Sips & Sites & Bites

If you’ve ever wondered what Jack Daniel’s whiskey tastes like before the distillery settles into its long-running sour mash rhythm, the newest Distillery Series release has your answer.

The Lynchburg team just dropped Distillery Series Selection #15, a limited-edition Tennessee Straight Whiskey made with a sweet mash instead of the brand’s signature sour mash. For the uninitiated, sweet mash is the very first run of the season … the distillery uses fresh yeast and new mash rather than reusing part of a previous batch (the “sour” method) to kickstart fermentation.

This particular run dates back to 2016, when barrels filled with a mashbill of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye were tucked away in the top floors of Tract 2 barrelhouses. After nearly nine years baking in Lynchburg’s fluctuating Tennessee seasons, the whiskey has now emerged at a fiery but balanced 117 proof.

So, what’s in the glass? According to Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Chris Fletcher, the extra time in those warm barrelhouse spots coaxed out “complexity and richness.” Tasting notes lean into butterscotch, caramel, pecan, and a touch of berry, making it both familiar and a little adventurous.

There’s also a nice human touch here: this release was hand-selected by Kathy Thurmond, Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Taster and Quality Control Manager. It’s the kind of insider experiment that whiskey fans geek out over … something that normally would never leave the rickhouse.

Bottled in 375mls and available only in Tennessee (including the distillery’s White Rabbit Bottle Shop), this Sweet Mash expression is priced at $44.99. It’s not the kind of bottle you’ll find everywhere, but that’s the charm of the Distillery Series: small-scale experiments that offer a peek behind the curtain at America’s most famous whiskey-making town.