I have been looking forward to getting my hands on Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye Whiskey. Bottled at 50% ABV, mash bill: 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% mal and priced at $31.99/ 700ml bottle, it promises genuine character.
Nose
This whiskey is golden amber in color. This pops from the glass with aromatics of cooked cereal, bakers yeast, and red fruits. It shows a delicate note of campfire logs left to smolder, which I attribute to the sugar maple filtering. This certainly smells like a rye, with some warm baking spice notes, but its a touch simple. Theres a hint of warm iron and nail polish remover, as well. The flavor is delicate, with notes of fireball candies and simple syrup. It tastes a touch watery, but has a nice fine grain to the tannins and a crackle of energy to the burn without overwhelming the palate. Theres a hollowed-out feeling on the finish, like plain vanilla cake baked yesterday. The finish shows notes of water crackers, uncooked pasta, and cinnamon candy. It feels a touch lacking in depth but without any off flavors. The acetone note I picked up on the nose is very mild and adds a touch of lift to the overall experience. The Jack Daniels Bonded Rye Whiskey would make a solid mixer, especially with apple- or ginger-influenced cocktails. Its not particularly interesting straight, but it is also inoffensive. There are suggestions of maple, giving a nod to its filtering process, but no one aroma seems to stand out.
Palate
Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by Whiskeyful or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.
The Bottom Line
Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye Whiskey is fine — not bad, not great, just fine. At $31.99/ 700ml bottle, I think there are better options in this range if you are willing to look around.
