Jack Daniel's Barrel House 1

[geereg]

I saw there were a few threads on this bottling that are now locked. Has anyone drank this? I picked up a bottle last week at a local shop, along with some other duties, but have found it pretty difficult to find out much about it...what it tastes like, whiskey age, number of bottles, etc.

Any help? Thanks.

[squire]

94 proof, right?

[geereg]

Yes. Mine was bottled in 1994 also.

[squire]

I picked up a couple of these while visiting the distillery in the mid 90s, one to drink and the other for a gift. I believe mine came in a wooden box as I seem to recall the box being put to another purpose.

My vague recollections is the whisky was more like the 90 proof Jack Daniels we bought in the 1960s - 70s than the standard 86 proof available in 1994-5. To say it was better would be a stretch but being higher proof it was a bit more favorable. If I got my hands on a bottle today I'd call some friends over and drink it or else take it to the gazebo.

[VAGentleman]

I still have little left in a bottle. Its Batch 1 from Barrelhouse 1 Tract 1. I believe these were small batches from a particular location in Barrelhouse 1. I just tasted some and its a little more flavorful than a current bottle of regular JD. The higher proof definitely helps, as I'm sure the barrel locations as well. And yes it came in a nice wooden box.

[JohnHansell]

I picked up a bottle (with the box) when I visited in 1994. It was one of the best JD whiskeys I've tasted. More flavor, oak influence (and maturity as I recall), and higher proof.

[cowdery]

When Tennessee first passed the law allowing sales at the distillery, the law either said or was interpreted as requiring that the souvenir bottle available at the distillery would only be available at the distillery, and that was Barrel House 1, which was also a single barrel, I believe. It wasn't available for very long. Now I believe the law says just the opposite. I know the Kentucky version does. It requires that whatever is available at the distillery gift shop also be available to any other distributor/retailer in the state who wants it. When Barrel House 1 went away, the current single barrel appeared to replace it.

[VAGentleman]

Pretty sure the first distillery only bottle was a 1904 gold medal replica released in the 1970's. The Barrel House 1 came out in 1994

[cowdery]

There could not have been a distillery-only bottle in the 1970s because it was illegal to sell at the distillery then. The law was only changed in about 1994.

[VAGentleman]

Cool thanks for the clarification. I guess they started releasing commemorative decanters in the70's and sold them at retail. Must have been 94 when they started selling at the distillery. Thanks!

[JohnHansell]

Yes, when I was there in 1994, they told me BH 1 was the first whiskey they could sell at the distillery, and it had to be different than what was sold commercially in retail shops.

[Eskwar]

Not quite sure where else to post these pix, but I came across this bottle in my garage this weekend. (I'd previously found the box and had the box at the "Dallas"/Colleyville tasting a few months back.) Based on the date of the paperwork, I'd say I bought this as a college graduation gift for myself in the summer of '95. I took the pix this morning thinking the JD aficionados might appreciate them.