Skip to main content

Jack Daniel’s Brings Home the Gold in a Special-Edition Whiskey

Image used with permission by copyright holder

When one thinks about America, one often conjures up images of apple pies, majestic eagles, and Jack Daniel’s. However, a luxurious version of this beloved American whiskey brand has floated under the radar in certain pockets of Asia: Jack Daniel’s No. 27 Gold Tennessee Whiskey. In many Asian cultures, gold is an auspicious symbol, so combined with the region’s discerning taste in whiskey, we can forgive this initial exclusivity.

Now, Jack Daniel’s No. 27 Gold Tennessee Whiskey is finally available in the U.S. for your sipping pleasure. You know how much you love some classic Jack Daniel’s? Well, they’ve doubled up on their award-winning process by double-barreling and double-mellowing.

Recommended Videos

“It’s the standard Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey recipe. Our flagship grain bill,” said Chris Fletcher, Jack Daniel’s assistant master distiller. “So, it starts just like Old No. 7 does. With all the same quality parameters that go into Old No. 7. What makes this product different is towards the end, the barrel aging. Old No. 7 is gonna range from four to five years old, typically. Once the whiskey comes out of the oak barrels for this product, we will re-enter it into a maple barrel.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Imagine being the whiskey in these oak barrels, not knowing if they’re headed off to join some ice and Coca-Cola in your glass or spend another six months to a year in a new barrel. Not knowing if their oaky base would have the opportunity to soak up sweet notes of maple. Not knowing if, after all that, they would be charcoal mellowed yet again.

“It’s a light charcoal mellowing the second time. The first mellowing is done prior to the first barrel, so the whiskey is clear,” said Fletcher.

Old No. 7 is hardly anything to sneeze at, but if whiskeys were sentient, they should definitely be jealous of all the TLC No. 27 receives. All that care and attention results in a smooth, sweet, and complex drinking experience.

“The natural amber hue, along with a scent of toasted oak and honey, offer an intricate texture and taste, making this whiskey a very distinct and luxury product,” said Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Jeff Arnett in a statement.

Jack Daniel’s No. 27 Gold Tennessee Whiskey can be yours for a cool $99.99 a bottle.

J. Fergus
Former Digital Trends Contributor
J. loves writing about the vices of life — decadent food, strong drinks, potent cannabis, and increasingly invasive…
The 11 Best Whiskies for Whiskey Sours This 2022, According to Bartenders

Every cocktail is more nuanced than just combining liquor with a sugary mix. This rings especially true for the whiskey sour, an elegant and sweet American cocktail classic. It contains a frothy egg white (though optional, it makes your whiskey sour creamier), a freshly squeezed citrus juice, and a dash of simple syrup.

However, selecting the right whiskey with the right dimension and balance transforms your whiskey sour from lackluster to delectable. Here’s our roundup of the best whiskies for whiskey sours this 2022, all carefully hand-picked by expert bartenders.

Read more
Hudson Whiskey Relaunches with New Look, New Whiskey
hudson whiskey relaunch 1

Hudson Whiskey was one of the brands at the forefront of the American craft whiskey movement. The distillery behind it, Tuthilltown Spirits, was the first distillery in New York State to operate since Prohibition when it launched back in 2003. The distillery has gone through some changes since those early days, the biggest being the 2010 acquisition  of the Hudson Whiskey brand by beverage conglomerate William Grant & Sons (owner of well known brands like Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, and Sailor Jerry), followed by the overall acquisition of the distillery in 2017. Things have been relatively quiet from Tuthilltown since then, but the distillery revealed some big news in recent days. The label design and the liquid found within the bottle has undergone a significant relaunch, focusing on its role as a true representative of the New York craft whiskey scene, along with a price shift that should please consumers.

The new names of the whiskeys are all nods to iconic New York  cultural institutions including films and food. Baby Bourbon is now called Bright Lights, Big Bourbon. The mash bill is 95% corn and 5% malted barley, unique for bourbon in that no flavoring grain like rye or wheat is used. The whiskey is aged for longer than it used to be, or a minimum of three years according to the brand. Manhattan Rye is now called Do The Rye Thing, which should please Spike Lee fans. As a complement to the bourbon, the mash bill is 95% rye and 5% malted barley, similar to the ubiquitous MGP formula. This whiskey is also now aged for a minimum of three years and is certified as an Empire Rye, meaning it meets certain requirements like 75% of the mash must be New York-state grown rye. Also, Maple Cask Rye is now called Short Stack, and the distillery has unveiled a brand-new whiskey called Back Room Deal. This rye is finished in barrels that originated at Tuthilltown, were then sent to Scotland to age peated scotch, and then returned to the distillery to infuse the whiskey with a bit of smoke.

Read more
Little Book Chapter 4: Lessons Honored is a Conceptual Whiskey
Little Book Chapter 4

Freddie Noe is the son of Fred Noe who's the son of Booker Noe. If you are not familiar with these names, these men are essentially bourbon royalty, with a lineage that has been part of Jim Beam and its many brand offshoots for eight generations. Booker was sort of a bourbon luminary, a larger-than-life presence who was responsible for creating the Small Batch Collection -- Basil Hayden's, Knob Creek, Baker's, and the eponymous Booker's. Fred took over as master distiller in 2007, and has been a ubiquitous presence on the road promoting Beam products and holding court at the distillery. And now his son Freddie has taken an integral role at the distillery, most prominently with his Little Book series of blended straight whiskeys. The latest release, Chapter 4: "Lessons Honored," is an homage to his dad and the things he's taught him over the years, and it's really an excellent example of a conceptual whiskey that delivers in flavor as much as it does in ideas.

Like all the past chapters, this fourth installment is a blended straight whiskey (no neutral grain spirits here, folks). The components in this edition are: a 4-year-old Kentucky straight brown rice bourbon, an 8-year-old Kentucky straight "high rye" rye whiskey, and a 7-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon. I had a chance to taste through the components and the final product with Freddie a few weeks ago, and he had a lot to say about picking these particular whiskeys. The brown rice bourbon is the base of the blend, and on its own it really stands out from other Beam-distilled whiskeys. Freddie said that rice is a soft grain to work with, containing lots of starch, and it converts well. The resulting whiskey drinks beyond its four years, with dry spice and an underlying flavor that's almost like a sherry cask finish. The next largest component is the 7-year-old bourbon, which is actually a younger, cask strength version of Knob Creek. Freddie brought Knob Creek aged between seven and nine years to his dad for a blind tasting, and the elder Noe chose this one. There's a touch of astringency in this liquid, but it's still got those deep vanilla and caramel notes that make up Knob Creek. Finally, the last whiskey in the blend is a "higher rye" rye. At about 65% rye, that's definitely more of the grain in the mash bill than other Beam rye whiskeys. According to Freddie, this whiskey was made using the same mash bill as Booker's Rye, but he said it really hasn't been used for any Beam products before this Little Book release.

Read more