Jack Daniel’s Bonded Review
Meet Luke
Luke is a Level I Certified Whiskey Specialist with a passion for exploring and unearthing the best whiskeys around. Luke has a preference for Rye whiskeys but has tasted over 250 different whiskeys to date varying from bourbons to scotches. He continues to expand upon his whiskey knowledge by tasting dozens of bottles monthly and reviewing them here on Barrel and Brew as he pursues his Masters of Whiskey certification.
You would think that a company like Jack Daniel’s would’ve had a bottled in bond expression for decades by now, but that’s not the case. It was only in May of 2022 that Jack Daniel’s Bonded and Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash – both bottled in bond expressions, were released.
I’m not a huge fan of JD. Their standard Old No. 7 makes a good jack and coke, but other than that, I don’t want it. I recently reviewed their Single Barrel Select and found it to be quite good, but not worth the price. Will this Bonded expression be the perfect middle ground between taste and price?
Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select Review
In this article, we’ll talk about what exactly bottled in bond means, we’ll cover the basics of Jack Daniel’s Bonded and Triple Mash, and we’ll do a full flavor profile review of JD Bonded.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded and Triple Mash Overview
Typically at this point, I’d cover some history of Jack Daniel’s, but I’ve written multiple reviews and comparison guides on JD that it just feels repetitive. If you’re looking for any background on the company and brand, visit their website, or read about it in our Jack vs Evan Williams comparison guide.
| Jack Daniel’s Bonded | Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash | |
| Spirit: | Tennessee Whiskey, Bottled in Bond | Blended Tennessee Whiskey, Bottled in Bond |
| Owned By: | Brown-Forman | Brown-Forman |
| Distilled By: | Jack Daniel’s Distillery | Jack Daniel’s Distillery |
| Aged: | 4+ years | 4+ years |
| ABV: | 50% ABV, 100 Proof | 50% ABV, 100 Proof |
| Mashbill: | 80% corn, 12% malted barley, 8% rye | Blend of JD, JD Rye, and JD Malt |
| Price: | $28-33 – 700ml | $33-38 – ml |
The two differences here are the price and mashbill.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded uses the standard Old No. 7 mashbill. The difference is that it is bottled in bond, which we’ll cover shortly, and that the barrels used for aging are hand selected for their quality.
Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash is a blend of three bonded whiskeys – Jack Daniel’s Bonded, Jack Daniel’s Rye (not available as a BiB on it’s own), Jack Daniel’s American Malt (not available as BiB on it’s own). It’s comprised of 60% JD Rye, 20% JD Tennessee Whiskey, and 20% JD American Malt
The Triple Mash is also on average ~$5 more expensive than JD Bonded.
It’s important to note that the Bonded Series from Jack Daniel’s is bottled at 700ml, aligning itself with a more standard volume from a global perspective (70cl).
What is Bottled in Bond?
The Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was put into effect in America as a stamp of approval or quality for whiskey and bourbon. It essentially ensured that there was a standard to American whiskey back when any Tom, Dick, and Harry could produce and sell it. A Bottled in Bond stamp or label let people know that this was quality whiskey or bourbon.
The Bottled in Bond Act meant that a whiskey must be produced at a single distillery, in a single distillation season, overseen by a single master distiller, aged for four (4) years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at 100 proof.
As laws and regulations became more strict over time, there was less to go through the process of making bonded whiskey. That’s why a majority of whiskey you see today isn’t bonded. However, many brands still produce BiB whiskey.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tasting Notes
Okay, we’ve covered the basics behind bottled in bond whiskey and Jack Daniel’s Bonded as well as the Triple Mash. Now let’s get to the important information. Is Jack Daniel’s Bonded good? What does it taste like? Is it worth buying? Let’s find out!
Nose: I get individual notes of cherry cola, banana nut bread/ banana seeds, red licorice. All together it’s bubblegum and maple sugar. A very enticing nose that is rich with some complexity. After sitting for a minute, the oak as well as some nuttiness comes out more.
Palate: Caramel, brown sugar, banana, cherry, black pepper. Dry wood and nuts. The mouthfeel was a huge downside for me. Very thin and sharp, but a touch of water actually brought out some of the oils and tempered down the alcohol and cinnamon.
Finish: The oak and some spicy cinnamon and caramel start of which last for quite some time. It tapers off into a little bit of the banana and fruity bubblegum.
Taste Summary
Let me take you through my thought process.
*Smells Jack Daniel’s Bonded*
Wow, this smells fantastic. It’s nice and rich, there’s a balance of quintessential Jack Daniels’ flavors along with some darker fruits, cherry cola, darker wood and nutty notes. The maple sugar is dessert like instead of charcoal flavored. I’m excited.
*Tastes JD Bonded*
Oooh oooh that’s sharp, ooh that kinda burns, oooh that’s not great. The flavors are rich… very rich. But the mouthfeel is no better than regular old Jack and the 100 proof just makes it worse with this mouthfeel. Okay, let’s try this again, it was my first sip of the day…. *sips it again and again* okay this isn’t any better, I don’t know if I like this. let’s try something else.
*Adds the slightest splash of water*
ohhh okay, that’s more like it. That’s what I was expecting after nosing it. That’s a good whiskey.
Is Jack Daniel’s Bonded Good? Is it worth Buying?
