Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select is a Tennessee Whiskey from Lynchburg, Tennessee, bottled from the contents of a single, hand-picked barrel at 45% ABV. First introduced in 1997, Single Barrel Select remains a permanent fixture in the brand's portfolio. It is produced by the Jack Daniel Distillery, part of the Brown-Forman group.
The whiskey is made from the classic Jack Daniel's mash bill. Produced from a blend of 80% corn, 12% malted barley and 8% rye, the distillate undergoes the Lincoln County Process, involving charcoal filtration prior to maturation. Jack Daniel's allows the whiskey to drip for six days through ten-foot vats, passing through charcoal made by burning sugar maple wood, after which it goes into new, charred oak barrels and matures for an estimated 4–7 years.
What sets this range apart comes down to the provenance of the barrels. For the Single Barrel Select bottlings, Jack Daniel's selects barrels from the uppermost floors of the warehouses. The advantage of storage on the top floor is that heat rises, and high temperatures increase the interaction between the distillate and the wood, creating a richer whiskey in a shorter time. Each bottle states the barrel number, the rick number and the bottling date, and as this is a single barrel whiskey, the flavour profile varies from barrel to barrel.
The aroma profile brings back the notes characteristic of the brand. Caramel, vanilla and the recognisable banana accent settle in the foreground, with the oak more pronounced than in the lower-strength version, while white pepper and apricot add layers of depth. In another barrel, the nose shows intense notes of oak, honey and cinnamon, the palate continues with more woody accents but also contains the classic banana note typical of Old No. 7 along with rich vanilla, and the finish is long and spicy, with distinct pink pepper.
Single Barrel Select occupies an intermediate position in the portfolio. At 94 proof it is the first step up from the standard 80 proof Old No. 7, adding 14 proof points as well as the variability arising from the flavour nuances of the specific barrel. This expression is intended rather for drinking neat from a Glencairn glass.