Special Jack Daniels Small-batch Bourbon Now Available in NH

The New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets recently purchased 15 barrels of this special variety of Jack Daniels

Classic single-barrel flavor of balance vanilla and subtle dried fruit with complementing dry oak

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission has afforded whiskey aficionados the opportunity to purchase small-batch whiskey distilled by Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. Single-barrel whiskeys, each with its own unique flavor profile, were chosen by a contingent of tasters, including Mark Roy, buyer for liquor brands for the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets.

I recently spoke with Jack Daniels Assistant Master Distiller Chris Fletcher via Skype about this single-barrel venture. Fletcher says, “What makes Jack Daniels unique is the charcoal filtering that removes excess sweetness from the corn.” Simply put, otherwise it would be bourbon. All the variables are controlled at the distillery. They burn their own maple wood, even lighting the fire with their own moonshine, then use the charcoal for filtering. They build their own barrels since that is a key agent in the final flavor of the whiskey. Finally, the barrels are stowed in a variety of locations throughout their warehouse system, but always in the upper reaches so as to maximize temperature variations.

Jack Daniels makes a lot of whiskey. There are approximately two million barrels laid down at any given moment across 80 warehouses. Only one in 100 will qualify for single-barrel status. The remainder are used for blends to create a consistent product through the years.

The select barrels are allowed to age for four to seven years to develop character. Flavor profiles vary greatly on each barrel, with tastes and aromas ranging from robust to toasted oak to vanilla and caramel.

The state purchased 15 barrels, which was a record purchase for Jack Daniels. Each of the 15 barrels were deployed as 240 bottles, for a total of 3,600 bottles now available at a variety of the state liquor outlets.

Finally, I asked Fletcher what his favorite mixed drink is using a nice single-barrel whiskey. He laughed saying, “For me, a mixed drink would be using three ice cubes instead of two.” Enough said. There is a complexity of flavors to enjoy with just whiskey and water.