Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye is a new permanent expression in the brand’s Bonded Series, which was introduced in 2022 and also includes Bonded Tennessee Whiskey and Triple Mash Blended Straight Whiskey. According to the company’s press release, “The Bottled-in-Bond designation on Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye is another stamp of quality, assuring consumers that every drop of our whiskey is made right here in Lynchburg at the Jack Daniel Distillery with the highest standards possible.”
The Jack Daniel Distillery first began distilling rye in February, 2011. Bonded Rye is the first rye whiskey from the Jack Daniel Distillery with the Bottled-in-Bond designation, though it shares the same mashbill and yeast strain as other rye whiskeys in the brand’s portfolio. After distillation, Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye undergoes what is referred to as the “Lincoln County Process,” which involves passing the distillate through charcoal that was made by burning maple wood that had been impregnated with 140 proof Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Notably, Jack Daniel’s experimented with various amounts of charcoal filtering, and unlike their Tennessee Whiskey they discovered that less charcoal filtering is ideal for rye, and as a result the distillate passes through only 3 feet of maple charcoal versus the standard 10 feet used for their Tennessee Whiskey. The maple charcoal filtered distillate is then aged in new charred American white oak barrels and aged for a minimum of 4 years, though according to our talks with master distiller Chris Fletcher, this inaugural release of Bonded Rye was distilled in the Spring 2016 distilling season, making it 7 years old. While the age for future releases is unknown, Fletcher noted that it will likely be around 7 years, give or take, given the flavor profile expected to develop around that time.
