Disclosure: the sample for this review was provided at no cost. Our tasting notes and score are our own.
A little background
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Rye is the 2026 edition of the annual Single Barrel Special Release series from Jack Daniel’s, and the first time a rye whiskey aged in the distillery’s Coy Hill barrelhouses has been bottled as a single barrel release (read the full press release here). It is a barrel proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey made from Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley. Proof varies by barrel, ranging from 128.7 to 148.5 proof (64.35% to 74.25% ABV), and the barrel used for this review was bottled at 133.1 proof. It comes in a 700mL bottle with a suggested retail price of $89.99.
The whiskey was charcoal mellowed before entering new, charred American white oak barrels. Those barrels were filled in 2016 and matured for ten years in Barrelhouse 1-13 atop Coy Hill, the highest elevation point at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, where seasonal temperature swings are more intense. The release follows the 2025 Tanyard Hill Rye and joins a line of Coy Hill expressions that includes the 2021 Coy Hill High Proof, the 2022 Small Batch Coy Hill High Proof, and the 2024 Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 Tennessee Whiskey.
(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)
Color
Burnished
Nose
Key lime pie, burnt caramel, caramel corn, canned peaches, bubble gum, powdered sugar, and oak.
Palate
Grape big league chew, brown sugar, raisins, figs, clove, cinnamon, and oak.
Finish
Cinnamon, campfire, marshmallow, artificial grape, sweet raisins, dried tobacco, and dry oak.
In closing
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Rye opens with an expressive, sweet nose of key lime pie, burnt caramel, caramel corn, canned peaches, bubble gum, and powdered sugar over a base of oak. The palate is incredibly intense, especially early on, with grape Big League Chew, brown sugar, raisins, and figs giving way to clove, cinnamon, and oak. It coats the palate, and the rye spice is disguised beneath all that fruit and sugar. The medium-long finish brings cinnamon, campfire, marshmallow, artificial grape, sweet raisins, dried tobacco, and dry oak.
What stands out most is how well integrated the proof is. At 133.1 proof, this barrel is one of the most well-integrated whiskeys I’ve tried, delivering all of that intensity without the heat getting in the way. At a suggested retail price of $89.99 for a 10-year-old, barrel proof single barrel Tennessee rye matured atop Coy Hill, the highest elevation point at the Jack Daniel Distillery, it offers a lot of whiskey for the money. You’re in for a treat if you have the opportunity to try this whiskey.
NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Jack Daniel’s. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.
Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Rye
133.1 Proof
Please enjoy responsibly. Never drink and drive.
