Review: Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series High Angel’s Share

Release #17 in Jack Daniel’s wildly varied Distillery Series arrives as a reprise. “High Angel’s Share” first appeared in 2018, when these releases were known as the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selection.

Like the 2018 expression, the idea here is to bottle Tennessee Whiskey from barrels that experienced very high levels of evaporation.

The new expression begins with traditional Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey laid down in 2016. The whiskey rested atop Coy Hill on the top floor of Barrelhouse 1-13 for a high angel’s share maturation. As the barrels rested in the highest reaches of the barrelhouse, an increased amount of whiskey was lost, presenting a unique and deeply rich concentration of flavors within the remaining spirit.

JD’s Coy Hill releases are some of its most prized, namely for their searingly high abv, and High Angel’s Share 2026 comes across like a baby brother to those releases, at a substantial 69.2 proof. Let’s see how the whiskey compares to those releases and the original High Angel’s Share bottling.

Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series High Angel’s Share Review

Boldly barrel-forward on the nose, the aromatics here are fueled by charred wood and creosote, with sweeter vanilla and baked apple building as you breathe deeply. Though it’s about 9 years old, the whiskey connotes significant age, with mocha notes emerging with greater air time.

The palate is scorchingly hot — if you couldn’t snag a Coy Hill, this will do just as well — and right away it benefits from some water. No need to be shy. I dosed it more than once and never felt it got too watery.

Tempered appropriately, the whiskey takes on a soothing, seductive character that drips with vanilla, milk chocolate, and gentle gingerbread flavors. The whiskey remains wood-forward on the tongue, but never to the extreme the nose suggests, with latent layers of licorice, Maraska cherry, and coffee grounds that all perk up before the gently gravelly finish comes roaring back. The conclusion does leave you with a punch of lingering woodiness, but it’s all quite complementary with what’s come before.

A gem of a bourbon that, I’m sure, will fly a bit under the radar.

138.4 proof. A- / $45 (375ml)

The post Review: Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series High Angel’s Share appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.