Last weekend’s Rye-off produced a small controversy — at least in my own head.

In the blinds, Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye edged out Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye and advanced to the final round. That surprised me. Not because the bonded is weak — it isn’t — but because I’ve generally assumed the Single Barrel Select was the more refined pour.

And yet, blind tasting doesn’t care about assumptions.

Could the six extra proof points have nudged the bonded ahead? Possibly. Could the bracket format have amplified certain traits on that particular day? Also possible. I’ve said before that I don’t treat my own ratings as infallible. They’re snapshots of a moment, not commandments carved into oak.

Tasting them side by side now, without the blindfold, I slightly prefer the Single Barrel Rye. But here’s where the Bourbon Cheapskate lens sharpens the focus:

There’s about a $20 price difference.

Yes, the Single Barrel comes in that hefty, squared-off bottle that looks like it belongs in a noir film. And yes, you get 750ml versus the bonded’s 700ml. But when value enters the conversation, things shift.

If you choose the bonded, you are not settling. You are buying one of the best rye values on the shelf.

📝 The Tasting Notes

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye (94 proof)
Mid-copper color. Aromas of banana, light caramel, and vanilla. Those notes carry onto the palate, joined by milk chocolate. The finish leans thin and fades quickly, leaving bittersweet chocolate and banana behind.

Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye (100 proof)
Richer copper hue. Aromas of chocolate, banana, and caramel. The palate mirrors the nose with an added touch of nutmeg. Mouthfeel is modest, and while the finish isn’t long, it holds together respectably.

The Real Separation

The significant leap in Jack’s rye lineup doesn’t occur between these two. It happens when you move up another $15–$20 into Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye territory. That one is on a different level entirely — deeper, fuller, and genuinely phenomenal.

But that’s not this conversation. This is about shelf strategy.

If you can afford both, there’s no reason not to keep both. They serve slightly different moods. But if you’re choosing one and value matters — and in this series it always does — the bonded rye makes a compelling case.

Sometimes blind tasting exposes preference.
Sometimes it exposes price-to-performance.

In this case, it exposed a bargain. And that’s what a Bourbon Cheapskate is always hunting.