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This is an automatically created topic for discussion about gillmang's review of Jack Daniels Single Barrel.

Interesting to compare my notes to those of the immediately preceding review, written by a fellow Ontarian. His bottle was from the same rick, bottled the same day, but the next barrel number up. They must have been side by side.

I finally got around to trying the Single Barrel and was surprised to find that i enjoyed the relatively intense profile. But there is also the "Holiday Select 2012" still available for about $22 more...is it just marketing or is it really a different animal? (I know of course that it is hard to generalize about either since each barrel would be different of course.)

I am still quite interested in getting some opinions about the differences between the regular and the 2012 holiday version. Anyone?

Well, I have had a number of Silver Selects, which would be equivalent to the Holiday release you mentioned - both are 100 proof. Some people say it is the same Jack Single Barrel, but simply stronger (100 proof vs. 94). I'm not so sure. The Silver Select seems more winy, more elegant, not as sweet from the barrel wood.

I think the 100 proof - this was the proof of Jack Daniels in its heyday, before Prohibition certainly - is the best expression.

It is worth $22 more to find out.

Gary

Thank you, Gary! I appreciate your perspective.

No prob. Remember too it is 20% stronger than regular Jack, and so forth in relation to Jack SB. You are paying more certainly but less than it seems, 20% less than the differential between regular Jack and the Holiday 100, if I'm doing this right.

Gary

Well, the 2012 is down to 45.2%.
The regular black label is 40%.

I guess here was quite a backlash from the aficianados when the 2012 went down to 45%.

I wonder why they lowered the proof... This is so limited and special a release one would think the extra margin was not an issue.

Gary