Jack Daniels Single Barrel Nicks Wine Merchants Australian Exclusive Barrel Strength Tennessee Whiskey (700ml) - 64.5%

Nicks Wine Merchants exclusive selection. Less than 200 bottles imported.

Jack Daniels Barrel Strength program gives Australian fans the opportunity to taste once-off selections at natural strength. Lately, they’ve been difficult to procure, partly because of Covid and long wait times, partly because of a lapse in supply of the distinctive glass bottles that they come in. Our current barrel (#22-02030) was handpicked by Nicks Wine Merchants and is being offered to subscribers first. The flavour falls into the distillery's "Full Bodied and Robust" profile (the others being "Sweet Forward" and "Flavourful & Balanced"). Of the three, we preferred this for capturing all the classic JD characteristics: Lashings of vanilla, sticky date, toasted oak and maple cake, delivered with hints of liquorice bullets and blood orange zest, this time finished by an invigorating kick of black pepper and alcohol to justify its title.

It's a profile that's perhaps unique to this distillery, and one that continues to capture the imagination of followers internationally - testimony to a marketing campaign that's as brilliantly simple as it is varied and ubiquitous. Even for those who've never tasted Jack Daniels or never visited Lynchburg or Kentucky, the bottle just looks like it belongs on the dining table of a countrified American gentleman, evoking images of denim-clad distillery workers or characters from the 'Dukes of Hazard'. In this case, the liquid inside is just as evocative. Keep in mind, the aim of these selections is to deliver something far from your standard Jack. At 64.5%, even a small taste will be like sitting in a new V8 and revving it for a bit in the driveway - even if you don't go anywhere - the thrill is undeniable.

The Barrel Strength program only started in 2015, so it remains a very, very small sideline when you consider the general release Old No.7 black label now runs into 150,000,000 bottles per year. Barrels are typically sourced from the highest reaches of the rickhouse where the intense temperatures deliver the richest flavours. Each barrel will be slightly different from the next, with outturns around 200 bottles per barrel. Obviously, this is a release for every die-hard American whiskey fan and one that comes with a proven record as a collectable, further differentiated by a custom designed medallion neck-tag and strip label on the presentation box. As we've pointed out before, there are some outrageous prices online for similar offerings, so get in while the going rate remains sane. A follow up is unlikely to be repeated any time soon. Limit one per customer.