 |
| photo courtesy of Jack Daniel's |
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 newmake 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 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 it relies on
for revenue, that’s curiosity, if nothing else.
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 a level between #3
and #4.
Today,
I am reviewing the 2026 release of its Aged Series trio: 10-Years-Old (Batch 5), 12-Years-Old
(Batch 4), and 14-Years-Old (Batch 2).
“The Jack Daniel’s Aged Series allows us to fully explore how time influences our classic Tennessee Whiskey recipe while staying true to the character Mr. Jack established generations ago,” said “The feedback we continue to receive on the Aged Series has been overwhelming, and I’m excited for our friends to see how these new batches bring their own personality and subtle differences thanks to extended maturation.” - Chris Fletcher, Master Distiller
Jack
Daniel’s provided me with samples of each in exchange for my
no-strings-attached, honest reviews, and I am grateful for this opportunity. On
a side note, I had the 2025 releases, and while they were all excellent, my preferred order was 12, 14, and 10. I can’t
help but wonder how the 2026 editions play out.
One
more thing: just to cut down on repetition, I used fresh Glencairn glasses and sipped
each expression neat after waiting about 15 minutes for them to breathe. Let’s
#DrinkCurious!
◊◊◊◊◊
10-Years-Old
(Batch 5)
- Whiskey Type: Tennessee Whiskey
- Distiller: Jack Daniel’s
- Age: 10 years
- Mashbill: 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon #3/#4 charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 48.5% ABV (97°)
- Price per 700mL: $89.99
Appearance: Batch 5
was the color of ginger root. It formed a thick rim, releasing tears that were
thick and randomly spaced.
Nose: As I began
sniffing, I found smells of stewed cinnamon apples, molasses, ripe bananas, subtle
oak, and buttered toast. Taking the air into my mouth offered rich caramel.
Palate: With
the initial sip, a warm, silky texture greeted my lips and tongue. Cinnamon was
prominent. My follow-up allowed me to nail down caramel, milk chocolate, and stewed
apples on the front of my palate. Cinnamon, pecans, and nutmeg came next,
followed by oak spice, soft ginger, and fresh leather on the back.
Finish: There
was a ton of leather on the finish, accompanied by dark chocolate, molasses, pecans,
cinnamon, and oak on the back. At first, the finish fooled me, petering out at
1:01. However, after a brief dormancy, it was back, especially the pecans and bolder
cinnamon spice. It had a significant buildup on the return, leveling at 1:54. The
crazy thing is that it came back again – it was dry oak at this point. By the
time everything was said and done, it lasted 2:32.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Throw
me for a loop once, and you’ve got my attention. Do it twice, and my ADD kicks
in, and I can’t think about anything else. That finish was unlike any I’ve
dealt with! I compared notes against the 2025 version, and while there were a
few similarities, they were definitely different Tennessee whiskeys.
I’m still hung up on that rollercoaster
finish. The 10-year-old is a very good whiskey without it, but when I take that
into account, it was a fascinating sipping experience. My Bottle rating
is warranted.
◊◊◊◊◊
12-Years-Old
(Batch 4)
- Whiskey Type: Tennessee Whiskey
- Distiller: Jack Daniel’s
- Age: 12 years
- Mashbill: 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon #3/#4 charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 53.5% ABV (107°)
- Price per 700mL: $99.99
Appearance: The
12-year-old expression possessed a burnt orange appearance. It produced a
thicker rim with tightly packed, slow, medium-weight tears.
Nose: The aroma
consisted of orange zest, brown sugar, banana bread, cinnamon, and oak.
Inhaling the vapor through my lips, I tasted caramel.
Palate: There
was a thin, oily mouthfeel that offered no palate shock. On the front were
flavors of warm vanilla, banana bread, and black cherries, while the middle
featured cinnamon, maple syrup, and brown sugar. The back had notes of dry oak,
nutmeg, and ginger.
Finish: Maple
syrup, banana bread, black cherries, dry oak, and nutmeg remained. Interestingly,
the wood became drier over time. It was even-keeled and moderately warm, and a bit
chewy despite its initial oily mouthfeel. Black cherries were the final component.
At 2:09, the duration was very long.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: This is
the second year in a row that the 12-year-old expression has drunk far below
its stated proof. That was the only thing both had in common. Whereas the 2025
expression was sweet and tempered, this year’s began that way, yet balanced out
on the back and finish.
I really enjoyed what was
in my glass; there’s something almost magical about Jack Daniel’s spending a dozen
years in oak. There’s a lot of bang for the buck here, and it earns my Bottle
rating.
◊◊◊◊◊
14-Years-Old
(Batch 2)
- Whiskey Type: Tennessee Whiskey
- Distiller: Jack Daniel’s
- Age: 14 years
- Mashbill: 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon #3/#4 charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 58.8% ABV (117.6°)
- Price per 700mL: $149.99
Appearance: The
14-year-olds looked like the color of rust. A thin rim created fast, husky,
widely-spaced tears.
Nose: Cherries,
bananas, pipe tobacco, molasses, and oak permeated my nostrils as I explored
the aroma. Pulling it into my mouth exposed me to more molasses.
Palate: A very
slick texture slid across my tongue and down my throat. There was no heat or
palate shock. Instead, I tasted brown sugar, milk chocolate, and fried
plantains on the front of my palate. The middle included notes of pipe tobacco,
nutmeg, and butterscotch. Oak, leather, and cinnamon were all over the back of
my palate.
Finish: Long
and lingering, the finish featured fried plantains, milk chocolate,
butterscotch, cinnamon, and ginger spices. There were no waves or troughs; it
was slow and steady, lasting 1:14, making it a medium duration.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: From
start to finish, there was no heat, forcing me to doubt the stated 117+ proof. Take
it 20 points down, and I’d believe it. That’s very much like the 2025 version. Simply
put, this Jack Daniel’s release is stunning. Does it have a fault? Not in my
opinion. Rating it anything other than a Bottle would be criminal.
◊◊◊◊◊
Final Thoughts: Jack
Daniel’s is so much more than its flagship 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.
The 10- and 12-year
expressions were notably different year over year. The 14 wasn’t the same, but
shared similarities. This year, my verdict is from oldest to youngest. Saying
that, all are legitimate winners; there are no bad choices. If you only see one
on a store shelf, get it. You won’t be disappointed either way. 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.
Comments
Post a Comment
As we should drink in moderation, all comments are subject to it. Cheers!