Review: Jack Daniel's Limited Distillery Series Selection #13 Isn't Your Typical Rye

Jack Daniel's Distillery is having itself quite a year. The venerable whiskey maker has already expanded its signature whiskey bottles to increasingly aged statements, and it's a sure sign of more expansion to come. Take it as proof (pun fully intended) that the Tennessee titan has just added to its Distillery Series line, with its 13th installment, a twice-barreled Tennessee straight rye whiskey. It's not entirely new ground for the distiller, as in 2023, it brought us the Jack Daniel's Twice-Barreled Special Release Heritage Barrel Rye.

Nevertheless, Jack Daniel's Distillery Series Selection #13 is the latest in a lengthy lineup of showcased batches. While it may not have the same price tag as other prestige brands, its limited release numbers and locations make it feel exclusive. But more on that in a moment. Before we get to the lip, sip, and (tongue) tip of the matter, here are the broader, but still salient, details.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

What you're looking at here is a rye that has lived a double-barreled life. It first meets the usual requirements for this legal classification and then undergoes additional experimentation as part of the Jack Daniel's Distillery Series. Also known as the Jack Daniel's Distillery Selection Series, the line has come out with bottles a couple times a year since 2018 and showcases different experiments conducted by the JD's team. These bottles vary quite a bit, so there isn't a consistent trend in terms of age statements or maturation conditions and locations within the rickhouse. Previous installments have used maple wood barrels, incorporated hickory smoke, or finished in casks that once housed other alcohols, like tequila, sherry, and local red wine. 

Further muddying the waters — presumably to be clarified in future selections — the Selection Series line used to be called the Tennessee Tasters series before it switched branding with #8. And don't confuse the Selection Series with the Jack Daniel's Master Distiller series either, the latter of which honors the great talents who have overseen the production of Tennessee whiskey since the 19^th century. 

Finding this bottle is tough if you're not in Tennessee. The Jack Daniel's Distillery Series doesn't leave the state, so your only hope to buy a bottle commercially is to take a trip to the Volunteer State — or at least make a friend down there. While some retailers may ship it, you're going to have a tough time hunting carriers. If you don't have local friends who can keep an eye out, you can call some of the bigger retailers, see if a tiny place is looking to get rid of its bottle, or check on the national websites.

That last one will cost you, though. The 2023 Heritage Barrel Rye was $70 for a 700-milliliter bottle, but only on paper. Retailers boosted it to hundreds of dollars, and it would be reasonable to expect something similar to happen here. #13 is listed at just about the same price by volume at $42 for 375 milliliters. Previous installments in the Distillery Selection Series are for sale in the general range of $230 or so on Frootbat, and it would be reasonable to expect the #13 will actually go for the same. If you're not fast or lucky, you'll likely pay above sticker price for Jack Daniel's Distillery Selection Series #13. And just a heads up, these bottles go up a lot more than they go down.

Selection #13 uses Jack Daniel's standard rye mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley. Malted barley is not an uncommon item on the ingredient lists of U.S. whiskeys; it's definitely having a bigger moment than it used to. Malted barley has started playing a larger role in the American whiskey landscape since single malts became a formalized category of whiskey in the U.S.

Besides the mash bill, the production process is also different than some other whiskeys. As is standard with Jack Daniel's whiskeys, this rye is passed through charcoal filtration — which is the step that makes Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey different — before it moves to a new, charred, American white oak barrel. As is the case with this selection, the rye moves again to a second barrel, which adds an entirely new set of characteristics to the existing profile. Finishing casks are a standard tool, but it is interesting that the second barrel used here is also new oak, and it would be interesting to learn the batch was transferred into that second barrel — or even whether or not different components of the blend moved at different times. At any rate, the second barreling ages this whiskey two and a half years, so it would have qualified as a straight bourbon on that stage alone.

Its mild aroma serves up maple and butterscotch, with softer traces of nut and citrus. Unusually, the rye is faint; you'd be forgiven for not picking it up from the get-go in a blind test. What exists comes across more as minty than peppery — it might be a consequence, perhaps, of the double barreling.

Selection #13's taste lives up to the promise of the scent. There is a somewhat tart, acidic aspect to this rye, but even this is easygoing. It's never more than lightly lemony on the palate. The finish is the real reveal, where something umami puts its chocolate-coated foot down. It's rather pleasant. For that reason, this might be best as a sipping whiskey — not for the usual reason of mitigating formidable top notes or Blanton's-grade heat — but to maximize the effect of the last drop thinning out on the back of the tongue. Smaller sips provide more opportunities to savor the idiosyncratic finale.

Though it's a pleasant guest throughout its visit, Selection #13 is most interesting on its way out. Sure, we've all got that one friend we could say the same about, but here it's not a slight; the end of each sip is where lucky #13 shows off its true and personal character.

However, if you're not an absolutist, I recommend this dram with a few drops of water. A wonderful, buttered popcorn brininess emerges, making this an entirely different experience. If you like Jefferson's Ocean, here's a rarer release that can be made just as deliciously marine.

If, on the other hand, you'd like to verge its sweet and sour notes, take Selection #13 on the rocks. Beware that this mutes the overall profile, though. It balances its notes so that the remaining intensity of the rye favors its other citrusy qualities. This will bring this selection back closer to the house style, but I can't recommend doing so. After all, this is a special bottle. Why hunt this rare beast only to drag it back to resemble the most ubiquitous whiskey in America? Sip it neat to get to know it, then find your preference by watering it up without watering it down.

With a mild-mannered Clark Kent presentation, Selection #13 opens up its shirt to reveal ... Aquaman? Well, even so, the maritime profile that emerges with a splash of water makes this rye stand out for both its surprising character and its uncharacteristic ability to speak softly even while carrying that big stick. If you're looking for that honey-and-crystal hallmark of Jack Daniel's whiskey, I can assure you that you won't find it here. Rather, you will get a bottle that proves a versatile actor in different scenarios.

As with the 2023 Heritage Barrel, Selection #13 presents a unique profile that will counter your expectations of both a rye and a Jack Daniel's release. For most, that novelty is an attractor worth chasing, since there's not much like it. However, if you're looking for something that strides deep into a typical rye character, you're better off spending your dollar on the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Rye, which debuted at a similar price point with expectations of inflation.

But Jack knows what it has here. This is one for the explorers.