Jack Daniel’s Debuts Bottled-In-Bond Rye Whiskey
A bold new 100 proof rye from the whiskey legend.
Heritage and a long-running, historic legacy might be enough to carry the day for some distilleries, but at Jack Daniel’s, it’s that history that informs the future.
The release of the new Jack Daniel’s Bottled-In-Bond Rye Whiskey isthe latest step forward into a new future for the iconic distillery, nodding to that heritage while at the same time throwing down the gauntlet in the booming rye whiskey market.
Jack Daniel’s has long been in the business of innovation in its humble home of Lynchburg, Tennessee, as we found out during a visit to the distillery last month.
That includes pioneering efforts like releasing its highest ABV whiskey ever last year, along with revving up a collaboration with McLaren Racing in 2023.
This latest whiskey joins Jack Daniel’s popular Bonded Series, and new though this rye expression might be, it hews to the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 (a whiskey distilled by a single distiller in a single season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at 100 proof).
Chris Fletcher, Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller, said the rye grain bill of 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn and 12 percent malted barley delivers “a unique and balanced profile that drinkers have come to expect and seek out from our rye releases.”
Indeed, consistency is king at Jack Daniel’s, as the spirit travels the world, adorns the stages of rock stars and sits handsomely in bar carts of loyal JD fans.
Everything from the limestone water to the charcoal mellowing process to the way Jack Daniel’s crafts its barrels at its Alabama cooperage speaks to attention to detail, an appreciation of the past and a relentless focus on getting it right every single time.
In fact, that charcoal mellowing process, where JD lets its whiskey drip through multiple feet of hard sugar maple charcoal, is a testament to patience, technique and again, reliability.
There’s also a wistful sense of peace that washes over one throughout the famed Lynchburg distillery grounds: If the land helps make the whiskey, then Jack Daniel’s has long been in a prime spot among Lynchburg’s lovely, rolling hills.
And despite the impressive amount of science and behind-the-scenes research that goes into, say, generating the Jack Daniel’s signature yeast strain, it’s up to the barrels and rackhouses to quietly do the work of cultivating the distillery’s iconic whiskey.
Among the rackhouse barrels, it’s the magic of rich wood, narrow walkways, tight corridors and the ebb and flow of Tennessee weather that ultimately weave the narrative of the iconic whiskey maker, the same way it’s been since the late 1800s.
And yet, Jack Daniel’s certainly isn’t resting on its laurels.
“We’re going to continue to experiment with grain, all the way through maturation,” Fletcher said during an intimate tasting of the new rye expression and other Jack Daniel’s expressions.
In the case of the new release, rye spice lands nicely on the finish, with toffee and dried fruit on the palate. Other as-yet-unreleased expressions are no slouch, and sipping whiskey straight from its famed barrels in Lynchburg remains a rare treat.
The bottled-in-bond rye expression is a uniquely Jack Daniel’s take on rye whiskey, as its flagship Old No. 7 also has dried fruit notes and a touch of sweet spiciness (again, consistency is king in Tennessee).
As to the future for the whiskey giant, Fletcher wants to continue to push the envelope, in a literal and figurative sense.
“Let’s push it, let’s challenge it,” Fletcher said as the distillery charts a course with even more innovative whiskey launches in the years ahead. “There’s a really nice, full pipeline of stuff coming. For me, it’s about getting the best grain we can get.”
If Fletcher and Jack Daniel’s have anything to say about it, the best grain and the best whiskey will certainly lend themselves to well-stocked bar carts in the years ahead.
For now, get your own bottle of Jack Daniel’s Bottled-in-Bond Rye online at ReserveBar for a highly agreeable, even legendary, price.
Read This Next
