Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Whiskey is made from a single cask selected personally by Master Distiller Jeff Arnett, the head of a group of Master Tasters.
Starting from Jeff, who supervises the entire process of milling, yeasting, fermentation, distillation, charcoal mellowing, and maturation of Whiskey, this team of tasters has a talent to detect the subtle differences between barrels of Whiskey. The tasters determine if a barrel has the right color and character to be a Single Barrel.
Obtained by using the exacting standards of Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Single Barrel is aged in selected areas of the barrelhouse, which affect mostly on the maturation of Whiskey giving it a dark amber color, a full, robust and flavorful character and a strong taste with accented notes of toasted oak, vanilla and caramel.
The new charred white oak barrels, which are thought to have the potential to become Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, rest in the upper sections of the barrelhouse. This area is called “The Angel’s Roost”. Here the summer temperatures can easily reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and fall down below zero in winter. These extremes cause the intense movement of Whiskey in and out of the wood of the barrel, with the resulting maturation necessary to develop the unique character and desirable flavor of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. Entering and leaving the oak, Whiskey takes an amber color and a lot of subtle flavors, like the caramelized sugars from the charred barrels.
Since it is impossible for two barrels to be exactly in the same place within the barrelhouse, the Whiskey that emerges from each barrel contains naturally a difference in character. One barrel can have more notes of vanilla and caramel, another can mature notes of more toasted oak. The proof of the unique history of each bottle is on the collar on the neck of each one that indicates its stack, barrel number and individual bottling date.
Each barrel yields about 240 (750 ml) bottles of Whiskey. It is not possible, in fact, to know it with certainty, because during the maturation a certain portion of Whiskey evaporates. The lost part is called: “the Angels’ Share”, which acts as a sort of aromatic blessing.
