Color: Dark Caramel 

Nose: The nose starts off with notes of fresh cut wood, herbal tea, agave syrup, and underripe fruit. Then comes a splash of toffee, vanilla, and candied cherry to help fill an unexpectedly vibrant and robust nose. The nose is bright (in a good way) and livelier than the sweet, musty, more classic Jack Daniel’s profile you get in their Tennessee Bonded expression. This is a great nose that punches way above its weight.

Palate: Where the nose is big and lively, the palate starts off soft and gentle before transitioning to flavors of vanilla, green tea, toasted hazelnuts, and dried fruits. There is a touch of herbaceous-ness here, but never feels “piney”. This is still closer to a barely legal rye rather than a 95% rye like Bulleit, so you will find a few more bourbon notes than you might expect. This doesn’t have the same dessert-like character than you might expect from Jack Daniel’s other expressions but has a fantastic mouthfeel full of body and weight. It dances across the tongue and envelopes the sides of mouth. The mouthfeel here is truly excellent.

Finish: Medium length finish of crushed black pepper, praline, and charred oak. The heat builds nicely here and provides an extra kick of spice to help balance any of the sweetness of the palate.

Final Thoughts: The third installment in Jack Daniel’s Bonded Series is a home run. The nose is fantastic, the mouthfeel is excellent, and the finish provides just enough spice to tie it all together. This bonded rye differentiates itself from the classic Jack Daniel’s profile while providing just enough of the classic rye character to make it feel like a natural progression for Jack Daniel’s portfolio. The flavors aren’t bold or in your face but can easily lure you into drinking more pours than you expect. While many Jack Daniel’s expressions can feel very sweet and dessert like, this falls closer to the savory end of the spectrum. I am surprised at how much more I enjoy this bonded rye expression over the Tennessee whiskey expression. Now if only I could find the new barrel proof single barrel rye version….