Released in 2023 as a travel retail exclusive, Jack Daniel’s Oloroso sherry cask-finished American single malt whisky recently hit U.S. shelves at 90 proof (45% ABV). Like the distillery’s other releases, it undergoes the Lincoln County Process using 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal. It has no age statement but is aged in new charred American White Oak barrels for a minimum of four years. The finishing time isn’t given but the 2023 release was finished for three years.
Ruby copper in the glass, this whisky benefits from aeration – the aroma and flavor profiles noticeably improved in just a week after the bottle was opened. Initially the aroma profile was subtle and quite earthy – a bit boring. The flavor profile finished with noticeable oak and wine-like tannin bitterness. Its viscosity/mouthfeel is medium in length with a relatively short 5-6 second finish.
On the second tasting exactly a week later, the aroma profile really blossomed with much stronger Oloroso sherry influences – dark stewed and dried fruits (raisins, dates, berries), dark chocolate, oak/barrel notes, leather, moderate baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, light cloves), and earthy/musty notes reminiscent of walking through a damp forest and into an old attic.
On the palate, the finish still has an oaky bitterness mixed with a note that I don’t enjoy but can’t place exactly what it is – I wonder if it’s something from the interaction of the maple charcoal filtering and the 100% malted barley mash bill. Most of the sip, though, has nice flavors of stewed, spiced fruits, dried fruits, the baking spices from the nose (with punchier cloves), unsweetened dark chocolate/cocoa powder, leather, black pepper, dried ginger, and ground coffee. The flavor profile is significantly more balanced a week after bottle opening – it is mostly enjoyable, just not as enjoyable as the opened-up aroma profile.
I’m looking forward to seeing how this whisky continues to evolve over time.
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