Jack Daniel's Is Selling a $600 Bottle Proof Inspired by McLaren's F1 Car

When Jack Daniel’s signed on to sponsor McLaren’s Formula 1 team back in 2022, whiskey fans were wondering if there would be a special, highly allocated release to commemorate the union. For the first two years, it was the standard 80-proof Old No. 7 jazzed up in Papaya Orange—the official name for McLaren’s hue—and custom packaging. In March of this year, Jack Daniel’s dropped an 86-proof version.

Now comes a showstopper: Halo MK1, a 1-liter, 117.4-proof whiskey presented in packaging meant to emulate an F1 car’s safety halo. And, at $600 per bottle, it’s one of the most expensive Jack Daniel’s offerings ever.

Let’s start with the whiskey. It is Tennessee whiskey, naturally, but built differently than Old No. 7—and not just by ratcheting up the ABV. Halo MK1 begins with a Jack Daniel's house mashbill of 80% corn, 8% rye, and 12% malted barley, distilled in Lynchburg, and is filtered through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal. (That Lincoln County Process step is what makes it Tennessee whiskey rather than bourbon, and every expression the distillery produces undergoes this mellowing.)

Where Halo MK1 diverges is the barrel. Standard Jack Daniel's is aged in new American white oak barrels made from staves that go through a conventional seasoning process. Halo MK1 uses barrels made from staves aged in the open air for a significantly extended period before they're toasted. This step draws out more moisture and softens tannins in the wood, which affects what the barrel gives to the whiskey: deeper color, a broader aromatic profile, and a rounder texture than you'd expect from a 58.7% ABV whiskey.

We’ve yet to taste the liquid, but, in a press release, Jack Daniel’s master distiller Chris Fletcher describes the nose as “sweet maple, fresh fruit, and toasted oak.” The palate opens on “sweet caramel and chocolate” before shifting toward pipe tobacco and baking spice, with a finish that hangs on “barrel spice and brown sugar candy.” For a whiskey bottled at cask strength territory, that's a seemingly composed and layered profile.

That precise proof has symbolism. McLaren Racing founder Bruce McLaren first competed in car No. 58, an Austin 7 Ulster marque. The “MK1” portion of the name may also have significance: It typically stands for the first in a series of race cars. Perhaps there will be future editions of the Jack Daniel’s Halo series?

The bottle encasement is designed around McLaren's Halo structure, the titanium safety device mounted above the cockpit on every F1 car since 2018. The packaging incorporates alloy metal, carbon-fiber print, and micro-suede, materials chosen to mirror those used by McLaren in its race cars. Each bottle features a hand-finished cork and custom medallions.

Halo MK1 is available now in select global markets while supplies last. Given the production scale and the price, this one is headed for collector cabinets.