Hokus Pokus recently got a Jack Daniels Barrel Pick that is also Barrel Proof. I am a fan of this whiskey, and was blown away by how good the Coy Hill limited release was. This one weighs in at a hefty 127.3 proof, and was aged in barrel house 08, one of the warehouses that aged the Coy Hill release. This however came from the second floor, rather than the top floors. However, Jack Daniel’s goofed the name on the hanging metal, putting Hokus Poker on it. Thankfully, it can be flipped over and a barrel on the tag adds a nice touch.

The color on this is quite a rich amber with some mahogany; I would be this is around eight to ten years old. There is a thick film and long oily legs on the swirl. On the nose is rich caramel and vanilla, with a lot of sweetness and some oak. On the palate, the caramel is very assertive at first but then the vanilla notes develop on the palate along with cloves and baking spices. Nice mouthfeel. On the finish, candied cherries and cloves mingle together and this finish is quite long.

At $55, this is a great quality cask strength Tennessee whiskey. Many bourbon drinkers eschew Jack Daniel’s mostly because of how regular Black Label tastes in comparison with bourbons of similar price and proof. However, at cask strength, Jack Daniel’s is as good as many cask strength bourbons from Kentucky and Indiana. Make no mistake, Jack Daniel’s sells a whole lot of whiskey for the masses, but can put out top drawer limited releases at cask strength.