Jack Daniels “bananas” blend with baked apples, cherries and cinnamon. I can detect a slight floral note that pairs well with the light vanilla notes.

Palate: Silky smooth in texture, this whiskey has a great balance of sweet and spicy. I can taste various brown baking spices like allspice and cinnamon. Instead of oak, I find a note similar to cherry wood. Sweetness comes from candied nuts and chocolate. Peppermint and citrus fruit are about the only hints that there is a rye whiskey in the blend. And even though this is bottled at 107 proof (the second-highest proof for one of these releases), the heat never gets out of control.

Finish: A fairly simple finish of caramel, nuts, oak and baking spices. The only fruit note that hangs around is – your guessed it – banana.

Score: 7.8/10

Balance is the name of the game and this bottle has it. Jack has managed to create a whiskey that solves a big issue most enthusiasts have with their Tennessee Whiskey – mainly that each product tastes basically the same. In a word: it’s simple. But adding rye whiskey to the blend instantly gives it the depth and complexity that Jack has always been missing. It is my dream to see this end up in a Jack Daniel’s Limited Release – but with a little more proof and age. I think it would truly be an all-time great. As for this bottle, it’s a darling to drink and is the best of both worlds.