Episode 429: Jack Daniel's 14yr (Batch 2)

Welcome back to Chill Filtered, the podcast where we drink whiskey so you don't have to (but you probably should)!

This week, Cole and Bryan crack into one of the most anticipated releases of 2026: Jack Daniel's 14-Year Tennessee Whiskey (Batch 2), bottled at an uncut 117.6 proof! (Huge thank-you to Brian Duncan for hooking up the bottle!) Before getting to the pour, Bryan sends his empty bottle of Batch 1 out in style with a literal blowtorch, the guys celebrate Bryan’s 3-year anniversary on the show, and Cole looks back at his origin story in the whiskey world—from starting a blog in 2015 hunting Eagle Rare 17 to bartending with 1,000 bottles on the wall. Plus: British import Skittles, Virginia ABC drop drama during date night batting cages, and Bryan sharing a wild personal update on his bionic eye lenses!

📜 History Deep Dive: The Charcoal Mellowing Longevity Test

Does dripping new-make spirit through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal help or hurt a whiskey once it spends nearly a decade and a half in oak? Cole breaks down:

• The Great Charcoal Debate: The longstanding industry critique that charcoal filtration strips out the essential long-chain fatty acids needed for prolonged aging.

• The Rickhouse Floor Shift: How Master Distiller Chris Fletcher and Master Blender Lexie Phillips beat the Tennessee heat by aging barrels on the blistering upper floors for 7–8 years, then physically relocating them to cooler, high-humidity lower floors to prevent the liquid from turning into bitter "oak tea."

• Batch 1 vs. Batch 2: How Batch 2 backs off the dry, astringent wood tannins of Batch 1 in favor of dense dark berries, pipe tobacco, and cocoa at 117.6 proof.

📰 Whiskey World News

• Pappy Van Winkle 2026 Price Increases: Buffalo Trace officially bumps MSRP across the Van Winkle lineup—Old Rip 10 hits $170, Lot B hits $200, the 13-Year Rye jumps to $300, and Pappy 15 climbs to $300. The guys react to how much retail pricing has shifted over the last decade.

• Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Barrel Proof: Buffalo Trace announces the first-ever uncut, unfiltered expression of Elmer T. Lee! Cole and Bryan place their bets on where secondary market prices will settle ($600 vs. $1,200+).

❓ What Whiskey Would You Choose?

• Last Week’s Results: The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) routed the lifetime supply of standard Buffalo Trace with 95% of the vote (shoutout to Robbie Deadlow for repping the 5%!).

• This Week’s Dilemma: You just won a $2,000 gift card that can ONLY be spent on secondary market bourbon. What bottle from your wishlist are you buying?

  • Cole's Pick: 2013 Eagle Rare 17.

  • Bryan's Pick: Parker’s Heritage Collection "Promise of Hope."

📊 Episode Ratings & Final Verdict

• Jack Daniel’s 14-Year Tennessee Whiskey (Batch 2 — 117.6 Proof)

  • Cole's Score: A / A- (9.38 / 10) (Exceptional balance, rich maple syrup viscosity, blackberry, and oak; a few drops of water unlock sweet vanilla and caramel without losing proof punch)

  • Bryan's Score: A+ (Officially enters "Hubba-da-WHAT" territory! Massive fruit, rich pastry sweetness, and controlled oak that edges out Batch 1 and trades blows with 20+ year ultra-agers)

🔮 Coming Up Next on Chill Filtered

Join us next week for a double-header of Sagamore Spirit! We’re tasting the Sagamore Amontillado Finish on our Sunday Patreon Drink-Along, followed immediately by Sagamore Cider Cask Finish on Episode 430!

Support the show, join our monthly Drink-Alongs, and get exclusive barrel pick access on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chillfiltered