A vatting of Jack Daniels with something "extra": 12 ounces each of Jack Single Barrel and regular Jack Daniels (the latter from three different bottles) and an ounce or so of Hirsch 16. The '74 Michter's gives some extra depth and "background", if you didn't know it was there you would not think this was anything other than Jack Daniels, but a very good JD!. The proof is around 86,a good sampling strength. The taste is deep and rich, unusually for Jack: what achieves this is the vatting: the particular Jack Daniel whiskeys used, the proportions and the light touch of super-aged straight whiskey. There is an element of luck, too, or serendipity in getting a particularly good balance. If you took another bottle of Jack Single and blended it with an equal amount from three other bottles of regular JD with the same Hirsch addition, it would (I guarantee you) not taste exactly the same as the vatting I made.
Returning to the palate, I note too Jack does not use a high-rye mash. The high rye in the Hirsch gives the blend that extra bit of taste it needs. There is not a lot of Hirsch in there but that Hirsch is a rye-heavy bourbon and it deepens the taste of the Jack (without "altering" it) even at a 5% addition. Ball that Jack, don't they say?
This one is a keeper (it won't be further blended) and I'll try to save some for Gazebo.
By the way when nosing the last bottle of regular Jack I used for this, for some reason "Woodford Reserve" came to my mind. Something in the nutty smell reminded me of WR. I guess inevitably there will be some resemblance when one considers both are from the same company and under the tutelage of the same master distillers and tasters.
Gary