This Distillery Series release was made using the sweet mash process instead of sour mash

As we have documented here many times over the past few years, there’s a lot of innovation going on over at the Jack Daniel’s distillery besides just churning out Old No. 7, including different cask finishes, excellent rye whiskeys, even American single malt. But the latest limited-edition release actually has a lot in common with the core whiskey, although there is one key difference in the production process that sets it apart.

Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series is a collection of whiskeys that highlights the use of different mashbills, secondary maturations, and production methods, and is only available in limited numbers in Tennessee and at the distillery in small 375-ml bottles (although you can find some on the secondary market as well). The latest release, #15, is called Sweet Mash Tennessee Straight Whiskey, and the difference between this and other Jack Daniel’s expressions is right there in the name. Most whiskey is made using the sour mash process, which means that a portion of the backset, or some of the leftover liquid from a previous distillation, is added to a new set of mash (the mixture of grains and water) for flavour consistency and to maintain the right pH balance for the yeast to ferment the sugar and create alcohol. That step is not used in the sweet mash process, and according to the distillery each distilling season begins with a sweet mash run to “kickstart production before establishing a setback [as backset is also known] to support our sour mash process for the remainder of the distilling season.”

Distillery Series Selection #15 was made from the same Jack Daniel’s mashbill as all of its Tennessee whiskey except the rye—80 per cent corn, 12 per cent malted barley, and 8 per cent rye. But it was produced during an early sweet mash run instead of a sour mash run. The whiskey was distilled in 2016 and aged in new charred oak barrels on the top floors of “Track 2 barrelhouses” for almost nine years, and bottled at a high 117 proof. “Our Distillery Series has experimented with every step in the whiskey making process from grain bill to barreling, and this release showcases yet another lever that we can pull and tweak here at the Jack Daniel Distillery,” said master distiller Chris Fletcher in a statement. “What excites me about this release is the complexity and richness that has emerged from a little extra time in the right places in our barrelhouses.”

This release was selected by whiskey taster and quality control manager Kathy Thurmond (each Distillery Series release is selected by a different employee). So how does this sweet mash whiskey differ from the sour mash? Samples have not been made available yet, but the official tasting notes describe rich butterscotch, pecan, berry, and caramel on the palate. It’s available at the distillery starting this week at a suggested retail price of US$45, and you can find other Jack Daniel’s expressions, including the excellent age-statement whiskeys and the single barrel expression, available to purchase at websites like ReserveBar now.

This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by Jack Daniel’s