Review of Jack Daniel's Special Release: Tanyard Hill Rye

 

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.

 

But wait, what is the LCP? Before the newmake is placed in the barrel, it drips through charcoal from burnt maple for six days. That charcoal filtering process mellows the newmake. 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 world's most popular American whiskey. 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 the county relies on for revenue —that's curiosity, if nothing else.

 

Jack Daniel’s newest addition to its Special Release Series is called Tanyard Hill Rye.

 

What’s different between the Rye and typical Tennessee Whiskey (beyond the mashbill)? The LCP takes only a third as long with Rye as it does with Tennessee Whiskey. I asked Master Distiller Chris Fletcher to explain how that works, and he said it is due to the reduced amount of corn in the mash. With the Tennessee Whiskey, that huge corn component can be deeply impacted by the LCP. With the Rye, it is more of a polishing, with far less influence. The Rye also uses much smaller vats for the LCP.

 

“The Special Release series has been a great way for us to showcase our craft of whiskey making here in Lynchburg. We’re fortunate to have barrel houses at so many unique locations that produce deep, rich, and complex whiskeys. Like Coy Hill was before, Tanyard Hill has been one of the hidden gems for locals familiar with the distillery grounds. We’re now bringing more people into this secret and can't wait to see what our friends think of this special Tennessee Rye Whiskey.” – Chris Fletcher, Master Distiller

 

Tanyard Hill Rye is a single-barrel release, distilled and barreled in November 2015, then aged in Barrel House 1, which is one of the distillery’s oldest rickhouses. It is exposed to deep winter and summer cycles. Tanyard Hill is adjacent to the storied Coy Hill. Each of the 170-180 barrels, all resting on the top two floors of the rickhouse, is proofed differently (because Mother Nature), with a range of 65.1% ABV to 74.4% ABV (130.2° to 148.8°), and is due to be released across the United States in November. There are 15,000 bottles available.

 

Is Tanyard Hill Rye worth picking up? Jack Daniel’s was kind enough to provide me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review, so let’s #DrinkCurious and answer that question.

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distiller: Jack Daniel’s
• Age: 9 years, 11 months
• Mashbill: 70% rye, 18% corn, 12% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, charred American white oak
• Alcohol Content: 72.95% ABV (145.9°)
• Price per 700mL: $79.99

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this whiskey neat (despite its proof). It appeared deep and dark, almost maroon. The liquid formed a medium rim, leaving a combination of sticky droplets and tight, thick, fast tears.

 

Nose: While Chris was speaking, I left the whiskey alone. That ran about 20 minutes. At this point, I began the nosing journey and found black cherries, plums, caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate, cinnamon, mint, and charred oak. Yes, all of that! I then took the air into my mouth and encountered more dark chocolate.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was unexpected. In some ways, it was airy. In others, it was very oily. Overall, it was dry. There was a palate shock containing bold rye spice and nutmeg.

 

The front of my palate discovered a massive amount of cocoa, along with nutmeg and cherries. Midway through, I tasted spearmint, cola, and rye spice. The back included flavors of cinnamon, charred oak, and clove.

 

Finish: Tanyard Hill Rye had one of those Energizer-Bunny finishes;  I timed it at 2:58! There was plenty of cinnamon, along with caramel, clove, and charred oak. It was a level spicy journey with some sweetness spattered intermittently.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The stated proof was 145.9°, yet it drank slightly above 120°. That’s a win in my book. I’ve had many Jack Daniel’s Ryes, I’ve even picked my own delicious Single Barrels, and Tanyard Hill Rye is off-profile from any of those others. Chris Fletcher suggested it is due to coming from Barrel House 1. Whatever the reason, this is one heck of an impressive American Rye, and well worth grabbing a Bottle when you see it. 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.