Review: Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old (All Batches, Updated 2026)
Jack Daniel’s has been making headlines for its latest bottling, the first whiskey with a 10 year old age statement in more than 100 years. (You can see an old bottling of JD at 10 years old in the photo above.) Most JD carries no age statement at all, of course, so it’s unusual to see something with an age statement of any kind from the distillery. The plan is for this to be an annual, limited edition release, dropping into the market each fall.
A little backstory, and some more detail about the product:
Master Distiller Chris Fletcher evolved the distillery’s previous aged methods by maturing Jack Daniel’s iconic Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey in oak barrels that were relocated throughout the barrelhouse to extend the aging process over the past ten years. The result is a more complex, hand-crafted whiskey with a rare flavor profile. Bottled at 97 proof—a first for the Jack Daniel Distillery—Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey 10-Year-Old features notes of dry fig and raisin laced with oak on the nose, warm butterscotch alongside soft fruit and smoke on the palate, and an incredibly long finish with sweet tobacco and spice.
We tasted a sample of the new JD 10 with Fletcher and Assistant Distiller Lexie Phillips over a Zoom media event. Thoughts on how the whiskey acquits itself follow.
Update: We’re shuffling these reviews up so JD 10, 12, and 14 all appear on their own pages. All batches for each release will be covered on their own landing page.
Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old Batch 5 (2026) Review
A delightful installment into this series, this 2026 expression is a standout in the series. Very fruity on the nose, the apples of 2025 are well evidenced and complemented by enough cinnamon to create a lively apple pie character, complete with follow-up layers of cloves and ginger. The palate follows right along, evoking a menthol-infused gingerbread cake, complete with notes of rum raisin, all slathered in apple butter. Sweet but amply oaky, the whiskey is easy-drinking but also carries plenty of weight, a (slight) complaint I suggested last year, that the 10 year old was a little too innocuous. That’s not the case with this release, which is balanced on a pinpoint, its fruit, spice, and tannic wood notes all in balance. The best release of the series to date. 97 proof. A / $200 (700ml) [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old Batch 4 (2025) Review
Quite fruity up top, with aromas of apples and berries mashed into a swirl of caramel and cream. Apple pie a la mode isn’t a bad way to start things off, but light notes of char help a more savory edge rise from the glass in time. The palate is plenty sweet, with a luscious creme brulee body starting things off while gingerbread notes build. A powerful mint character feels positively julep-like late in the game, pairing well with the whiskey’s gently sugary finish to create a sweet mint tea character. At 97 proof there is nothing at all punchy about this batch of the 10 Year Old, and in fact it ends up feeling almost too delicate — even without comparing to the 12 and the 14. (In fact I tasted these starting with the 10.) That said, it’s a night and day difference vs. last year’s release and one of my favorite batches of the 10 Year Old to date. 97 proof. A- / $200 (700ml) [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old Batch 3 (2024) Review
A surprisingly hearty, savory offering from JD, I was immediately surprised by the oak-heavy construction of the whiskey, leathery on the nose with big notes of tobacco and coffee grounds offering a sort of savory dampness. The heavy-duty aromatics lighten up on the palate, but only moderately, giving way to a bit of black cherry cordial, later coconut and some caramel sauce. A savory, soy-like punch clings to the experience, however, giving the finish an earthy, slightly ashy bent. Nothing at all like Batch 2, be advised. 97 proof. B / $200 (700ml) [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old Batch 2 (2023) Review
A wildly different whiskey from the 12 year old, this exploration of the dessert cart runs to black forest cake, vanilla cream, and lots of milk chocolate — influencing both nose and palate. The creamy body takes on a creamy quality, bursting with baking spices and moderated sweetness. The chocolate notes emerge as the most evocative character, then diverge to showcase elements of coffee and toasted coconut, finishing with a reprise of maraschino cherry. So drinkable and lovely, it’s one of the most personable and user-friendly expressions from JD ever. (And you can generally find it for a much more reasonable price.) 97 proof. A / $72 (700ml) [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old Batch 1 (2021) Review
Fans of Old No. 7 will find a lot of familiar notes here to get things going. It’s got the same mashbill — 80% corn, 12% barley, 8% rye — and undergoes the Lincoln County charcoal mellowing process before hitting the barrel. There’s more wood on the nose, which is to be expected, tempering some of the whiskey’s classic popcorn and peanut character, and mellowing Old No. 7’s greener elements. The bones of Old No. 7 are still there, however, alongside a lot of fruit that emerges from the glass — applesauce, namely, studded with cloves. While initially hot, a little air time is instructive in helping to soften the whiskey and allowing its charms to materialize more fully. Fresh caramel and apple slices, baking spice, and a hint of red wine all lead to a finish that brings us full circle, showing some light peanut and cereal notes plus ample brown butter, leaving a lick of dessert-like sweetness lingering on the palate.
Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old is certainly a big step up from the standard bottling, taking the best of JD and elevating it with some extra barrel time and (importantly) a significantly higher abv. If you’re not already a fan of JD to some degree you probably needn’t apply, but those who, say, appreciate the Single Barrel bottlings will find this a worthy addition to the catalog. 97 proof. A- / $70 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
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