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On a whim, I purchased the 1954 Gold Medal Winner Limited Edition Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. I have requested that our BE heroes, Mark, Chris, and Brewer........whoever is responsible........list this whiskey so that I can do a formal review.

While I have endeavored to be objective (as far as that is given to us humans to be) in my assessments of JD products, I have found them to have a flavor that I find slightly 'off'. I cannot precisely define what it is, but it seems related to the maple charcoal filtering.........it is a bit too much charcoal along with an almost burnt unpleasantness that I can't quite put my finger on other that to say it isn't what I would prefer.

Then comes this 1954 stuff. Now, this is fine whiskey...........side by side with the JD Single Barrel in my stash........there is no comparison. Gone is the JD characteristic objectional burnt nastiness and roughness in favor of a smooth sweet/mildly spicy flavor that is much more sophisticated to this old boy.

This is the best Jack I have had. It compares very favorably and is not disimilair from the 2004 Birthday Bourbon. a first rate bourbon. I have no idea about the variability of JD 1954 whiskey, but what I have is a far cry from my JDSB and ranks as a very, very, good whiskey to me!

That's very interesting Mike. I used to drink a lot of JD Black and JDSB. I still have no problem with JD Black at a bar, it is very candy-like and easy to enjoy in that setting. I always found JD in the fancy decanters to be quite foul. (This was about 8 years ago)

I am expecting to see Jimmy Bedford next week at a bottle signing and will try to remember to ask about what they put in the 1954 decanter. And if they have any at the store perhaps I'll have him sign one of those instead of a SB. (I am primarily going to the event to get him to sign my JD barrel

I went back to the Jack 1954 and throwed it in the ring agin my 50% Eagle Rare 101, 50% Russell's Reserve 101 vatting (an excellent whiskey by my lights) and the Jack didn't back down...........could have knocked me over with a feather though.

I never, ever thought Jack could stay in the ring with them two birds double teaming him. That little Jack 'off' taste that I usually find in Jack products has been tamed and put to good use in the 1954 stuff in my humble opinion!

Live and learn, Mike, live and learn!!

Mike,

I keep passing it over at the store and telling myself that I'll buy it next time. You are definitely compelling me to buy a bottle.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jimmy Bedford today at a liquor store bottle signing. This store had picked out a single barrel and Jimmy was there helping to promote the store.

I asked him what they put in the 1954 gold medal decanter. From Mike's glowing review I wondered if they hand picked the barrels. Jimmy said it was standard JD, just at a higher proof.

Art and I both happen to have JD barrels that we use as a bar, and brought them along to get signed. Jimmy's handlers were blown away that we showed up with barrels

Jimmy was extremely gracious and came out to the parking lot to sign the barrels. We got quite a few stares from the other customers.

Here's a picture of Jimmy signing my barrel.

Whatever you think about Jack Daniel's as whiskey, Jimmy Bedford's a good guy and a great ambassador for the brand.
Whether the export Silver Select, the vintage decanter bottles, or whatever -- I've never heard anything other than the stuff they put in the bottles varies only by proof. They tell you that straight at the distillery, and Jimmy certainly should know.

It may well be (speaking for Silver Select ) that the extra proof results in a somewhat different character. Lack of (or less?) filtration may explain things too.

Gary

Well, I have no explanation as to why this bottle 'seems' better to me other than to say that I have been enjoying it. It does say plainly on the bottle that it is Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey and it does 'taste' better to me than the JD Single Barrel...........but who knows, maybe it is all just my imagination. If so, Barelycorn and my whiskey drinking buddy are also infected with this illusion.....

Well, Mike, single barrels -- whether Silver Select or the standard issue one -- are sui generis unique, and also will be unique from any batched bottlings. To note that they all come from the same process, warehouses and production values is not to say they will be identical. You may well have a 'good' bottle, or a bottle from a 'good' batch.

I recall even regular bottles of JD sometimes standing out in the past due to the particular taste that batch got. In general, I feel that 80 proof does not show the product to best advantage. So these other iterations, being single barrel or higher proof or limited issue in some way will often be better. In general that is the most one can say I think (it won't predict what an individual bottle will be like). I have had single barrel JDs not to my taste, to be sure, so it works both ways. I tend to remember the good ones.

Gary

gillmang wrote:I recall even regular bottles of JD sometimes standing out in the past... I tend to remember the good ones. Gary

Ah yes... Betty; Debbie; Laura; Lolly; Lind.. uh, whoops! I guess you meant whiskey, huh? Sorry.

I enjoy Jack Daniels' whiskey, but I strongly prefer George Dickel's version of Tennessee whisky in every respect EXCEPT J.D.'s Single Barrel. Which I consider one of the finest examples of American whiskey obtainable. And a recent taste of its export cousin, Silver Select, provided by Monsieur Gilman himself, was even better.

gillmang wrote:In general, I feel that 80 proof does not show the product to best advantage.

As long time fans of JD, we agree wholeheartedly. We've often wondered how much of the superiority of the SB is accounted for by the higher proof alone. Although we can't claim that we immediately recognized a drop in flavor when JD went to 80 proof in 2004 (? - is that right?), what HAS happened over time is that standard JD black is no longer a staple in the house. Now, at it's current price and lower proof, it gets passed over in favor of better buys.

gillmang wrote: In general, I feel that 80 proof does not show the product to best advantage. So these other iterations, being single barrel or higher proof or limited issue in some way will often be better.

I would have to agree about the proof, but there has to be more too it than that. Perhaps the blending of different barrels to get a certain flavor profile? Either way, earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to sample the Bicentennial JD vs. the 80 proof JD. I did find that the Bicentennial had a much better flavor profile than the 80 proof. I was at my boss's house and I had started with the 80 proof because the Bicentennial was unopened. Once I found I could open the Bicentennial, I did so. I stayed with the that the rest of the night. It was so good, I was almost tempted to ask him for the portion I didn't drink that night.

I did have the good fortune to come across some bottles of the 86 proof earlier this year. I'm going to compare it with the 80 proof at some point to see if I can tell the difference.