Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select Review: The Elder Whiskey Sibling to the Famous One

The year is 1997. Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select Tennessee Whiskey makes its debut on the shelves. Yet, to this day, it largely goes unnoticed as Old No.7 is a cheaper option. Jack Daniel's Old No.7 is particularly known as a great mixer with cola. The Single Barrel Select is rather intended for a pure sip from a Glencairn glass. It's a 'daily sipper'. The review will reveal whether it's an undervalued whiskey or not.

Jack Daniel's is a whiskey that's quickly associated with black leather, motorcycles, and hard rock music. It's an iconic and tough whiskey brand. With the Single Barrel Select, it's worth mentioning that the barrel comes from the highest floor of the warehouse. The advantage of being stored on the top floor is that heat rises.

The high temperatures increase the interaction between the distilled spirit and the wood, creating a richer whiskey in less time. The drawback is more evaporation. Moreover, the whiskey could get too much oak flavor if not monitored properly. But for the richer flavor, Jack Daniel's selects all barrels for its Single Barrel Select program from the highest floor.

It starts with the look. The bottle is elegant. It has a unique shape, but a recognizable label. The whiskey bears a gentle reddish-brown color.

When the nose hits this whiskey, sweet notes emerge. It has a 'dessert-like' fragrance with honey and banana. After these sweet notes, there's smokiness. Surprisingly, it reminds one of the pudding roll you would grab during high school break at the supermarket.

The taste is also sweet, but not annoyingly so. Jack Daniel's signature taste is banana bread and you definitely taste it. There’s a combination of caramel and honey in the whiskey. At the end, there is also a taste of smoke.

The finish is enjoyable and soft. It's not as complex or satisfying as other comparable bourbons. But it does score a pass. Perhaps it would have been better had the whiskey had a higher alcohol content.

The conclusion is actually quite simple. The Single Barrel Select is the regular 'Jack' at twice the price. But for that price, it also offers double the flavor! It’s simply a whiskey to relish. Give the whiskey a chance and it will certainly not disappoint. The whiskey has a fun and distinctive character.

Cheers!

+ Fantastic 'daily sipper'

+ Affordable price

+ Signature character

- The finish is not complex and a bit off-putting