Jack Daniel’s Latest Distillery Series Release Is Its Sweetest Experiment Yet—and It'll Be Gone Before You Know It

For a long time, Jack Daniel’s basically sold one product: Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey. But over the last two decades, the historic distillery has been innovating and expanding its portfolio with a range of new expressions. 

One of its most sought-after new releases is the experimental small batch Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series. (It started in 2018 under the “Tennessee Tasters’ Selection” moniker and later became the “Distillery Series” in 2022 shortly after Chris Fletcher assumed the role of master distiller.) For the sixteenth and latest addition to the collection, Jack Daniel’s just released a Tennessee Rye Whiskey finished in barrels that previously held table syrup and bottled at barrel proof.

Related: Jack Daniel’s Latest Bottle Is — Quite Literally — Its Biggest News in Nearly 100 Years

The base of this expression is the brand’s proprietary rye whiskey, which is made from a mash bill of 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley. After distillation, the spirit goes through the so-called Lincoln County process in which it's filtered through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal. (This is a mandatory step in producing Tennessee Whiskey.) The liquor is then aged in charred new American oak barrels for nearly five years. What makes this whiskey special is that it's then aged for a final three years in barrels that previously held table syrup. 

Unlike maple syrup, table syrup is traditionally pressed sugarcane juice reduced down in iron kettles, although some modern interpretations also include honey and corn syrup. It’s a staple in Southern cuisine—often drizzled over biscuits and breakfast meats—and typically has rich flavors of caramel and burnt sugar with a slight hint of green minerality courtesy of the sugarcane plant. Table syrup and maple syrup may look identical in appearance, but many describe the former as more rustic and less refined than its maple counterpart.

Jack Daniel’s had some of its used rye whiskey barrels filled with table syrup, which is made from a mix of honey, cane molasses, corn syrup, and sugarcane syrup. These barrels were then emptied of the syrup and refilled with rye whiskey. They were then stored in the upper decks of one of the brand's warehouses to maximize barrel influence and flavor extraction.

“The Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series is all about exploring new ideas, and the complex nature of our Tennessee Rye Whiskey makes a great canvas for experimentation,” said Jack Daniel’s Barrel Maturation Manager and Master Taster, Byron Copeland, said in a press release. “Thanks to what we can do with our barrels, the finish adds a sweetness and depth that’s completely unique but unmistakably Jack.”

According to the brand, Jack Daniel's Distillery Series #16 opens with a complex bouquet of salted caramel fused with warming rye spice. On the palate, the syrup barrel imparts a gentle sweetness that tempers the base whiskey’s bold profile, maintaining balance without drifting into overly sweet or cloying territory.  

Jack Daniel's Distillery Series #16 Price and Availability

The Jack Daniel's Distillery Series #16 Whiskey is bottled at 111.4 proof (55.7 percent ABV). Like all previous Distillery Series expressions, it's packaged exclusively in 375ml bottles. The whiskey is available now at select Tennessee retailers, including the White Rabbit Bottle Shop at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery visitor center in Lynchburg. The suggested retail price is $45 per bottle.