Jack Daniel’s
One of the most iconic whiskey brands in the world is Jack Daniel’s. The square, black label bottle can be found just about anywhere. Over the past several years, Jack Daniel’s has started to expand their whiskey offerings beyond their core Old Number 7. One of the new expressions I recently picked up is Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash.
When I spotted Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash, it was next to a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Bonded. I was a little on the fence about which whiskey to pick up. I’m always a fan of bottled-in-bond whiskey and I really enjoy Jack Daniel’s Old Number 7. How could I resist a 100-proof version of the whiskey that started me on this path?
To help me decide which bottle to pick, I resorted to Google to find out more about Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash. After a bit of research, I decided to give the Triple Mash a try since it was pretty experimental, at least by Jack Daniel’s standards compared to the Bonded. The good news is that since both the Bonded and Triple Mash Jack Daniel’s expressions are part of their permanent release, I should be able to try the Bonded another time.
Jack Daniel
Jack Daniel got his start distilling whiskey sometime in the 1860s. Daniel, the youngest of 10 children, was effectively orphaned. His mother died sometimes shortly after he was born, while his dad was killed during the Civil War. Since he didn’t get along with his step-mom, he ran away and was taken in by a local preacher, Dan Call.
Dan Call introduced young Jack to master distiller Nathan “Nearest” Green. Legend has it that Call asked Green to teach the boy everything he knew about whiskey so Daniel could become the finest whiskey distiller in the region. Daniel eventually opened a distillery in partnership with Call. Daniel quickly gained sole ownership of the business after Call was pushed to temperance by his congregation.
In 1904, Jack Daniel’s Old Number 7 won the gold medal for the world’s finest whiskey at the St. Louis World’s Fair. This led to growing popularity of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. The award marked the high point of Jack Daniel’s distilling career. By 1907, Daniel’s health was failing, forcing him to turn over the operation of his distillery to his nephew, Lem Motlow. Jack Daniel died in 1911.
Motlow led Jack Daniel’s Distillery through its most challenging years. Motlow was able to keep the brand alive through major events that forced the distiller to cease production. From the temperance movement which threatened whiskey production in Tennessee, WWI, prohibition, and WWII, Motlow somehow kept the business from going bankrupt. Motlow died in 1947, which was the same year Jack Daniel’s reopened the distillery following WWII. Motlow left the business to his children who ran the company until it was sold to its current owner, Brown-Forman in 1956.
Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash
Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash is a blended whiskey that combines three unique, bonded whiskeys to create this bottle. Each whiskey is distilled and aged under the bottle-in-bond requirements, then blended to create Triple Mash.
Inside the bottle, Jack Daniel’s starts with their bonded Tennessee Rye, which makes up 60% of this blend. Then, they add 20% of their bonded Tennessee Whiskey. Finally, they add 20% bonded American Single Malt, made from 100% malted barley. Like many others who reviewed this bottle before us, we were surprised to find Jack Daniel’s makes an American Single Malt.
Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash is bottled at 100 proof per the bottled-in-bond requirements. One interesting item to note is that Triple Mash, as well as Jack Daniel’s Bonded, comes in 700ml bottles, rather than the standard 750ml offering. While the reason for the change is not 100% clear, it is worth noting. Otherwise, you risk thinking you plowed through the bottle way too quickly.
Tasting Notes
When I first opened this bottle, the first thing that hit me was the smell of banana bread. After giving it a little time to breathe, I picked out a little bit of corn and vanilla, but mostly bananas.
After taking a sip, I immediately noticed hints of vanilla, followed by a strong oak flavor, which quickly fades into banana flavor. Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash left a nice warm tingle on my tongue, but it wasn’t overpowering.
As Alie was inspecting the pour, she noted that the “legs” on the whiskey stuck around. She took a sip and exclaimed, as she often does, “Oh girl, she thicc!” She noticed Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash warmed up her palate, in a pleasant, subtle way. She noted that the whiskey was smooth and went down way too easily. As I was taking notes, she pointed to her glass which was nearly empty, before I had taken my second sip.
Although we preferred Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash neat, you could use it in a cocktail. If you go this route, the perfect cocktail pairing is a Lynchburg Lemonade. Lynchburg Lemonade is just better with Jack. You can find the recipe for our Lynchburg Lemonade here.
Our Ratings
Drinkability: 4.5
Intensity: 2.8
Personal Preference: 4.3
Beginner Friendly: 3.9
Availability: 4.5
Overall: 4.2
Final Thoughts
Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash might be my new favorite Jack Daniel’s expression. It still tastes very much like a Jack Daniel’s product, but it goes down much smoother and leaves behind a pleasant, warm tingle on your tongue. If you like Jack Daniels, chances are you will really like this bottle.
Jack Daniels is a polarizing whiskey to many. People either love it or hate it. The Triple Mash is an excellent bottle to blind share with a friend, especially if they have been sleeping on Jack products.
We also think this is a beginner-friendly bottle. It isn’t the hottest, most intense whiskey, which can sometimes be off-putting to a new whiskey lover. The flavors are easy to pick out and identify, making it a good bottle to share with a new enthusiast.
I walked out of the liquor store with Jack’s Daniels Triple Mash for under $40 and it is worth the price, despite coming in a 700ml bottle. Triple Mash is expected to be a permanent release, so you should be able to find it easily in a liquor store near you. If you loved Jack Daniel’s but grew up to have a more refined whiskey collection, go find this bottle and add it to your collection immediately. You’ll be glad you did.
Happy Exploring!
