Charred oak | Light maple candy | Baking spices | Banana flambé | Hint of clove

Rye spice | Black peppercorn spice | Banana | Charred oak | Dried tobacco leaf | Burnt brown butter

Peppercorn mix | Dried charred oak | Leather | Baking spices | Dried tobacco | Burnt caramel | Noticeably dry

Introduced in 2021, this is the fifth batch of Jack Daniel’s 10 Year in this annual limited release. Jack Daniel’s aged series are older, higher proof versions of standard Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7. 10 Year is released alongside 12 year old and 14 year old versions. The longest-running age-stated whiskey released by Jack Daniel’s Distillery, the series offers consumers a way to see how not only an age statement, but a double-digit age statement impacts the flavors that the brand is able to produce when it gives its whiskey more time to rest in their barrels.

The whiskey opens up with a pleasing aroma of classic Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey in various forms. Scents of charred oak take center stage and are joined by a light maple candy and banana flambé scent that draws you in. The midpoint comes across as ever so slightly thin, which is surprising, but still delivers noticeable spice and dried notes that build and add character. The finish is drier than in years past, with dried charred oak, leather, and dried tobacco pushing heavily against spices and burnt caramel.

While I prefer Batch 4 over Batch 5, due to the overtly dry finish that this year’s release delivered, it’s still a good bourbon that more consumers deserve to try. It’s been 5 years since Brown-Forman first released Jack Daniel’s 10 Year whiskey. Over that time, one thing has become very apparent: the consistency in the flavors it delivers. The 10 Year has always been a good or better whiskey that delivers a differentiated pour from lesser-aged Jack Daniel’s. At this point in time, I’m assuming it’s a matter of when and not if the distillery decides to make this a year-round release.