From bold baking spices to sweet honey — Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskeys come with the most diverse set of flavour notes. No surprise that bottles by the brand fly off the shelves of stores. We’re taking a look at a few that are worth an addition to your home collection.
Few whiskey names can claim to be as popular as Jack Daniel’s. In fact, between pop sensation Kesha singing that she brushes her teeth ‘with a bottle of Jack,” and music legend Frank Sinatra being buried with his favourite expression — it’s no surprise that the brand is deemed one of the world’s best-selling. And at the heart of it all? A man named Jasper Newton ‘Jack’ Daniel. The story — largely steeped in mystery — goes that he was taught to distil at the age of 6 by a Lutheran minister named Dan Call. When the latter’s wife had him choose between his faith and alcohol, he sold his distillery to his pupil.
Cut to about a century later and the brand — owned by Brown Forman — is a household name, breaking several spirit records and bagging numerous awards. The Tennessee number — classic American whiskey — features corn, rye, and malted barley that’s filtered through sugar maple charcoal before being aged in handcrafted oak barrels. The payoff is a rich sip with notes of caramel, fruit, and nuts. Variants of the classic Jack Daniel’s rendition bring in more exciting flavour combinations — honey, apple, chocolate, cinnamon, the works — each promising to elevate any whiskey-sipping experience. Here’s a look at a few that are on our radar.
Honey to Fire: Jack Daniel’s bottles to elevate whiskey hour
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey Old No. 7
Starting this list out strong is the brand’s classic expression that’s bottled in what’s now been deemed the iconic black-white label. Often referred to as ‘JD’ or just ‘Jack,’ this whiskey goes through a charcoal mellowing process and is aged in white oak barrels. Smooth and mellow, this number pours amber. Every sip sings with notes of caramel, vanilla, wood, and fruits. The finish, meanwhile, is very long. This one’s ideal for mellow Highballs.
Price: INR 1800 onwards (USD 21)
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select
Bottled in small batches with the best stocks of whiskey — one barrel at a time — this expression comes with a higher alcohol content as compared to its classic cousin. In line with this, every sip brings forth familiar caramel, oak, and fruit flavours — albeit with a punchier, more robust quality. The finish is warm and lingering.
Price: INR 7,400 approx. (USD 88)
Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select
A delicious ode to music icon Frank Sinatra — a true JD aficionado who’d often have a bottle on stage — this expression is as unique as they come. Part of the production process involves the use of ‘Sinatra Barrels’ which are marked by deep grooves carved into the staves of the casks — exposing certain whiskey to more wood. This is then fused with Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7. The payoff? A bold sip that pours a rich amber and offers notes of smoke, oak, and spice in every sip. The finish, meanwhile, is smooth.
Price: INR 14,000 approx. (USD 168)
Related Stories
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey
Reportedly the first flavoured rendition of the classic JD — Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey whiskey is as smooth as they come. Featuring honey liqueur — this expression is mellow, pours, a light amber, and offers whiffs of grain and oak right up front. Every sip is reminiscent of caramel and vanilla. Not to mention, the signature Jack’s flavours. The finish is sweet.
Price: INR 5,500 approx. (USD 66)
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire
A rye that truly hits the spicy spot — this fiery JD rendition is quite popular. It fuses hot cinnamon liqueur with smooth Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7. And the signature charcoal-mellowing process brings out the whiskey’s boldness. Every sip sings with notes of pepper, and baking spices like nutmeg, layered fruits, hot chocolate, caramel, and apple. The finish, meanwhile, bursts with hints of pepper and spicy oak.
Price: INR 4,000 approx (USD 48)
Jack Daniel’s Apple
JD’s fruitiest cousin owes its deliciousness to real apples. The latter are blended with the brand’s Old No. 7 — with this fusion being matured in handcrafted barrels and mellowed through the signature maple charcoal process. The payoff? Notes of freshly cut apples, warm caramel, spice, and toffee in every sip. The finish, meanwhile, is rich and smooth with a hint of oak.
Price: INR 3,000 approx. (USD 36)
Cheers!
This story first appeared here.
All currency conversions were done at the time of writing.
(All images: Courtesy Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey)
Related: Peg Leg Porker: The Whiskey That Beat Big Brands To Be The World’s Best Bourbon
