Overview: Jack Daniel’s releases Distillery Series #17 High Angel’s Share Tennessee Whiskey bottled just shy of 140 proof. The spirit features high evaporation rates due to warehouse positioning and high temperatures, offering a distinct profile from standard expressions.
The Full Story
The review highlights the whiskey as a boozy flamethrower that drinks intensely. Flavor notes reveal big berry, vanilla, and oak alongside the signature Jack Daniel’s banana flavor. However, the heat ultimately wins out and overshadows everything else at such a high proof. A fellow whiskey writer noted that releasing this whiskey likely helps fans understand the process more, offering a look at how warehouse placement and longer maturation times can affect a very popular and familiar whiskey. This is especially useful when comparing it to regular Old No. 7. The review suggests adding ice or water to tamp this whiskey down, noting that Old Forester had it right with its High Angels’ Share expression at 110 proof for a more drinkable level.
The article questions whether the market needs another near-hazmat whiskey from Jack Daniel’s. While some fans enjoy the experiments, many of which have been outstanding over the past few years, this specific Distillery Series expression is more of an endurance test than a pleasure cruise. The critic indicates that while by all means go ahead and try this new whiskey, especially if you’re a fan of Jack’s experiments, the heat ultimately wins out.
Production & Profile
Distillery Series #17 was distilled in 2016 using the same mashbill as regular Jack: 80 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and eight percent rye. The barrels spent their lifetime maturing on Coy Hill on the top floor of Barrelhouse 1-13. This positioning resulted in extremely high evaporation rates due to elevated temperatures and decreased humidity. Most recently, Old Forester released High Angels’ Share Rye as part of its limited-edition 117 Series bottled at 110 proof, while the new High Angel’s Share from Jack was bottled at cask strength of 138.4 proof.
Brand & Industry History
The term “high angel’s share” is associated with Old Forester, a brand and distillery that is also owned by Jack Daniel’s parent company Brown-Forman. It refers to whiskey aged in barrels that, because of where they were positioned in warehouses, experienced extremely high evaporation rates due to elevated temperatures and decreased humidity (most often on the upper levels of these rickhouses). The most famous examples come with Coy Hill on the label, referring to particular warehouses at the distillery in Lynchburg that often yield super high-ABV barrels with very little whiskey left in them after close to a decade of maturation.
What This Means
Part of the reason for releasing a whiskey like this is likely to help fans understand the process more. The release offers a look at how warehouse placement and longer maturation times can affect a very popular and familiar whiskey. It serves as an educational tool, especially when comparing it to regular Old No. 7.
Consumer Takeaway
This Distillery Series expression is more of an endurance test than a pleasure cruise, and it is one that probably won’t be poured again any time soon. While by all means go ahead and try this new whiskey, especially if you’re a fan of Jack’s experiments, many of which have been outstanding over the past few years, the heat ultimately wins out.
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