Maraschino cherries | Rich charred oak | Burnt cinnamon caramel sauce | Bread pudding | French vanilla | Wonderfully rich

Charred oak | Bootstrap molasses | Cream soda | Dark brown sugar | Light anise & clove

Tannic oak | Cinnamon | Maple syrup | Root beer | Marginally dry

Last year Jack Daniel’s released a Twice Barreled Rye for their annual Special Release edition and it was met with a lukewarm response. Much of it had to do with the secondary finishing barrel producing a rye that was overly dry to a detrimental degree. The company must have taken the criticisms to heart because less than a year later, they are offering a follow up in the same style, this time as part of their Distillery Series. Much like the previous release, little information is given about the base rye’s age and secondary barrel finishing time, but given how it tastes right out of the gate, you’ll know changes have been made.

The rye is impressively potent at 107 proof, giving off wonderfully rich scents of Maraschino cherries, charred oak, and burnt cinnamon caramel sauce, along with softer scents of bread pudding and French vanilla. The palate comes out strong, highlighting charred oak and bootstrap molasses before gently transitioning to cream soda, dark brown sugar, and a touch of anise and clove. The finish only features a hint of the dry oak note that dominated the Special Release edition last year. Though tannic oak is still present, the lack of dominating dry oak allows cinnamon, maple syrup, and root beer to come across more prominently.

There’s no denying the richness of the double barrel finish is alive and well in this release, but the question remains if Jack Daniel’s rye even needs it. Being part of the company’s Distillery Series allows experimentation, which is always welcomed, but if you haven’t had Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye in a while (which now features a green label and a higher age), it's worth a look. Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series #13 Twice Barreled Tennessee Straight Rye is a big improvement from the previous double barreled release and features a wide breadth of big potent flavors that many ryes on the market struggle to offer in the same way.