Jack Daniel’s was established in 1886 and is the top-selling American whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee, which ironically, is a dry county, meaning the product can’t actually be sold there. Brown-Forman acquired Jack Daniel’s in 1956.

‍‍While not officially labeled bourbon, most of Jack Daniel’s whiskeys meet the criteria required to qualify as bourbon. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey undergoes what is referred to as the ‘Lincoln County Process. Jack Daniel’s allows its whiskey to drip for six days in 10-foot vats, passing through charcoal that was made by burning maple wood that had been impregnated with 140 proof Jack Daniel’s whiskey, before being put in new charred oak barrels and aged for an estimated 4-7 years.

‍‍Jack Daniel’s pulls barrels from the upper levels of the barrelhouses for their Single Barrel Select bottlings. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Tennessee Whiskey includes ongoing standard single barrels, as well as private selections chosen by retailers, clubs, and other groups. Because this is a single barrel release, there will be variations from barrel to barrel.

‍‍The bottle in review is from barrel number 24-04154. It was aged in barrel house 3-07 and was bottled on 5/2/2024.

‍‍This is an updated review of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select, which we originally reviewed in 2016.

The aroma is quintessential Jack Daniel’s, amping up what’s found in a standard bottle of Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey. Caramel, vanilla, and that telltale banana note settle at the forefront. Oak is more prominent than the lower proof offering, with bouts of white pepper and apricot adding a layer of depth. It’s an enjoyable yet straightforward introduction that accurately alludes to the rest of the sip.

A wave of sweet flavors, including maple syrup, brown sugar, and caramel, gives way to a satisfying layer of seasoned oak. Banana is present, but fleeting, along with hints of tobacco and graham cracker. There’s some heat in the medium-bodied sip that is a bit more intense than usual for a 94 proof whiskey, but overall, it drinks much like the aroma suggests. It’s a satisfying midpoint, dialing in quintessential Jack Daniel’s flavor with a deeper intensity and a bit more oak.

Black pepper and charred oak at the onset give way to sweeter flavors of caramel and vanilla custard. There’s a subtle toasted marshmallow note that peeks in as the flavors fade, though the sweetness transitions towards savory and dry as it progresses. Except for the impending dryness, the finish wraps up the sip's flavors cleanly, forgoing any unexpected additions as it concludes.

As Jack Daniel’s has continued to expand their line of whiskeys by changing variables such as proof, age, and barrel type, we have been able to taste a much wider range of what one of the world’s most popular and recognizable whiskeys has to offer.

Single Barrel Select at 94 proof is (arguably) the first step away from the brand’s standard 80 proof Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, adding 14 proof points and some variation due to the flavor nuances of the specific barrel in any given bottle. Put simply, Single Barrel Select takes Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey flavor profile and dials it up a notch. It also adds a layer of interest, as the flavor profile varies enough from barrel to barrel.

In the greater world of single barrel bourbons (and Tennessee whiskeys), Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select stands somewhat alone because it does offer the recognizable Jack Daniel's flavor profile - a trait no other whiskey brand can claim. With that being said, the dialed down proof point, lower age (relative to the company’s high aged offerings), and more centered flavor profile tempers the range Jack Daniel’s whiskeys are capable of seeing.

Jack Daniel’s generally offers their whiskeys at a good to great value relative to SRP. That is true for Single Barrel Select, but to a lesser extent than some of the company's other offerings.

By comparison, Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof typically comes in at about 30 proof points higher, with a deeper intensity and a wider range of flavors from the brand, for only about $15-$20 more. That comparison is lost on anyone not seeking a high proof pour, but the reality for both bottles is they are often discounted from their suggested price, with the lower proof single barrel as low as $40 and the barrel proof version in the $55 range. These price variations are significant percentages and pull both bottles into much higher value territory. At $50, it’s a fair deal, but at often discounted prices into the $30s, it becomes a difficult whiskey to compete with when it comes to value on a pure dollar-for-dollar basis.

Jack Daniel’s Distillery continues to break barriers with new releases, pushing into new areas by varying age, proof, and style. Of course, the same can be said for many whiskey distilleries, but Jack Daniel’s is the only major legacy distillery that makes everything they bottle, and bottles everything they make under a single brand (Woodford, another Brown-Forman distillery, bottles only their own brands, but the column-distilled whiskeys are distilled at their Brown Forman Distillery in Shively, Kentucky). This is unusual, as most develop new brands to speak to different consumers in the marketplace - their premium brands, their value-focused brands, their limited edition experimental brands, and so on. Jack Daniel’s continued expansion of their product line with an ear to the ground has helped fuel the fire that has helped them win over whiskey diehards at all levels.

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select is the brand’s entry-level semi-premium product. It takes what fans like about their standard Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey and dials it up in proof, and gives some variation and nuance as a single barrel product at that higher intensity level.