VAGentleman Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 A friend bought a bottle of this down in TN. We tasted it tonight beside an Angelo Luchessi to see if there is any difference since they are both 90 proof. From what we were told and read the Sinatra barrel had grooves cut into the barrels to give the whiskey more surface area to interact with. These barrels were then mingled with regular Jack barrels. The SS definitely had a bigger flavor to it than the Luchessi. It had the Jack flavor but amplified more. Some char some burn and a little vanilla mixed in. A long finish. The Luchessi was similar but not as in your face. There isn't any of the nuttiness or maple syrup of the Single Barrel or Silver Select. This is pretty good stuff and stands out above regular Jack for sure but definitely not worth $150. I'm glad I didn't buy it but also glad I got to try it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Good review, thanks. (Never heard of the groove thing, interesting. To me Jack has enough wood character, I'm surprised they would want to insert more).Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 ... but definitely not worth $150. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.The cost is what stops me from getting a bottle of the Sinatra. I don't mind picking up the occasional 90 proofer special JD but this price is just too out there. I'm hoping for a big price drop in the future to clear the shelves and maybe I'll grab some then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Somebody has to pay for the expansion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 This stuffs running at least $400 a bottle down under, have seen it up to $799. If anyones actually stupid enough to buy it (and i think they are - thank you mining boom) JD will have no worries affording a couple extra storeys on their expansion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathevocation Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Saw it duty free for $170. Kidding themselves. Bought four litres of Old N7 for $140 instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 · Hidden Hidden Somebody has to pay for the expansion. I thought taxpayers already were. Link to comment
Guest Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 4 litres....that magic amount is so bad that its good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Finally got to try it. Very dry, sandy in texture, lots of wood, just a touch of JD flavor. Not in same league as SB. Not as good as regular Jack Daniels IMO. Disappointing.Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmckenzie Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Interesting about the groove thing. I know some micros are doing this, some even do a honeycomb pattern of holes in the staves. Not for me. Just use a good barrel with air seasoned wood and a heavy char. The best coming out of JD now for some reason is the green label. And since this is the youngest stuff, what a little bird told me about them adding a shit ton, that is more tan a regular ton by the way, of copper to their doubler, must be true. This stuff reminds me of JD that had gone by the wayside. This stuff is wonderful. I bought a half gallon of it this weekend. Way better than the black label right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Interesting. But wouldn't the Jack Black be doubled in the same equipment..?GaryP.S. The groove thing just doesn't sound right to me, it sounds like it's altering too much the traditional process. At any rate, I cannot see how it improved the whisky (Sinatra release) in this instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiskyToWhiskey Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 Interesting notes. In about 3 years time the Jack Daniel's rye will be ready...I'm really curious how that will turn out, and the process it will go through before bottling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmckenzie Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Interesting. But wouldn't the Jack Black be doubled in the same equipment..?GaryP.S. The groove thing just doesn't sound right to me, it sounds like it's altering too much the traditional process. At any rate, I cannot see how it improved the whisky (Sinatra release) in this instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiskyToWhiskey Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Interesting about the green label being so good. On the JD website green label is said to be aged not as long, and aged in the bottom of the warehouse where temp fluctuations are less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) I must get some then. One of the things I find about JD is an odd woodiness about it, and I wonder if this comes from the prior toasting gives the barrels (if I am not mistaken), either that or maybe the flushing of the barrels to extract alcohol resident in the wood frame. This woodiness was noticed by Michael Jackson in his late 1980's World Guide To Beer. The flushing method wasn't used then IIRC so perhaps it is the other thing, the prior toasting. Or maybe there is another explanation. But all this to say, I always thought JD would taste better with less wood in it, one reason being it is so low-rye. Anyway this is why too I was let down by the Sinatra release since by scoring the barrels it seems to me even more wood is imparted to the palate.The Green would have less wood in it and that's a good thing especially if more copper is being used, which would improve overall spirit quality surely.I've kind of become a Jack fan in recent years and always look for the "best" Jack palate. Once I made a vatting of all the expressions then available (about 10 years ago) and received cheers from some good judges of whisky.Gary Edited October 24, 2013 by Gillman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Well, so much for that price drop I was hoping for. I received an e-mail from an area store announcing the "extremely limited" Sinatra bottle will be available in Nov. for $195. per bottle. No up front cost for anyone wishing to reserve now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 This one wasn't really on my list but I'm disappointed to hear it's not as special as the promotion promotes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyOldKyDram Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Wasn't planning on picking up any JD, but durned if y'all didn't make the green label sound good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Me too, I quit buying JD black for my own use years ago but the green is sounding attractive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaycamm Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Every time I've opened a bottle of Green Label it doesn't last very long. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Today downtown at an LCBO tasting counter I sampled this again and the result was 180 degrees from my experience with a sample taken from a bottle sold in Europe. That one was charcoaly, kind of short, lots of flavours but nothing that stood out (for me) as special.This current one was rich and rounded with a supple texture and fine glints from the rye and corn (that "perfumed" taste some very good straight whiskey has).I always say every bottle (no matter what brand almost) is different to the last and with the small batches that surely went into this bottling, that must be true even more so here.A real winner and one of the best straight whiskeys I've ever had - I'm not exaggerating.Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Reading up further on what they've done for the Sinatra, apparently the interior staves or some of them were grooved at regular intervals to expose more (uncharred) wood - I saw a picture and it looked like a an evenly ribbed piece of wood with the ribs black and the exposed wood white between each rib.Now, to me, this surely has the effect of reducing the red layer unless extra ribbed staves were suspended down into the barrel and the regular barrel staves were charred in the usual way. Since it is whiskey not bourbon, not all the cask has to be charred in the usual way although they may well have done it that way. I understand too these special barrels were mingled with Old No. 7 so the Sinatra whiskey is not purely from the jerry-rig system.Anyway, the bottle I had today was superb. I may buy it now, but I hope the next one is as good as the one I tasted today..Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiskyToWhiskey Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 I want to try a sample from the LCBO tasting towers. Tough for me to pull the trigger on a bottle...for the same price I can buy a case of JD Single Barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyOldKyDram Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Is that the new "case of Barton"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portwood Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Anyway, the bottle I had today was superb. I may buy it now, but I hope the next one is as good as the one I tasted today..GaryI don't doubt its superb, but 300 Dollars? Really? You'll spend that kind of coin on a single bottle of bourbon (albeit a 1L bottle)?Wow, I'll be walking across the street from the office on Monday afternoon to the Summerhill tasting bar to check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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