Jack Daniel's Angelo Lucchesi special bottling

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Jack Daniel's Angelo Lucchesi special bottling

Unread postby Mike » Sat Jan 08, 2011 7:30 pm

I have not had any regular Jack Daniel's whiskey in a long, long time. I drink JD Single Barrel quite often and find it to be excellent whiskey. Gary Gillman has praised JD regular several times recently, so when I came across this bottling, I decided to give it a go. It cost $26, which is $8 more than the regular JD Old No 7. This special bottling is likewise Old No 7, but it was released at 90 proof instead of the normal 80 proof. I got a 100 ml bottle of the 80 Old No 7 as a control sample.

Both these Old No 7's have less smokey char than I remember and lack what in the past I perceived as an off taste (some have called it a banana taste). In both I pick up a whiff of the maple and of leather, along with some rye and some lemon peal.

Like the JDSB, both these whiskies are on the soft side, with an almost delicate sweetness and a mild but distinct spicy character. There are slight hints of the char and of the oak, but no tannins to speak of. The sweetness is both from corn and just a hint of caramel/maple and barely detectable vanilla and citrus.

Both whiskies are excellent and like Gary Gillman, I find them to be much better than I did in the past. Find a bottle of this special release if you can and see what you think.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
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Re: Jack Daniel's Angelo Lucchesi special bottling

Unread postby gillmang » Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:33 am

Mike, thanks for these notes. Jack Daniels is a regular buy now and I am sure the 90 proof is excellent; it is good B-F is finding ways to bring that back to the market. Two or three special editions have been released in recent years at that proof. You have identified traits similar to what I like: a pleasant mildness with some maple taste, some rye character, lightly citric but no off tastes, not strongly earthy/tannic.

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Re: Jack Daniel's Angelo Lucchesi special bottling

Unread postby MauiSon » Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:18 pm

I found this at one of my local haunts at the same price as regular Old #7, is it any better (aside from the higher proof) or is it only 'as good as'?
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Re: Jack Daniel's Angelo Lucchesi special bottling

Unread postby Bourbon Joe » Mon Jul 29, 2013 9:14 pm

I have not had any Jack in a 90 Proof expression in a long time. If I were to buy one it would ONLY be the ninety proof iteration.
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Re: Jack Daniel's Angelo Lucchesi special bottling

Unread postby Squire » Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:16 pm

At the same price as the regular 7, yes, I would buy it.
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Re: Jack Daniel's Angelo Lucchesi special bottling

Unread postby Mike » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:05 pm

Because I found the Jack Daniel's advertisements of the past stupid and ridiculous, I kinda reverted to a mirror image of their implication of exclusivity....... saying, in effect, that I was too good for Jack, since it was made for the easily manipulated masses.

Eventually, I realized that I was being as much a snob as I was claiming them to be, so I tried Jack again, determined to be fair in my assessment. I will say that rarely do I drink 80 proof whiskies (the best of the 80 proofers to me is Four Roses, or even the Scotch whiskies), my palate having become accustomed to what I would call the more full flavors of the higher proofs. I do drink some 86 proof whiskies pretty regularly (Evan Williams Single Barrel), but also use EVSB a lot to 'soften' other high proof whiskies with more 'heat' than I like.

I find the Jack Daniel's 80 proof whiskies to taste 'watered' and lacking in flavor. Since this was my original post on the Lucchesi release, I have long since finished that bottle of whiskey, which I enjoyed.

That said, if you read my reviews of, and posts about, Jack Daniel's Single Barrel whiskey, you will see that I think it is a superb whiskey. It is 100 proof and to me that seems to be the proof where Jack whiskies all belong. JDSB retains some very nice sweet delicacy, along with enough spice to make it interesting.

Squire's advice is spot on, if it is the same price, buy it. It is, at 90 proof, better than regular Jack, in its many iterations.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
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