Smooth sipper for a Saturday soirée (Jack Daniels Silver Select)

Member Name: edinburgher

Product:	Jack Daniels Silver Select
Date:	04/07/09 (169 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A delicious, complex sipping whiskey

Disadvantages: A little potent

*Whiskey, not whisky - this is not a typo*

From the first time I became aware of Jack Daniel's Silver Select while passing through duty free sections of various airports I was drawn to it like a Scot to Whiskey. The beautiful brushed silver presentation box it comes in (and the £31 price tag, close to double that of Old No. 7) made me exceedingly curious as to whether the makers could justify charging what seemed a high price for a bottle of American spirits.

While I'm not a big whisky drinker, I suppose that a certain innate sense of Scottish snobbery made me wary of anything that wasn't a single malt from somewhere with a picturesque name and caused me to delay purchasing this until recently. It turns out that this was my loss, as Silver Select is a potent, delicious and aromatic drink that exudes quality in every measure.

*Top marks for presentation*

As well as the particularly attractive cardboard case that Silver Select comes in, the decanter style bottle is completely unique when compared to similar products. The bottom of the bottle has slightly distorted sloping sides, flowing gracefully into a fluted bottle neck with raised patterns around the sides. The bottle is secured with a wooden stopper with a chunky plastic lid and there's a satisfying pop as you slide it out for a taste. Embossed metal labels give the product a somewhat antiquarian feel which goes very well with the style of the container.

*A different taste in every bottle*

Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 (what you get when you ask for 'Jack Daniel's' in a bar) is blended from charcoal filtered whiskey taken from a selection of barrels. Silver Select differs greatly in this respect as the contents of each bottle are drawn from a single, numbered, barrel. Connoisseurs have been known to keep notes of the differences between the barrels, but unfortunately I don't drink nearly enough to make that practical.

These barrels are stored high up in the barrelhouse where temperature changes a lot more often (with rising heat in the summer months and bitter cold in the often freezing Tennessee winters). These temperature fluctuations change the character of the whiskey in the upper barrels, breaking down the ingredients of the casked alcohol so that it gets considerably longer to mature and a consequentially more developed character and taste.

The barrel number and the 'release date' (date of bottling) are printed on a green and silver label around the neck of the bottle, which is a nice touch for a somewhat dearer spirit.

*So what does yours taste like, Edinburgher?*

Thanks for asking! My recommendation for drinking this particular whiskey (and it may go against the grain of normal whisky drinking advice) is to try and drink it in a glass with a smallish surface area, or maybe something like a brandy glass where the sides slope in towards the lip of the glass.

As the somewhat bizarre earlier reviews have pointed out, this whiskey is 100 proof (50% by volume) and it's potent stuff. The whiskey has a rich, aromatic bouquet when you smell it in the bottle, but it can be a bit overwhelming when drunk from my usual squat tumbler. I find that the selection of flavours coming from the glass (and no doubt some evaporation) mean that this is an acquired taste that will take a few glasses to really appreciate. No hardship there then...

The smell in the bottle is truly phenomenal, with tones of smooth vanilla, smoke, burnt caramel and the faintest ghost of orange peel. Apologies for the slightly hyperbolic description, but it can be difficult to sum up the nuances of a good drink. The taste is no less delicious than the smell promises and after the initial shock of the hard liqor (well, it is American) the flavours are complex and rewarding.

Again, there's a rich smoky caramel lurking in the glass and while it's perhaps just a little too strong to sip neat, you're left feeling satisfied with a warm glow that spreads from the stomach and leaves you feeling supremely relaxed. I can imagine that this one might be good with a little ice water to explore the flavour a bit more - ok, that's my afternoon sorted! Although it's fairly strong in terms of alcoholic content it has a very pleasant mouthfeel and doesn't leave you with the sore throat that often occurs when drinking Old No. 7 without a mixer.

A delicious, complex sipping whiskey, this makes a lovely change for the casual whisky drinker who fancies a change but doesn't feel quite up to the challenge (or cost!) of more expensive Scottish single malts. I recommend it whole heartedly.

Summary: Far more adventurous than Old No. 7, Jack Daniels scores another hit