Jack Daniel’s Releases New Batches of 10-Year-Old and 12-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskeys
In a move that’s being hailed as a major turning point in the company’s history, Jack Daniel’s has released new batches of its 10-year-old and 12-year-old Tennessee whiskeys for 2024. The 10-year debuted a year prior to the 12-year, so we are now enjoying batch three of the 10-year, while the 12-year is celebrating batch two.
When these aged whiskeys were first released in 2022 and 2023 respectively, whiskey fans all over the world flocked to try the dram and were not disappointed. The market is so saturated with aged whiskeys at this point that you may be wondering what the big deal is. What’s remarkable about these whiskeys, apart from their flavor, is that they are the first bottles Jack Daniel’s has produced in 100 years that were aged for at least 10 years.
Whether you think the reputation is well-deserved or not, Jack Daniel’s flagship Old No. 7 is generally perceived to be closer to a mixing whiskey than a sipping whiskey. The Jack and Coke exists for this very reason.
A Tale Of Two Batches
While the history is interesting and getting into the weeds of whiskey trends can be fun, at the end of the day, what we care about is whether the whiskey tastes good. Well, haters be gone because these two bottles are proof that the brand’s fame hasn’t destroyed its quality. The company could have released a half-baked effort, knowing full well that Old No. 7 pays the bills, but what we got were two outstanding products fit for any whiskey collector’s shelves.
Both the 10-year and the 12-year use Jack Daniel’s signature mash bill of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye. These are Tennessee whiskeys, not bourbons, so they’ve been through the process of charcoal mellowing as well, which helps the whiskey achieve its iconically smooth taste.
All of this comes together to produce intoxicating hints of butterscotch, pipe tobacco, and soft fruit on the nose which hits the palate with a complex pairing of oak and butterscotch.
The 10-year and the 12-year definitely share a lot of similarities in flavor but they aren’t identical by any means. The 10-year has a unique profile that almost feels unbridled in a good way, while the 12-year feels composed and more structured. The 10-year is coming in at 97 proof with an MSRP of $84.99, while the 12-year is 107 proof at $94.99, available now in limited quantities.
