Rich baking spices | Cinnamon bundt cake | Nougat | Burnt toffee | Syrup-coated raisin | Aged oak | Dried tobacco | Light red fruits | Toasted marshmallow

Rye spice | Cinnamon candy | Hot Dr. Pepper | Baking spices | Charred oak | Spiced dark caramel | Faint dark molasses

Aged charred oak | Cinnamon stick | Dry rye spice | Leather | Dried red fruits | Toasted marzipan | Dr. Pepper | Lingering heat

For the first time ever, Jack Daniel’s is releasing a single barrel rye product from its famed Coy Hill location. For this release, the company selected about 300 barrels, all filled in 2016. The whiskey is bottled at barrel proof, with proofs ranging from 128.7 to a whopping 148.5. On a call with Master Distiller Chris Fletcher, he said the yield for this year was 5,000 6-pack cases (approximately 30,000 bottles), meaning that there should be ample opportunities for consumers to get their hands on a bottle compared to many ultra-low-run limited editions this year.

Coy Hill is a name that has become synonymous with Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Ever since the release of the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Coy Hill High Proof at the end of 2021, consumers have been clamoring for Coy Hill bottles. While these have all been Tennessee whiskey to date, the question is whether consumers will still show the same frenzy for a Coy Hill single barrel rye bottle as they would for its regular Tennessee whiskey counterpart. After tasting this year’s release, I’m confident that the answer is yes.

The whiskey itself is full-flavored from start to finish. It opens with a rich aroma that pulls out rye-influenced scents that oscillate between rich baking spices, cinnamon bundt cake, aged oak, and a syrup-coated raisin. The flavor train continues thanks to bursts of spice from rye spice and cinnamon candy at the midpoint, along with a noticeable,distinct note of hot Dr. Pepper. Charred oak and dark caramel lend to the rye’s age and act as a bridge to the finish, which leans into aged charred oak, dry rye spice, and dried red fruits.

Fans of high proof Jack Daniel’s special releases are in for a treat with this year’s Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Rye. While single barrels vary in flavor, it’s safe to assume a strong connective thread runs through them all. The rich rye, baking spices, and thick, sweet flavors are bound to impress rye lovers, while the noticeable presence of aged, charred oak will appeal to those chasing older whiskey. By this point, Coy Hill releases seem to be ones that rightly justify consumer frenzy, and thankfully Jack Daniel’s is willing to answer the call year after year.