Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select

Single Barrel Select is Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey bottled from individual barrels instead of a blended batch, at 47% ABV (94 proof). The line was introduced in 1997. The master distiller and a small team choose each barrel from the upper floors of select warehouses. Each bottle shows its rick number, barrel number and bottling date, so you can trace it to one barrel. Because every bottling comes from a single barrel, flavor will vary a little from one bottle to the next. Take any tasting notes below as what this style usually offers, not a fixed profile. Expect the Jack Daniel's house character: a sweet-leaning American whiskey with caramel, vanilla and toasted oak, backed by grain sweetness and a little baking spice. The charcoal mellowing and char-oak aging used in Tennessee whiskey typically add a touch of char and a rounder, softer texture. At 94 proof there is more body and spice than in the 80-proof expression. The oak and spice should also hold up better when the whiskey is mixed or poured over ice. Start neat in a Glencairn glass. The tapered bowl concentrates the aroma, and a first nosing will show whether this barrel leans toward vanilla, oak or spice. A few drops of room-temperature water can open the nose and soften the alcohol bite, and it's a good way to compare bottles from different barrels. For slower sipping, use a rocks glass with one large cube. It chills the whiskey with little dilution, and the sweetness stays the focus as the ice melts. In cocktails, the higher proof keeps the whiskey from getting lost behind sugar and bitters. In an Old Fashioned, a sugar cube, two dashes of Angostura and an orange peel bring out the caramel and oak. In a Manhattan, sweet vermouth and a cherry sit well against the grain sweetness. In a Whiskey Sour, fresh lemon juice balances the rounder, sweeter profile. For a Highball, pour over plenty of ice and top with cold soda water, or ginger ale if you want a sweeter drink. Barbecue, smoked meats and aged cheddar all suit the vanilla and char in this style.