Jack Daniel's 2026 Single Barrel Special Release: Coy Hill Rye Review

photo courtesy of Jack Daniel's

What is the Lincoln County Process (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. That’s what makes Tennessee Whiskey Tennessee Whiskey.

 

However, the LCP goes beyond Bourbon mashbills. It can be applied to American Single Malt, Wheat Whiskey, Light Whiskey, and, yes, Rye Whiskey.

 

With Rye, the LCP takes only a third as long as it does with Tennessee Whiskey. I asked Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Chris Fletcher to explain how that works, and he said it’s because the mash has less corn. 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.

 

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

 

Each September, Jack Daniel’s offers a new edition of its Special Release Series. The 2026 version is called Coy Hill Rye. That’s the subject of today’s review.

 

“The annual Special Release series has allowed us to push the boundaries of our whiskey-making craft, and our previous Coy Hill releases have been among our most acclaimed. We are thrilled to return to Coy Hill and showcase our Tennessee Rye Whiskey while taking full advantage of the unique maturation environment and over ten years in the barrel to yield a bold, complex whiskey we are incredibly proud to share.” - Chris Fletcher, Master Distiller

 

Jack Daniel’s didn’t start distilling Rye until 2011. It uses a mashbill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley.

 

Coy Hill Rye is a single barrel release; yet, there were about 300 barrels harvested from Coy Hill’s top two floors of Barrel House 1-13. Each of those was a new, 53-gallon, 11-minute toasted #3 to #4 charred oak barrel. The sample Jack Daniel’s provided came out of the barrel at 66.55% ABV (133.1°); the proof range ran from 64.35% ABV (128.7°) to 74.25% ABV (148.5°)!

 

Each 700mL package has a suggested price of $89.99. Is Coy Hill Rye another winner? Thanks to Jack Daniel’s for providing me with this opportunity in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review, we can #DrinkCurious and find out!

 

• Whiskey Type: Tennessee Rye
• Distiller: Jack Daniel’s
• Age: 10 years
• Mashbill: 70% rye, 18% corn, 12% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon toasted and #3 to #4 charred American white oak
• Alcohol Content: 66.55% ABV (133.1°)
• Price per 700mL: $89.99

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this Tennessee Rye neat. When I tell you that I have never seen a whiskey – any whiskey – this red, I mean it. It looked like cherry juice! The thin rim shed crazed, somewhat quick tears.

 

Nose: As I was patiently waiting my cursory 15 minutes for the whiskey to breathe, I couldn’t help but notice how strong the sensation of cherries was in the air, and as time wore on, it only intensified. I’m assuming that I had a sad look on my face as the minutes seemed like hours…

…and then I finally brought the glass beneath my nostrils and inhaled. So many red fruits made them hard to identify, but I did recognize plums, strawberries, cherries, and raisins. I would be remiss not to mention the dry oak, ginger, and old leather that helped balance it all out. When I pulled the vapor through my lips, I tasted cherry cough drops.

 

Palate: Now, I was ready to begin sipping. I encountered a velvety texture with a shock of black tea. On the second sip, I found brown sugar, maraschino cherries, and mint up front. The middle featured notes of spearmint, sweet oak, and dill. On the back were flavors of black tea, rye spice, and cinnamon.

 

Finish: Cinnamon, rye spice, black tea, dry oak, mint, and cherry cough drops rounded things out. No actor took center stage; it was a true ensemble. The finish started bold, then rolled slowly downhill until 1:18, when the oak and cinnamon spices came around for a hearty encore. Overall, the duration lasted 2:04, which I would classify as very long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Again, Coy Hill Rye is a single-barrel release, with each barrel at its own proof. There are 300 different proofs floating around the country at your favorite package shop. My tasting notes reflect the 133.1 ° sample.

 

At this proof, you might assume that there was enough alcohol burn to warm the entire room. You’d be wrong. It acted more like something in the 115°-120° range. Nothing needed to be added; Coy Hill Rye had plenty of character in its unadulterated state.

 

I’m very discriminating when it comes to barrel picking. I’ve vetted single-barrel Jack Daniel’s Ryes before. Coy Hill Rye, at least at this proof, is right up there with those and even better than a few. It would be a big mistake to skip buying a Bottle if you saw it on a store shelf. 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.