Jack Daniel’s 150th Anniversary Limited Edition Tennessee Whiskey 100 Proof

Jack Daniel’s 150th Anniversary Limited Edition Tennessee Whiskey 100 Proof is Lynchburg’s 2016 commemorative: the Old No. 7 mash of 80 percent corn, 12 percent barley, and 8 percent rye, dripped through ten feet of sugar maple charcoal, then filled into slow-toasted new American oak. Master Distiller Jeff Arnett’s coopers toasted those barrels to echo an 1866-style char, then racked them in the angel’s roost of one of the oldest barrelhouses so sunlight and elevation could pull more wood sugar into the whiskey. It is a limited 1 L bottling at 100 proof (50% ABV). Pour it when the toast is the point of the night.

Butterscotch and toffee land first, thick and sweet, with maple, vanilla, and a Heath-bar richness. Cherry, apricot, and citrus keep it from turning heavy; black pepper, clove, and toasted oak carry a long, warm finish that tastes like molasses cookies more than smoke.