In the whiskey world, there’s a difference between massive sales and the more vague notions of hype and geek credibility. Take Jack Daniel’s, for instance–it’s the biggest overall whiskey brand in the U.S., and has been for decades. But does the brand get whiskey geeks excited? For many years, I would have argued that the answer was no–Jack Daniel’s was so often portrayed as the whiskey world’s equivalent to Bud Light in craft beer circles, as something pedestrian or insipid. But the last few years have really begun to change this perception of Jack Daniel’s among the U.S. whiskey cognoscenti, as a new wave of product launches and limited offerings has greatly expanded the boundaries of what kind of Brown-Forman whiskeys we see under the Jack Daniel’s banner. And this latest release is only going to stoke the fires of hype that much more.
Last year, the company released its first 10-year age stated Tennessee whiskey, the first age-stated Jack Daniel’s bottle in around a century. This was joined by the Coy Hill releases, ultra high-proof expressions that pushed as high as 148 proof, or an astounding 74% ABV. Factor in the growing popularity of single barrel Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey and rye expressions, and whiskey geeks have been taking notice of the brand in a way they never have before. And now, the company is pushing forward with its latest release, Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Old Tennessee Whiskey, a bottle that only amplifies everything that was praised in last year’s 10-year batch. And at the same time, a second batch of the 10-Year is being released as well. Both are made with the standard JD mash bill of 80% corn, 12% malted barley and 8% rye, and receive the usual charcoal filtration.
What I find rather fascinating here is how close these two are being positioned in terms of MSRP–the 10 Year is at $70, while the 12 Year is $80. If the bump up in age statement was the only difference between the two expressions, that would be a bit easier to understand, but the 12 Year also receives a significant bump in strength as well, taking it to a robust 53.5% ABV (107 proof), while the 10 Year remains at 48.5% (97 proof). Coupled together, this difference in age statement and proof is the kind of thing you’d expect to generate a jump in MSRP significantly bigger than $10, and I can’t help but think this will contribute to making whiskey geek demand for the 12 Year–and secondary market valuation–that much more intense. Especially once people get a chance to taste this.
Because folks, this is a pretty excellent expression, one of my favorite things I’ve had bearing a Jack Daniel’s label. So with that said, let’s get to tasting.