Jack Daniel's Single Barrel

My exploration for the Jack Daniel's range, though not exhaustive, shall I think end here. Basically the stronger version of Old No. 7, it is difficult to not compare it to that benchmark as you sit and appreciate it. It has a deeper, almost burgundy colour, good legs and a solid body. The nose is very similar to Old No. 7 but more so: deeper caramel and stronger white pepper. The vanilla and maple sugar notes remain similar, but do I detect less charcoal? I presume it has the same filtration rate as the others, so perhaps it becomes overcome by the stronger alcohol and cask characteristics. Taste is a little more fiery (again, slightly more alcohol) and with the same characteristics as the original only more so. Water does little but simply dilute the nose and palate. The question to ask yourself is, why pay more for this than the original? I can't answer that. I prefer the Old No. 7 to both this and the lighter Gentleman Jack because, well, they got it right the first time. None of them have any subtlety nor are particularly well balanced, but they are what they are. This one's just a little too strong - there is a briskness to Old No. 7 that is missing here. For anyone who is interested, this particular single barrel is #4451 and comes from Rack #14; bottled on Sept 6 2011.

Find where to buy Jack Daniel's whisky