Jack Daniel’s Bonded Whiskey Review
I’m a Jack Daniel’s fan and sipping this juice while I write this Jack Daniel’s Bonded Whiskey review is a pleasurable chore to have to do! Jack Daniel’s Bottled in Bond Tennessee whiskey is one of the distilleries’ newest permanent additions to their product line that will feature several Bonded spirits. It is bottled at the standard international volume of 700ml rather than the common US volume of 750ml bottles. Jack Daniel’s Bonded is produced in a bottle inspired by the original design of the 1895 Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey bottle featuring raised letters on the glass including the designation “DSP-TN-1”. There have only been 7 master distillers at Jack Daniel’s and this phrase refers to the first master distiller, Mr. Jack Daniel himself.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded uses Jack’s original Old No. 7 mash bill recipe of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye. According to the distillery, the Bonded barrels are “hand selected for their unique characteristics of deeper color, flavor, and aroma, which bring a darker, richer, and more oak-forward character to Jack Daniel’s Bonded Whiskey. It is a big, bold Tennessee Whiskey at 100 proof with layered notes of caramel, rich oak, and spice giving way to a pleasantly lingering finish.”
Any whiskey labeled “Bottled in Bond” must follow these guidelines as stipulated by the US government Bottled in Bond Act of 1897:
- must be distilled by a single distiller in a single season
- must be matured in wood
- must be matured in a bonded (tax-exempt) warehouse for at least 4 years
- must be bottled at 100 proof
- the label must identify the distillery where it was distilled and, if different, where it was bottled.
Series: Bonded
Classification: Tennessee Whiskey
Age: NAS (but at least 4 years per regulations)
Proof: 100
Proof Designation: Bottled in Bond
Filtered Status: Chill Filtered
Mash bill: 80% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 8% Rye
Distillery: Jack Daniel’s
Company: Brown-Forman
Release Date: May 2022 (Ongoing)
MSRP: $30 (2022 700ml)
Availability: Readily Available
Jack Daniel’s Bonded Whiskey Review
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
Nose
Charred oak, vanilla, caramel, fig, banana.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Breaking Bourbon: The aroma explodes from the glass. Sweet caramel, vanilla, and the quintessential Jack Daniel’s banana scent fill the air with rich intensity. Inhaling brings forth maple sugar candy and a touch of seasoned oak.
The Whiskey Study: Toasted banana vanilla cream. The sweetness is immediately there, but with a soft undercurrent of ethanol burn. An addition of toasted marshmallows and thick caramel sauce completes the whole banana split sundae vibe going on here. As it settles in the glass, more wood comes through.
Bourbon Paddy: The nose opens strong with warm baking spices, sweet caramel, a touch of foam bananas as expected and a hell of a lot of fresh cherries. As you nose deeper, the cherry notes turn jammy and more concentrated, whilst the bananas dissolve into a powdered sugar note, the baking spices become increasingly earthy, the caramels gain a dark edge, and a kick of ethanol waits towards the end.
Palate
Semi-sweet, vanilla, caramel, charred oak, peanuts, leather, baking spices. Drinks a little underproof.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Breaking Bourbon: Intense maple sugar candy meets a mixture of caramel, toasted marshmallow, and burnt oak at the onset. Banana rushes in, but is fleeting against the more potent sugary mix. Erring heavily on the sweeter side, the intensity is propped up by the proof, allowing the flavors to hit the high sweet notes with a sturdy, but welcome, backing of heat.
The Whiskey Study: A soft banana bread with vanilla ice cream. Milk chocolate, light caramel sauce, and a nice woody dryness that leads nicely into the finish. There are a few peaks and valleys here, with some metallic brittleness mixed with artificial maple syrup. The heat is cranked up compared to Old #7 and it’s a welcome change.
Bourbon Paddy: The palate opens with dark caramel notes, warm earthy baking spices, thick toasted oak, a touch of cherries, and a flash of foam bananas. As you keep chewing the baking spices and toasted oak notes remain dominant giving spices like nutmeg, ginger powder, and a touch of bitter char. There’s also a decent bit of heat that builds on the palate to a sippable warmth that runs down the sides of the tongue.
Finish
Moderately long, semi-sweet, oak char (or is that sugar maple char?!), pepper, mild vanilla.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Breaking Bourbon: The whiskey intensifies in the finish, starting with a wave of spicy heat. Caramel, graham cracker, and burnt oak meld into a sugary soiree, complementing the persistent spicy heat. The medium to long finish trails off nicely.
The Whiskey Study: The nice woody note at the back of the palate transitions nicely to cracked black pepper and fresh baked bread. Bonded features a medium-length finish that blows regular JD out of the water. The slight metallic note persists and slowly transitions to cherry cough drop as it lingers on the tongue.
Bourbon Paddy: The finish opens with lingering spice-driven warmth, dried cherries and cranberries, milk chocolate, toasted oak, and a warm aftertaste of toasted oak, baking spices, lingering dark caramels and warm toasted nut notes.
Notes and History
Jack Daniel’s began crafting whiskey in 1866 and was the first officially registered distillery in the United States. During the 1800s, whiskey production was unregulated and there were a lot of “snake oil” practices used by shoddy producers and wholesales who would add any number of substances to their product to make it vaguely similar to the high-end Kentucky whiskey but for a much cheaper price to make. Some of the known additives included things like caramel coloring, glycerin, assorted wood chips, tobacco spit, or even formaldehyde.
To combat this deceptive and sometimes dangerous practice, Kentucky distillers pressured the federal government to set a standardized designation for “honest” whiskey to give consumers certainty in what they were buying. The Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 is the result of those efforts, and it is one of the earliest examples of a consumer protection law.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded Whiskey Press Release:
Lynchburg, Tennessee (May 3, 2022) – The Jack Daniel Distillery introduces Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Blended Straight Whiskey as the first two permanent expressions in the brand’s new Bonded Series. The Bonded Series honors the whiskey making excellence of the iconic Jack Daniel Distillery and will be a permanent extension in the Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands.
Both Jack Daniel’s Bonded and Triple Mash are Bottled-in-Bond at 100 proof (50% abv), with packaging inspired by the original design of the 1895 Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey bottle.
“The Jack Daniel Distillery has been making exceptional American whiskey to the highest standards for generations, before and after the Bottled in Bond Act, dating back to the days of Mr. Jack himself,” said Chris Fletcher, Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller. “Jack Daniel’s Bonded and Triple Mash are a nod to our heritage with a touch of innovation and craftsmanship. These whiskeys are another opportunity for both our friends and new drinkers to explore and discover everything Jack Daniel’s has to offer.”
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I have tried this one once because Whiskey Advocate selected it for the number one release in 2022. I compared it to the #2 (Red Breast Kentucky Oak), and #3 (Barrell Vantage) to see how it stacked up. While I did prefer the Barrell Vantage and Red Breast Kentucky Oak over the Jack Daniels Bonded I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. For $30 it’s a great option to have on hand. After reading this review I want to try it again and see how my tasting notes compare.
I haven’t tried the Red Breast Kentucky Oak…I’ll have to add it to my list. I definitely liked the Barrell Vantage over the Bonded, but at its higher proof (and price) I would expect it to be better. But, as you said, the Bonded for the price is a great pour. I’d love to hear your tasting notes if you try the Bonded again!