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Please read and drink responsibly.
Classification: Tennessee Rye
Company: Brown-Forman
Distillery: Jack Daniel Distillery
Release Date: April 2026
Proof: 142.7
Age: NAS (Aged 8-10 years according to the company)
Mashbill: 70% Rye, 18% Corn, 12% Malted Barley
Color: Dark Mahogany
SRP: $65 / 375mL (2026)
Maple candy | Sugar plum | Heavy charred oak | Cinnamon cake | Breakfast syrup | Faint dark chocolate-covered cherry
Cinnamon spice | Bold rye spice | Spiced caramel | Spiced cherries | Charred oak | Proof shines through
Aged charred oak | Rye spice | Leather | Faint tobacco leaf | Black peppercorn | Lingering dry spiced oak & heat
Highlighting three distinct barrelhouses on the company’s campus, Jack Daniel’s Special Release Small Batch Rye will shock whiskey drinkers at how drinkable a HAZMAT whiskey can be.
Following up on last year’s Jack Daniel’s Tanyard Hill Rye release, this distillery is back this year with a Special Release Small Batch Rye. While the Tanyard Hill Rye release consisted of barrels ranging from 130.2-148.8 proof all were aged at Tanyard Hill, this release contrasts that as all barrels clock in above 140 proof and originate from three different barrel house locations.
Bottled in 375mL bottles, Special Release Small Batch Rye ranges in proof from 142.7 to 146.1 and consists of five batches from three different Jack Daniel’s barrel house locations: Coy Hill, Boiler Hill, and Fire Brigade Fields. A total of 129 barrels were used, spanning dates from February 2016 to August 2017. This release is being sold exclusively at the Jack Daniel Distillery’s White Rabbit Bottle Shop in Lynchburg, Tennessee.
Having had the opportunity to talk with Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Chris Fletcher, I learned that this release has been an idea ruminating in his head for years. Fletcher has always been intrigued with the differences between barrel houses and the results they produce. For Special Release Small Batch Rye he focused on finding barrels of a similar age and proof, which resulted in this release consisting of the following batches, which were all dumped and bottled around the beginning of April 2026:
Interestingly enough, Coy Hill, Tanyard Hill, and Boiler Hill are all located on the same tract of land at the distillery, and this is the first time the company has specifically called out bottles from Boiler Hill. Fletcher stated that the high proof of the whiskey certainly paid its “Angel’s Share Tax” as a half dozen barrels pulled for this release were completely empty. Additionally, he went on to state that the lowest proof batch was Batch 2 from Boiler Hill, coming in at 142.7, while the highest proof batch was Batch 1 from Boiler Hill, coming in at 146.1.
The dark color of the sip instantly grabs your attention as you lift the glass and are greeted with a rich aroma that is surprisingly devoid of ethanol, considering its proof. Sweet scents abound thanks to rich maple candy, sugar plum, cinnamon cake, and breakfast syrup. Scents of heavy charred oak ground the aroma and carry over into the midpoint. Joining it are a trio of spices, with bold rye spice leading the charge, and it's joined by spiced cherries and caramel. The whiskey's proof is most evident here as the flavors smack you, rushing in on a wave of heat. Riding this to the finish, the rye highlights aged charred oak, rye spice, leather, and black peppercorn, and shows itself out on a lingering dry spiced oak note and heat.
It’s surprising how manageable this whiskey is to drink, considering its proof. The flavors it delivers are dense and robust, yet never overshadowed by the proof they ride in on. It's easy to forget that Jack Daniel’s only started distilling rye in 2011, since their rye products, specifically their special release rye products, have been some of the most standout whiskeys the distillery has produced recently. Fletcher built this release with the goal of highlighting the differences in barrel houses and the impact they had on aging. While each batch will taste distinct, and I’m unable to say the flavor profile they deliver, I can say that Boiler Hill Batch 2 is an excellent whiskey that will leave whiskey fans clamoring for more.
The rye in review comes from Barrel House: Boiler Hill #2 and is Batch No. 2.
