Pink bubble gum | White peppercorn | Maple sugar | Light barrel char | Light sweet scents

Dry oak | Rye spice | Leather | Dry red wine | Light malted barley | Subtle baking spices | Nutmeg

Subtle rye spice | Dry baking spice | Subtle red fruits | Light peanuts | Dry & short

Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series Selection #12 is a straight Tennessee whiskey barreled in charred white oak and finished Oloroso sherry casks for a whopping three additional years. The brand more recently experimented with Oloroso sherry casks first with their Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Special Release American Single Malt Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks, followed by 2023’s release of Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Oloroso Sherry Cask. This release is limited to the state of Tennessee.

The first thing that hits you is the slight differences this whiskey has from a traditional bourbon finished in Oloroso sherry casks. Opening with a predominant pink bubble gum aroma, the whiskey goes on to display scents of maple sugar, white peppercorn, and light barrel char. The palate transitions to more dry notes, with oak, leather, and dry red wine taking center stage. The endpoint seems to be all business, delivering straightforward subtle notes of rye and dry baking spices that report for duty and then just as quickly call it quits. Much like Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Oloroso Sherry Cask, I found this to be approachable and easy to sip, however, I also found it lacking in the depth for a whiskey that spent such extended aging time in its finishing barrel. Nevertheless, you have to give Jack Daniel’s credit for embracing their experimental side and really pushing the limits of what they can do with their whiskey.