This is Jack Daniel’s first age-stated release in over a century, unveiled this summer to great excitement. Does the whiskey itself live up to the fanfare? Our verdict is that it most certainly does. Made from the same Jack Daniel’s recipe used for the core Old No. 7, this liquid has aged well, and taken on lively, dynamic dimensions. Sweet cherry notes and wood spice swirl around the nose and palate, integrating with baking spice, brown sugar, candied orange, and melted butterscotch, all tempered by espresso and cedar chest. This will be an annual release, and the plan calls for it to reappear next summer. —David Fleming