Quite confectionery and billowing with fruity candies—banana taffy, bubble gum, Pixy Stix, red cinnamon gumdrops, and Swedish Fish. The palate offers black cherry soda, more banana, and a bit of grapefruit. Very fruity, with just enough oak to deliver a drying finish. Fans of Jack will be like kids in the candy store, with the added proof and intensity. (Travel Retail exclusive)

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Winter 2018)

Like opening a lunchbox in elementary school: you’ll find the distinct aromas of peanut butter sandwich with strawberry jam and a smear of Marshmallow Fluff, plus a Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie, and some apple blossom and tea rose. Soft and sweet in the mouth, with plenty of fruit and flowers: banana split topped with crushed pistachios, rose oil, white chocolate, halva. This whiskey is finished in charred maple barrels and undergoes a second filtration with the Lincoln County Process.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Fall 2019)

This new Jack Daniel’s offering is marketed as being “bold and smooth.” It certainly is bolder when compared to the standard Jack Daniel’s offering, with a mélange of corn, creamy vanilla, toasted caramel, bright citrus, and dry resinous oak spiked with cinnamon. The smoothness ends, however, when the oak grip intensifies on the finish. Adding ice does tame the oak, if that’s your thing. Still, I’d prefer the oak be more restrained. Price is per liter.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2014)

A host of sweet confections—caramel corn, candied apples, toasted marshmallow, bubble gum, and gobs of banana taffy—are reminiscent of a warm summer night at the fair. The palate speaks of orchard fruits, sweet golden apples, and poached pear, as hints of peach and cocoa appear on the clean, enjoyable, and succinct finish.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2019)

What begins as a banana, oat, and Malt-O-Meal delight turns into honey and potato chips. This is followed by cookie dough, dark cherries, sweet-potato chips, beets, dehydrated pineapple, pine nuts, and oak. Its medium finish offers a mouthful of banana. If you love banana, you’ll love this whiskey.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2018)

Clear as Cave Spring water, a mashbill of 70% rye, “mellowed” by charcoal, and ignorant of barrel-aging. It is white dog-brash: fresh wet grain, trampled grass, and a salty tinge. The spirit is pleasurably smooth and cool, sweet in body with a bitter film of rye spice. A gentlemanly clear spirit that’s itching to get into a cocktail; my only real complaint is the price. (This is “a taste of what’s to come,” so expect an aged rye to follow.)

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2013)

Continuing progress on Jack Daniel’s rye whiskey; this one is 2 years old and labeled “straight.” Pale amber. New make sharpness, sawn oak, hard candy, and a flip of cinnamon bark: driven, simple, insistent nose. Thin on the palate: sweet, with an oily overlay of bitter grass and grainy flatness. A dry, contracting finish. Not flawed, but not particularly pleasant, either. Someone tell Jack; craft distillers get $50 for young rye because they’re small. JD should be half that.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Summer 2014)

Initially, it’s earth and fruit. This develops into sawdust, more earth, and bananas. From here, it’s green pepper, banana nut bread, and warm corn tortillas over a soft mouthfeel with little complexity. This will work in a pinch and it’s great in ginger ale, Coca-Cola, or lighter cocktails, but it’s probably best over ice.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Fall 2017)