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Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond vs Jack Daniel’s 12 Year
Comparing Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond and Jack Daniel’s 12 Year is a closer contest than it looks — both are traditional bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$16 – $22 vs. ~$80 – $120).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond | Jack Daniel’s 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 80% corn, 8% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 4 years | 12 years +8 yr |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 107 proof (53.5% ABV) +7 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$16 – $22 ~$81 less | ~$80 – $120 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond Jack Daniel’s 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 5/8 oak: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 8 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 8 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 6 out of 10
heat 5/6 heat: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 6 out of 10
spice 5/5 spice: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/4 nuttiness: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, Jack Daniel’s 12 Year 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond: A bonded 100-proof bourbon at a price that barely seems possible, though distribution is patchy outside Kentucky. Unremarkable in the best way: it does everything a bourbon should and nothing extra.
- Jack Daniel’s 12 Year: Twelve-year Jack Daniel's at 107 proof. Sweet and creamy, with butterscotch, pipe tobacco and seasoned oak.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded Kentucky bourbon for under twenty dollars, if you can find it in your state.
- 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.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond); neat, rocks (Jack Daniel’s 12 Year).