Jack Daniel’s Bonded was a huge roller coaster for me, and it’s really a tale of two whiskeys. With a neat pour, Jack Daniel’s bonded had the richness of Single Barrel Select but the mouthfeel of Old No. 7.
However, adding a touch of water changed things… drastically. A touch of water will separate the oils and bring them to the surface. It made the mouthfeel so much thicker, toned down the spicy cinnamon, and made for a more balanced sip to where you can enjoy the richness.
Now, should you seek out Jack Daniel’s Bonded? Yes and no.
If you like regular ol’ Jack Daniel’s then, 100%, you should buy this. It’s a lot better and not too much more expensive. You can still make your Jack and coke, but more people will enjoy this on the rocks or neat (splash of water, I recommend).
If you’ve 100% given up on Jack and hate it, then there’s no need. At BEST it’ll be a pretty good sipper for you. There’s just enough newness to it to where you might not think it’s Jack, but there’s just enough quintessential flavors for you to recognize it as Jack.
If you’re someone like me, who doesn’t mind the flavors of JD but will drink anything over Old No 7 neat, and you come across Jack Daniel’s Bonded for ~$30, then, yeah, give it a try. Just remember that if you don’t like it neat, add an ice cube or splash of water and watch how it changes.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded Summary
It’s kind of a surprise to think of Jack Daniel’s Bonded as a new(ish) bottle, I mean… you’d think a distillery as big and powerful as Jack Daniel’s, with ownership from Brown-Forman, would’ve had bonded whiskey awhile ago.
We did a comparison guide between Jack and Evan Williams long ago, so we’re going to run it back. Our next review will be Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond, and then we’ll have a quick head to head Jack Daniel’s Bonded vs Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond showdown.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded is the middle ground between their sub $20 Old No. 7 and their ~$55 Single Barrel Select. For $30, that’s not a bad deal. Just as a warning, the mouthfeel is questionable with JD Bonded, but the flavor and richness is all there. A splash of water or an ice cube can go a long way.
Let me know what you think in the comments!
Great review. I think JD #7 is garbage swill water, but I *like* Single Barrel Jack, a lot. What sucks is that the price has really gone up over the years. I can remember getting Single Barrel Jack for $30, in California no less, not that long ago.
And as always, I’m curious as to what you think about … Gentlemen Jack? I’ll go look, I think you mentioned you did a guide to JD’s range? I think Gentlemen Jack is too smooth, not enough character, boring even. Not a fan. Maybe a good bourbon (or Tennessee whiskey) for people who don’t like bourbon.
I’ll have to look for this one. Oh yeah, I was actually surprised how much I liked JD’s Rye … Go figure.
I like Gentlemen Jack faaar better than #7. You’re right that it’s fairly boring/uninteresting to a lot of bourbon drinkers. I think it’s a great to bring to a party, it’s inoffensive and easy to sip. I’ll gladly drink it as I sit around a table of cards, socialize, or any other event in which im not focused on what I’m drinking. Won’t reach for it at the stores, but won’t turn a glass away either.
You might want to try the JD Triple Mash. it’s 60% bonded JD rye. Haven’t had it yet, but it’s on my list to try in the next couple weeks. I want to compare it to this bonded expression.
I’ll keep an eye out for that one, yup. đź‘Ť
I have purchased and drank regular black label Jack Daniels all the gold medal series The Holiday selects the single barrels from silver select to the 132.5 proof 750 ml Jack Daniels single barrel proof also the Eric Church The single barrel rye and the select also the unaged rye to the rested rye to the rye itself the 150th anniversary the Red dog saloon the 2011 whiskey to the number 27 Jack Daniel the honey the white saloon Tennessee fire all the way to the Sinatra 100 proof and select I love all the taste the smell of Jack Daniels, and let’s not forget the Jack Apple plus the green label Jack Daniels all the Jack Daniels is made for men and beautiful women I just purchased the bonded in the triple mash and both have a fantastic Jack taste and smell I don’t know who said that they don’t care for it but they don’t belong with a Jack Daniels bottle in their hand they have the nectars of the god which Sinatra always called it and he was right when I die all my friends will open up the Jack Daniel’s Sinatra century 100 proof and run it through their kidneys first and then all of them party and piss on My grave it it was $500 and well worth the cost I bought two of them one to enjoy and one for my grave I will go to My grave Loving Jack Daniels is the only whiskey for me I will buy it every chance I get as I need it it is the greatest whiskey out there nobody can touch the old barrel grooves and flavor of Jack Daniels that has been around for a long long time and I’ll be there long after I’m dead and whoever is reading this will be dead and they’re great great grandchildren will enjoy Jack Daniels also God bless America and Jack Daniels
Dear Luke: Thanks for your informative articles. I have enjoyed and learned a lot from reading them. Regarding this article I will have to try JD Bonded. I appreciated your analysis and perspective. For the record JD #7 is my favorite whiskey; I drink it straight or on the rocks. I like Gentleman’s Jack and Single Barrel but actually prefer old No. 7. I also really like Bullet, Wild Turkey 101, Makers Mark and Knob Creek. I appreciated your other article laying out the general formulae for each of these whiskeys (i.e., the relative amounts of corn, rye, barley or wheat in each whiskey’s respective recipe) as it gives me a way to compare the whiskeys I like. Thanks again for your informative articles.
Thanks for the support, Sam! If you’re a big fan of #7, I expect you’ll like JD Bonded. Let me know how you like it when you get around to trying it!