Jack Daniel's Aged Series: 10-, 12-, and 14-Years-Old Tennessee Whiskey Reviews

 

 

Is it Tennessee Whiskey a Bourbon or not? That's a question that is hotly debated among whiskey enthusiasts. Folks on the Bourbon side cite how Tennessee Whiskey meets every legal definition of Bourbon. Folks on the other side will tell you the Lincoln County Process (LCP) adulterates the whiskey and disqualifies it from being called Bourbon. Whichever side you fall on, the fact is that international agreements consider Tennessee Whiskey to be Bourbon.

 

What is the LCP? Before the new make is placed in the barrel, it drips through charcoal from burnt maple for six days. That charcoal filtering process mellows it by removing any harshness. The LCP is the point of contention in the debate.

 

The largest distiller of Tennessee Whiskey is Jack Daniel's, owned by Brown-Forman. Jack Daniel’s also makes the most popular American whiskey in the world. One ticklish bit of trivia is that Jack Daniel's is in Moore County, which happens to be dry. Considering who the county's major employer is and what it relies on for revenue, that's curiosity, if nothing else.

 

If you’ve not heard the news, Jack Daniel’s has just released its 14-Year-Old expression.

 

“When we released our first Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey a few years ago, we set out to honor the legacy of Jack Daniel himself and replicate the lineup of age-stated whiskeys available during his time. This year’s releases build upon that as we re-introduce our new 14-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey, the oldest age-statement for Jack Daniel’s in the last 100 years or more. These whiskeys really showcase how a little extra time in our barrels is capable of producing something so special.” - Chris Fletcher, Master Distiller at the Jack Daniel Distillery

 

Jack Daniel’s classic mashbill is distilled from 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye, and the 6- to 7-day fermentation process utilizes a proprietary yeast. It comes off the still at 140°, then goes through the LCP: 10 feet of maple charcoal made at the distillery. The barrels are toasted for 10-12 minutes, then subjected to a 25-second charring session, resulting in somewhere between #3 and #4 levels.

 

Chris and his team identified several barrels that spent between 6 and 7 years on the top floors of their rickhouses. Those barrels were moved to the bottom floors at about 8 to 9 years to reduce further evaporation.

 

Today, thanks to the generosity of Jack Daniel’s, I will review three of its Aged Series expressions: 10-Years-Old (Batch 4), 12-Years-Old (Batch 3), and 14-Years-Old (Batch 1). The distillery provided me samples of each in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Before I #DrinkCurious, I invite you to read my closing thoughts for some special news. Finally, I used a fresh Glencairn glass to sample each whiskey.

 

Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old

 

• Alcohol Content: 43.5% ABV (97°)
• Price per 700ml: $84.99

The 10-Year-Old expression will be available to both the USA and International markets for the first time.

 

Appearance: The deep, orange-amber liquid formed a thick rim, allowing a wavy curtain to drop. There were also some widely spaced, slow, thick tears.

 

Nose: I smelled Maraschino cherries, caramel, toffee, light cinnamon, and toasted oak. I encountered cherry vanilla ice cream when I drew the air into my mouth.

 

Palate: The oily texture introduced the front of my palate to brown sugar, Maraschino cherries, and vanilla. The middle offered cinnamon, ginger, and leather. I found dark chocolate, toasted oak, and nutmeg on the back.

 

Finish: Despite the 97° proof, the whiskey warmed my mouth and throat. There were flavors of toasted oak, dried cherries, brown sugar, dark chocolate, and leather. I timed the duration at 2:02, making it very long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I found the 10-year expression impressive. It was sweet and spicy in all the right places. I was surprised by how potent this whiskey was compared to its stated proof. I would have guessed it was closer to 110°. It is priced fairly and well worth the cost of admission, hence my Bottle rating.

 

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Jack Daniel’s 12 Years Old

 

• Alcohol Content: 53.5% ABV (107°)
• Price per 700ml: $94.99

 

Appearance: The rust-colored liquid created a gluey, medium-thick rim. It took some time before tears were discharged; they were thick, slow, and widely spaced.

