Jack Daniel's Bonded versus Jack Daniel's Old No. 7
Jack Daniel’s Bonded versus Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7.
Comparing two Jack Daniel’s Whiskies Head-to-Head
For this taste test, I wanted to compare the classic original Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 with the premium Jack Daniel's Bonded whiskey. Is there a noticeable difference? And if so, what is the difference?
Here is my plain language review comparison of Jack Daniel’s Bonded versus Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7.
Note: For consistency purposes across all tastings that I do, I follow WSET tasting protocols to ensure a quality and uniform comparison.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey.
Jack Daniel's Bonded
In terms of appearance, Jack Daniel's Bonded is a very slightly darker shade of amber. This is most likely a result of longer time in oak barrels.
In terms of aroma, Jack Daniel's Bonded has a lighter aroma, but it is more balanced and smooth (at least initially). Aroma intensity is light to medium, but closer to light.
JD Bonded does have the banana aroma that is often associated with Jack Daniel's whiskey, but it is pushed to the background and I do get more of an ethyl alcohol aroma coming through. Not off-putting, but it’s there. I really had to push to get the hints of caramel that I'm used to with Old No. 7 and I did not get much in the way of oak.
Jack Daniel's Bonded On first sip...
Jack Daniel’s Bonded is very smooth initially, but then the spiciness kicks in quite prominently after a bit of a delay. The spice continues on the finish (almost to the point of “burning” my tongue). There is a lot more complexity to Jack Daniel’s Bonded versus Old No. 7.
This whiskey has a very long finish with flavors of corn lingering forever on the back end. I have read other reviews that speak of a short finish experience. My experience was dramatically different, with a long and strong finish and that long lingering corn flavor on the back end.
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7.
Jack Daniel's Old No. 7
Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 is a very slightly lighter shade of amber.
It has a stronger aroma intensity, with spicier notes in the aroma. The banana aroma is more prevalent in the original Old No. 7, as is the woody oak smell and hints of caramel.
Intensity of the aroma in Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 is light to medium, but closer to medium.
Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 On first sip...
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 is very spicy right off the top and slightly sweet. It is woody and smoky, with a touch of caramel and hints of vanilla in the background. This is what I consider to be the trademark Jack Daniel's profile.
Old No. 7 has a medium-long finish that is fairly spicy.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded versus Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 in the glass.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded vs. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7: Comparison
There is definitely a difference between these two Jack Daniel's whiskies.
Jack Daniel's Bottled in Bond has more character overall and provides a different taste experience when tasted neat. While it's light on the nose, Jack Daniel's Bonded has more fireworks in your mouth when tasted neat. It starts smooth on first taste, but builds to a crescendo of complex flavors as it lingers. It is a very interesting taste experience.
Text on the bottle of Jack Daniel's Bonded notes "Added depth and character." I would agree that that is an accurate representation of what you get.
Still, having said all that, I'm not sure I would drink Jack Daniels Bonded neat, preferring Jack Daniel's Single Barrel for that duty.
I have to say that I was surprised by the flavor profile of Jack Daniel’s Bonded, as it’s not at all what I was expecting (which was that it would have an overall smooth taste experience from start to finish). While it does start out more smooth than Old No. 7, it’s flavor experience progresses as the whiskey lingers, finishing with a much more complex and overall bolder flavor sensation than it's No. 7 cousin.
So if you are wondering if Jack Daniel’s Bonded is a more smooth and easy drinking version of Old No. 7, this was not the case in my experience. Gentleman Jack is a great option for that purpose. Whereas Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 follows a pretty consistent taste range from first sip to finishing swallow, Jack Daniel’s Bonded has a much wider range of flavor. It progresses from more smooth initially, to much spicier and corn-flavored on the back-end. So that extra time that Jack Daniel’s Bonded spends in barrels does work its magic. These two whiskies are quite different.
Still, I would approach both Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 and Jack Daniel's Bonded in the same way: to be used in a classic Jack and Coke or other mixed drink.
Of course, as always, your mileage may vary.
Plain language whiskey review by Mike Belobradic
Wine, Spirits and Beer Virtuoso
Grand One Lounge