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Jack Daniel’s 12 Year vs Penelope Toasted Series
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year and Penelope Toasted Series sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus a blender-built, rye-forward bottling.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Jack Daniel’s 12 Year | Penelope Toasted Series |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 80% corn, 8% rye, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 107 proof (53.5% ABV) +7 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$80 – $120 | ~$55 – $70 ~$38 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Penelope Toasted Series
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Penelope Toasted Series
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 6/4 fruit: Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 6 out of 10, Penelope Toasted Series 4 out of 10
sweetness 8/7 sweetness: Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 8 out of 10, Penelope Toasted Series 7 out of 10
oak 8/7 oak: Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 8 out of 10, Penelope Toasted Series 7 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 6 out of 10, Penelope Toasted Series 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 4 out of 10, Penelope Toasted Series 3 out of 10
spice 5/5 spice: Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 5 out of 10, Penelope Toasted Series 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Fruit character is what sets these apart.
- Jack Daniel’s 12 Year: Twelve-year Jack Daniel's at 107 proof. Sweet and creamy, with butterscotch, pipe tobacco and seasoned oak.
- Penelope Toasted Series: Finished in a second, freshly toasted barrel, which pushes it toward toffee, roasted coffee and darker oak. The toast level changes from batch to batch.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Jack Daniel’s 12 Year if you want a sweet, creamy, well-aged Jack Daniel's with pipe tobacco and oak with slightly more proof behind it.
- Go with Penelope Toasted Series if you want a toasty, coffee-and-toffee bourbon from a second-barrel finish at a significantly lower price point and without hunting for it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Jack Daniel’s 12 Year); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Toasted Series).