 

Nose: Bringing the glass to just under my nostrils, the aroma included nutmeg, caramel, milk chocolate, butterscotch, and oak. Inhaling the vapor through my lips produced a taste of vanilla beans.

 

Palate: The oily mouthfeel led to flavors of butterscotch, brown sugar, and powdered sugar on the front of my palate. My mid-palate uncovered milk chocolate, nutmeg, and spiced nuts, while the back featured toasted oak, cinnamon spice, and leather.  

 

Finish: Ancient leather, butterscotch, spiced nuts, cinnamon, and clove rounded things out. Cinnamon lasted the longest. It started warm and leveled quickly; I timed it at 2:21, making it very long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The 12-year drank below its stated 107°. I might have guessed 5-to-10 points lower. Yet, it was still flavorful and embodied plenty of character. Everyone was so well-balanced, and that powdered sugar component blended with the brown sugar was eye-opening. It was like drinking dessert pastries. There’s a lot to enjoy with the 12-Years-Old, and I’m happy to convey my Bottle rating.  

 

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Jack Daniel’s 14 Years Old

 

• Alcohol Content: 63.15% ABV (126.3°)
• Price per 700ml: $149.99

 

Appearance: The 14-Years-Old expression had a remarkably dark, tarnished copper color. It produced a thin, fragile rim with fat, crooked tears.

 

Nose: My olfactory sense plucked bananas, cinnamon, cherries, dark chocolate, and molasses. Taking that air into my mouth brought a sensation of banana cream pie.

 

Palate: The 14-year-old whiskey’s texture was oily as it slid across my tongue and down my throat. Flavors of butterscotch, nutmeg, and cherries hit the front of my palate. Next came pipe tobacco, milk chocolate, and molasses. The back featured leather, cinnamon spice, and dry oak.

 

Finish: Interestingly, this 14-year Tennessee Whiskey generated no heat whatsoever. But it did leave a numbing sensation on my hard palate. There was smoke, old leather, butterscotch, ginger, oak, and tobacco, and it was incredibly long at 2:38. Ginger stuck around the longest.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Jack Daniel’s 14-Years-Old shocked me in a few ways. The biggest challenge distilleries face with older stocks is the risk of a barrel becoming overoaked. That didn’t happen, and it’s likely due to moving the barrels to the lower floors halfway through the aging process.

 

At 126.3°, my mouth and throat should have been very warm. The liquid went down so easily that it is what I classify as dangerous – meaning it would be so easy to get smashed while pouring a second glass (or more). And you’d likely do that because it is tasty, well-balanced, and enchanting.

 

Is this an expensive whiskey? Price is relative, but I’d suggest at only $150.00, it is almost a bargain and is certainly worthy of my Bottle rating.

 

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Final Thoughts: Jack Daniel’s is so much more than Old No. 7. If you’ve tasted that and thought it wasn’t for you, you should explore what this iconic distillery has to offer because it produces some of the best American whiskeys I’ve had, including some mind-blowing single barrel picks.

 

I did promise some exciting news. When I spoke with Chris Fletcher, he indicated that Jack Daniel’s plan is to include 18-Years-Old and 21-Years-Old expressions. That will take time, though, as their oldest barrel in inventory is only 15 years old.

 

Chris also hinted at releasing older Rye whiskeys, made from its mashbill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malt. Like the proposed older Tennessee Whiskeys, this is only in planning.

 

I do not doubt that the 10-, 12-, and 14-year expressions will be challenging to find. Whether or not you’ll see inflated prices is questionable. Whether we like it or not, there’s a worldwide reduction in whisk(e)y demand, leading to layoffs, closures, and distilleries holding back stocks, allowing them to age longer. All of that could result in seeing softening in the pricing and is, in my opinion, one of the reasons you’re going to see older expressions such as Jack Daniel’s Aged Series. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.