The 2026 Single Barrel Special Release is a limited-edition Barrel Proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey from the acclaimed Coy Hill, the highest elevation point at the Jack Daniel Distillery

Coy Hill in the Jack Daniel’s fan community has become a holy site. There are a number of warehouses there - it’s not quite Weathertop with a single structure - but it’s the highest point on their seven square miles of property.

The first few releases from Coy Hill were Tennessee whiskey in 2021 and 2022, both just shy of ten years old and ranging up to 155º. They were by far the highest proof releases Jack Daniel’s had ever produced, and some of the highest proof American whiskey that wasn’t light. It was fantastic - I leaned towards the original 2021 release over than the 2022 small batch, but would be grateful to enjoy another bottle of either.

This release, the 2026 Single Barrel Special Release Rye, is the first rye to come from these now-hallowed warehouses.

I’m a HUGE fan of Jack Daniel’s rye, having picked three barrels and enjoyed many more. Having said that, The Tanyard Hill and Boiler Hill ryes released late in 2025 and 2026 were mixed. Tanyard I relatively enjoyed while finding it unbalanced; Boiler Hill I didn’t enjoy much at all.

Then this comes along and reignites the memory I had of what this rye can be.

Jack is now a decade and a half into producing rye, having built a smaller version of their Tennessee whiskey facility just up the road. It’s a tiny, tiny fraction of their overall output, but they take that opportunity to make it differently. Unlike the Tennessee whiskey, which goes through ten feet of sugar maple charcoal, the rye goes through a shorter stack similar to the “extra mellowing” Gentleman Jack gets. According to Master Distiller Chris Fletcher, the rye simply doesn’t need the same filtration that a corn-heavy distillate does. To me, this allows the rye to retain a bit more mouthfeel and spice that more charcoal might strip out.

Around 300 barrels were dumped for this release, the barrels using an 11-minute toast and somewhere between a 3-4 char. The barrels were raised at Brown-Forman’s now-closed cooperage; they now source barrels from ISC to the same specification. The barrels are all over ten years old, distilled in June and July 2016. The outturn was around 5300 cases at barrel strength, ranging from 128.7º to 148.5º.

This is an easy buy in every sense. It is a little higher priced than a regular Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Strength Rye, which usually comes in around $10 cheaper, but it is around three years older. That’s well worth the price difference to me.

Press Release Below:

Lynchburg, Tennessee (October 20, 2026) – The Jack Daniel Distillery announces Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Rye, a barrel proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey matured atop the distillery’s highest elevation point. Serving as this year’s expression in the annual limited series, it marks the first time a rye whiskey aged in the famed Coy Hill barrelhouses has been bottled as a Single Barrel release.

Crafted with Jack Daniel’s signature Tennessee Rye mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley, the whiskey was charcoal mellowed before entering new, charred American white oak barrels in 2016. Maturing atop Coy Hill for ten years across Barrelhouse 1–13, it experienced intense seasonal temperature swings of high elevation, resulting in a complex, one-of-a-kind expression.

“The annual Special Release series has allowed us to push the boundaries of our whiskey-making craft, and our previous Coy Hill releases have been among our most acclaimed,” said Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller, Chris Fletcher. “We are thrilled to return to Coy Hill and showcase our Tennessee Rye Whiskey while taking full advantage of the unique maturation environment and over ten years in the barrel to yield a bold, complex whiskey we are incredibly proud to share.”

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Rye features an aroma of orchard fruit balanced with honey and toasted oak barrel. The palate brings a touch of citrus sweetness layered with light molasses, black tea, and robust oak. While the finish varies slightly per barrel, it consistently highlights sweeter rye notes and lingering barrel spices, offered at Barrel Proof ranging from 128.7-148.5.

The 2026 Special Release follows the 2025 Tanyard Hill Rye and builds upon a celebrated lineage of expressions matured atop Coy Hill, including this year’s Small Batch Rye, the 2024 Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 Tennessee Whiskey, the 2022 Small Batch Coy Hill High Proof, and the 2021 Coy Hill High Proof—which marked the highest proofs ever released in Jack Daniel’s history.

The limited-edition release is available now at select stores nationwide in 700mL bottles at a suggested retail price of $89.99. For more information, visit www.jackdaniels.com.

About Jack Daniel’s

Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866 and based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery is the first registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Jack Daniel’s is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Double Mellowed Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry, Jack Daniel’s Bonded, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select and Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola. Today, Jack Daniel’s is a true global icon found in more than 170 countries around the world and is the most valuable spirits brand in the world, as recognized by Interbrand.

Please Drink Responsibly.

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye Whiskey, 64.35% - 74.25% alc. by vol. Distilled and bottled by Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee. JACK DANIEL’S is a registered trademark. ©2026 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved.

Thank you to Jack Daniel’s and FINN Partners for the opportunity to taste this product. All opinions are my own.

Jack Daniel’s 2026 Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Rye: Specs

Classification: Tennessee Rye Whiskey

Producer: Jack Daniel’s Distillery

Grain Bill: 70% Rye, 18% Corn, 12% Malted Barley

Proof: 133.1º (66.55% ABV)

Age: 10 Years Old

Location: Tennessee

Jack Daniel’s 2026 Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Rye Price: $89.99

Official Website

Jack Daniel’s 2026 Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Rye: Tasting Notes

Eye: Grade A maple syrup. Medium syrupy rims, short legs, medium droplets.

Nose: Fresh bag of brown sugar, decadent, barest proof noticeable. Luden’s cherry cough drops with cinnamon and clove dusting. Cinnamon sugar pretzels from Auntie Anne’s. Apple cider warmed with a touch of star anise.

Palate: Cherries and cinnamon explode out of the gate, covering the front and mid tongue with the prominent proof. Candied cherries and red hats come next, spice drops of all colors and a warming sensation of buttery pie crust. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and coating, piquant on the tip of my tongue, drying baking spices roaring back to front.

Finish: Cinnamon toast almost burnt, proof heat really sticks around (though the oak doesn’t). Toasted oak from the barrel is relatively light. Coating for several minutes, long and fruity, the cherry on a fruit salad.

Overall: Cinnamon is the star with cherry and toasted oak as the backup singers. Powerful, more balanced than either the Tanyard Hill or Boiler Hill. I want more body for the proof, it thins out briefly and it detracts. That’s really the only negative I have here and I’m willing to look past it for the flavor. Easy buy.