Review: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release 2025 – Tanyard Hill Rye

Jack Daniel’s is more than just Old No. 7. While that world famous Tennessee whiskey – a bourbon at its core – remains the distillery’s bread and butter, they’ve spent more than a decade perfecting their rye whiskey. We saw the promise in early, younger expressions of their high rye mashbill (70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley). Those eventually matured into a string of hits that included Bonded Rye, Single Barrel Rye, and even some experimental rye releases from the Distillery Series. Now, Jack lovers are getting Tanyard Hill, one of the oldest and highest proof ryes ever to come out of Jack Daniel Distillery.

This isn’t the first Special Release Single Barrel of rye whiskey the distillery has delivered. Or even the second. Rye first debuted in the series as a barrel proof expression in 2020 and then received a double-barrel treatment in 2023. While rye was finding its Special Release footing, classic Jack struck whiskey gold with standout, high proof Coy Hill releases (first in 2021 and again in 2024) focusing on the unique qualities of barrels drawn from a single barrel house. On a recent trip to Lynchburg to preview the Tanyard Hill release, Master Distiller Chris Fletcher expressed a genuine passion for a terroir-focused approach to the Special Release line that highlights “hidden gem” barrel houses. The suits at Brown-Forman were apparently listening.

Tanyard Hill sits right next to the already famous Coy Hill and comprises four barrel houses that date back to the early 1960s making them some of the oldest at the distillery. This new Special Release Single Barrel rye is drawn from barrels that aged in Barrel House 1 (pictured above) and were filled in November of 2015, making them just shy of ten years old. From 130.2 to a whopping 148.8 proof, this release showcases an even bigger range of abv than Coy Hill. We tasted a modest 136.2 proof expression during our visit to the distillery and received one of the higher proof samples for official review. Thoughts follow.

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release 2025 – Tanyard Hill Rye Review

You won’t be surprised to hear that this is a big whiskey, no matter the proof. But it’s every bit a worthy successor to the Coy Hill releases, melding intensity with nuance and boldness of flavor with impressive balance. The nose is rich and candied but tempered by sweet oak undertones that skew just tannic enough to balance syrupy notes of chocolate sauce, creamy peppermints, and gently spicy cinnamon lollipops. As it opens in the glass, the sweeter baking spice gives way to black cherry and chocolate mint. With a little more time, much of the earlier tannins recede, leaving behind raisin-filled oatmeal cookies and a whisp of candle smoke.

The palate is similarly concentrated and expressive, delivering an early candy sweetness of butter mints, chocolate-covered cherry, and cinnamon RedHots that builds gradually with a gentle chili pepper warmth that simply defies the proof written on the bottle. It’s almost too approachable, inviting repeated sipping that will certainly catch up to you if you’re not careful. On the midpalate, that peppery heat is complimented by notes of candy apple and clove chewing gum before a long, soothing fadeout of cinnamon rock candy, Connecticut cigar wrapper, and Andes mints. One of the best rye whiskeys I’ve tasted in a very long time and an incredible value if you can actually snag one at MSRP. Happy hunting!

Note: The significant variation in proofs means your mileage will definitely vary on these bottles, but after tasting a lower proof (136.2) Tanyard Hill single barrel in Lynchburg, I can vouch for the quality on both ends of the spectrum. Our higher proof sample showed more energy and a distinctly chocolaty character while the lower proof release delivered more baking spice and fruit notes, especially on the nose.

145.9 proof as reviewed.

A / $80

The post Review: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release 2025 – Tanyard Hill Rye appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.