LYNCHBURG — The Jack Daniel Distillery introduced a Sweet Mash Tennessee Straight Whiskey as the latest selection in its Distillery Series line of experimental whiskeys this week. Selected by Whiskey Taster and Quality Control Manager Kathy Thurmond, the newest local product is bottled at 117 proof (58.5 percent abv) in 375ml bottles.
At the beginning of each distilling season, the Jack Daniel Distillery uses a sweet mash process during the cooking of grains. This sweet mash will kickstart production before establishing a setback to support their sour mash process for the remainder of the distilling season.
Distillery Series Selection #15 is a nod to the annual small run of sweet mashed whiskey, featuring the same grain bill of 80 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and 8 percent rye like all Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskeys. After entering new charred white oak barrels in 2016, the expression was aged on the top floors of Track 2 barrelhouses at the Jack Daniel Distillery for almost nine years before being batched and bottled.
“Our Distillery Series has experimented with every step in the whiskey making process from grain bill to barreling, and this release showcases yet another lever that we can pull and tweak here at the Jack Daniel Distillery,” said Chris Fletcher, Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller. “What excites me about this release is the complexity and richness that has emerged from a little extra time in the right places in our barrelhouses.”
The sweet mash process along with the barrel age and location combine for a high-proof Tennessee Whiskey featuring rich butterscotch notes and undertones of pecan, berry and caramel.
Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series Sweet Mash Tennessee Straight Whiskey is bottled at 117 proof (58.5 percent abv) in 375ml bottles. It will be available exclusively in Tennessee and at the White Rabbit Bottle Shop at the Jack Daniel Distillery beginning this month, with a suggested retail price of $44.99. •
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