Whisky Advocate Review: Jack Daniel's Latest Coy Hill Release, Barrelhouse 8
September 12, 2024 –––––– David Fleming
Amid the whiskey world’s current fascination with high proof, many producers have sought to ride the wave by bottling higher-ABV whiskeys. But they often aren't that good, showing little flavor or structure behind the heat. Such whiskeys rely too much on their proof, without delivering the intrinsic quality. Very few whiskey makers are masters of the high-proof game, but Jack Daniel, with its Coy Hill single barrel series, is one of the best.
Coy Hill Tennessee whiskey is named for the highest point on the Jack Daniel Distillery’s campus, where barrel houses 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13 are located. (There is no barrrel house 12, as it was damaged and torn down years ago.) Those are the barrel houses where master distiller Chris Fletcher seeks out the casks to be used for Coy Hill. The mashbill for Coy Hill is the same as that for Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7—80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye—but the maturation period is roughly twice as long or more, depending on the release. That lengthy aging time, carried out on the top floors of the highest warehouses on the property, combines with Tennessee’s heat to create some very high-proof barrels. The debut release of Coy Hill in 2021 was bottled at 68.7%-74.15% ABV. The Coy Hill release in 2022 came in at a face-melting 71.8%-77.5% ABV, the highest-proof whiskey ever offered by Jack Daniel. While that ABV may have been a bridge too far for some drinkers, it caused a sensation among proof-loving whiskey fans, and the secondary market prices remain at exorbitant levels. This week came the announcement of the third release in the series, Coy Hill Barrel House 8, and similar buyer enthusiasm can be expected.
Why is Coy Hill So Sought After?
There are plenty of high-proof whiskeys out there, and not all of them are well crafted. Coy Hill’s secret to success is that it’s a powerful whiskey that manages to keep its flavors and structure in focus, front and center, without letting them get swept off in the spiky heat, as happens with some high-proof whiskeys. Coy Hill fares very well with a bit of water or ice, of course, but sipping them neat is surprisingly pleasurable, as the flavors and the structure are amplified, and not just the heat.
The ABV for Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 ranges from 61%-68.75%, somewhat lower than the previous iterations. Aged on the 5 and 6th floors of barrel house 8, the whiskey went into the barrel in September 2013 and was bottled in August 2024, making it just shy of 11 years old. It’s being sold in 750-ml bottles and is available nationally, unlike the previous release, which was sold in 375-ml bottles and was sold at the distillery and select Tennessee retailers only. Quantities will still be limited, but it’s safe to say there is more Coy Hill this time around than for previous releases.
What Does Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 Taste Like?
Possibly because of its somewhat lower proof, this Coy Hill release does the best job so far at putting flavor and structure front and center. Coupled with the power of its proof, the result is a remarkable whiskey. Here follow our tasting notes, which find an abundance of different flavors. There are a few fruit notes, but as one would expect from Jack Daniel's, it's mostly about the sweetness and the darker flavors like chocolate, coffee, and baking spice, as well as aged oak. The taste profile is a straight story without a lot of twists and turns, but it’s a very good story indeed.
95-points Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8, 67.35%, $80
The nose offers a bundle of aromas: melted caramel, burnt brown sugar, buttered French toast, gentle baking spices, and baked bananas, all gently guided by pleasant aged oak. The mouthfeel is rich, viscous, and chewy, with great heat and spice that’s well-contained. The palate offers hot chocolate, cinnamon, maple sugar candy, espresso beans, baking spice, jammy blueberry, and orange. The finish is loaded with chocolate, black coffee, cinnamon, and peppery spice, with oak ever-present. Remarkably smooth, carrying its proof beautifully and delivering balance, depth, and pronounced flavors. Note: the ABV of 67.5% is for the whiskey tasted by Whisky Advocate, but the range is in fact 61%-68.75%.
