Whisky I've Drank: Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select

By Jack Daniel's
Bottled at 90 proof, and made with unique “Sinatra Barrels”, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select pays tribute to Jack’s biggest fan: Mr. Frank Sinatra. These Sinatra barrels have deep grooves on the inside of the staves — which exposes the whiskey to extra layers of oak. This imparts a rich amber color, bold character and a pleasant smokiness, followed by an incredibly smooth vanilla finish. Much like Frank himself, this whiskey is one of a kind.

By WhiskyBee
Last spring, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select was released as a duty-free-only bottling. Last week, Binny’s made a precious few bottles available on their shelves. And just yesterday, a very special friend (who thought he owed me a favor, which he really didn’t) gave me a bottle of Sinatra Select as a gift. What made him an even more special friend was that he also provided me with a sample from his own bottle, as he had the good sense to know that I may never open mine.
To say I’m a huge Frank Sinatra fan would be a bigger understatement than saying Niagara Falls is rather wet. Say what you will about his personal life (and I offer no apologies for that), the man was the greatest popular singer of all time. I own everything The Voice ever recorded, including hundreds of recordings that the law says I'm not supposed to own. I saw him in concert nine times and only regret that I couldn’t have seen him a hundred more times.
Needless to say, I was hugely appreciative of this gift, even if I’ve never been blown away by anything in the JD family since I started taking whisk(e)y seriously. These days, Old No. 7 tastes more like number two to me. (Okay, it’s not that bad; I just couldn’t resist the cheap joke.) But Sinatra lived during a time when Chivas (for which he also shilled) was the epitome of whisky connoisseurship, so I’ll forgive that his favorite libation was JD with a splash. The man was married to Ava Gardner, so shaddap already.
Word is that Sinatra Select was aged at least a year longer than Old No. 7, in barrels with grooves that “go deeper than the charred surface.” It’s also bottled at 45% ABV, “the same strength as when Frank drank it,” according to JD’s marketing department. All I know from my sample is that it’s a decent, straightforward, and bold whiskey that suggests a time when entertainers could indulge in booze and cigarettes on stage and grownups were neither offended nor worried if such vices seduced the youn’uns.
Nose: Wow, wood. The woodiest whisky or whiskey I’ve ever sniffed. Also more smoke than I’m used to in a bourbon (oops, sorry—make that Tennessee Whiskey). Some corn, pepper, and oranges in the background, but it’s the oak (with a bit of its natural vanilla) that overwhelms. A little rough and one-dimensional but not bad.
Palate: Through the arrival, development, and finish, I get caramel, vanilla, and oak wood. Some nice peppery heat on the tongue, followed by a very smooth finish with a nice little citrus tang. Goes back and forth from oranges to limes with each sip. Decent enough, even if the sweetness has to struggle to balance the bitter wood.
I usually have two drams when writing a review, but in this case I did what I could with my wee sample. I found it smooth enough to enjoy neat, so I can’t tell you what a little water does to it. It’s definitely a step up from Old No. 7, although it’s mostly a more intense, yet smoother, version of the same. Before Sinatra Select was released to a few stores, it was commanding ridiculous prices among collectors, which is why I’m choosing to keep my bottle sealed for either future sale or a special occasion. Perhaps I’ll crack it open for Frank’s 100th birthday in 2015.