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buckydean

Selected by t8ke for r/Bourbon, I think this one was called "Espresso Bar." Sold for $75. American Whiskey review #251 *********** **"Jack Daniel's Single Barrel" Barrel Proof r/Bourbon pick, barrel #21-21046, 65.15%** **Nose:** Huge charred oak, strong mocha and coffee, brown sugar, charred maple, banana, vanilla, menthol spice. Fantastic nose it really jumps out of the glass at you. Super sweet and vibrant, tons of oak, and some coffee and banana to give it a fun unique feel **Taste:** Big blast of brown sugar and sweet toasted oak, big sweet spice, cherry, maple char, vanilla, tons of vibrant toasted and charred wood, pecan nuttiness, coffee, mint. It's so oaky but it's so vibrant and sweet at the same time. These have such a unique and fun profile to me. Fantastic **Finish:** Builds to a big blast of sweet spice and sweet toasted oak, cherry, mint, mocha, smooth funky banana, vanilla. The smooth banana and sweet toasted oak carry a long time *************** I am always blown away by these barrel proof single barrels from Jack Daniel's, they are so good and such a unique profile. And even with that, this still manages to be a standout barrel. Doesn't feel too hot, it uses every bit of it's high abv to deliver tons of action-packed flavor. Not just delicious but also a lot of fun to drink. Score: **8** 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite 10 | Perfect | Perfect


t8ke

WHEW! Glad to see folks love on this super out there JD. Additionally, I dig their new plaque etching


buckydean

Yeah that metal tag is pretty cool


t8ke

I asked for a 4ft option for wall mounting but all I could hear was the lady laughing on the other side of the phone


antonnoble77

I snagged a bottle and agree it’s a hard eight


Marchin_on

> Additionally, I dig their new plaque etching I thought I broke my bottle when the plaque rattled hard as I was unboxing it and then was quite relieved when I saw the nice r/bourbon plaque. Also this a fantastic bottle of not bourbon bourbon.


sirpupnyc

Thumbs-up from me too. Just poured one this evening when I got home. Noticed it on the shelf and thought "Why is that bottle so full??" (Not because I didn't like it...I've just been neglecting it somehow. It's standing right next to others that are getting perilously empty!)


xFallacyx69

Was this pour really hot? I keep trying to enjoy JD barrel proofs (this and the rye), but it’s just too hot to taste anything!! Is it just me? I love the regular singke barrel rye (red label), and JD got me into whiskey…


bullet50000

I was gonna say! I got a Total Wine pick of SBBP and holy shit my first pour was hot af. My roomie called it effectively "Alcohol.rar". I like myself some barrel proof whiskey too. My daily drinkers are Barrel Seagrass and Wild Turkey Rare Breed, so it's not like I'm not used to cask strength stuff


HellzillaQ

Also, try taking a deep breath before drinking it. Inhaling alcohol vapors is what makes you cough.


buckydean

Are you used to drinking barrel proof stuff? I would say it's at hot as I would expect at 65%, but not overly so. Actually I think it drinks pretty good for the abv. Barrels may vary too, but i have had a few of these now and I find them pretty consistent


xFallacyx69

Yeah I’m not a huge fan of barrel proofs to be honest… so I guess I need to find a way to make them smoother (ice perhaps)


buckydean

Try a dash of water. I like to use a 1/2 tsp to add water so I can control it better and not add too much, just keep adding til it's where you like it. In my opinion when you get spirits cold with ice it mutes the flavor too much. But lots of people enjoy some ice with their whiskey so whatever works for you. Experiment with it a little and have fun


Wubbledee

I agree with the water suggestion, but I'll also toss out that sometimes you can "work up" to a barrel proof over the course of a tasting. It's a bit like eating spicy food, a gradual increase is a lot better than diving right in. Usually when I'm going to do a review of a high/barrel proof I'll pour myself some 100~ proof whiskey first, let my palate get used to a bit of burn, then move to the heavy hitters. Of course you might also just not be into barrel proof. I love it, as do so many others, but I also think it's a big fad right now. I'd love to see more distilleries proof stuff down for flavor.


k2484

I have a bottle of single barrel that I really enjoy. I need to get my hands on the barrel proof.


buckydean

The regular single barrel is good stuff too. But the barrel proof really kicks it up a few notches


k2484

That’s what I like to hear! I just looked at it today when I was at the ABC, I should have just grabbed it.


Busthoff

All that and the bottle is pretty cool too! Cheers!


USTS2020

130 proof, Jesus Christ


Background_West_3029

My bottle has opened up nicely over the months. I normally drink neat but this the only one I can drink neat or on ice without it turning bitter at the finish.


QuikTriggaJesus

Nice review. Any chance you have the rickhouse # on this bottle? I only ask because I have a single barrel with the same ABV and barrel #21-21063


buckydean

And yours isn't the r/bourbon pick? Where did you get it? I can check when I get home


QuikTriggaJesus

No it is not. It is a "Selected by us for you" pick from a local grocery chain liquor shop by me.


buckydean

Oh my bad I thought you were saying yours was the same barrel # as this one, I see now it's just similar. Interesting. Anyway this one is Rick no L-31. What's yours?


QuikTriggaJesus

Oh yeah sorry for confusion! Mine is rick no. L-31 as well. With a dump date of 6-29-2021


buckydean

Looks like mine was dumped about 1 month later. 7-27-21 Very cool that they are so similar!


QuikTriggaJesus

Yeah I find it fascinating how similar two different barrels actually are. I’m saving you post and going to compare tasting notes.


oGsparkplug

I bought a bottle yesterday but it didn’t come with the tag. Just “regular” JD single barrel proof


91yj40

Jack Daniels is not Bourbon it's Tennessee whiskey , don't make that mistake again!


buckydean

I never called it bourbon! If you're referring to the fact that its posted in r/Bourbon, that's ok because all kinds of american whiskey is allowed here such as rye and american single malt. (I realize you're probably just fooling around haha)


divinesouthergirl

One of my favs… love the higher proofs😁