The New Bourbon Classics (Bundle)

The New Bourbon Classics (Bundle) is a two-bottle whiskey set pairing Jack Daniel's Heritage Barrel (750ml, 50% ABV) with Clyde May's Straight Bourbon (750ml, 46% ABV). Together, these bottles represent two distinct modern approaches to American whiskey — one rooted in Tennessee's barrel innovation, the other in Alabama whiskey heritage — with Clyde May's carrying a Gold medal from the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition and a 93-point rating from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Quick Facts: ABV: 50% (Heritage Barrel) / 46% (Clyde May's)  |  Origin: Tennessee & Indiana, USA  |  Style: Straight Whiskey / Straight Bourbon  |  Distilleries: Jack Daniel's (Lynchburg, TN) / MGP-sourced, bottled in FL

Production & Heritage

Jack Daniel's Heritage Barrel takes a deliberate departure from standard Jack Daniel's cooperage. The barrels are toasted for 24 minutes — double the typical 12-minute cycle — then flash-charred, creating a high-toast, low-char profile that draws out deeper caramelization from the wood. The whiskey enters those barrels at a lower 100 proof and matures in the distillery's highest-elevated barrel houses, where greater temperature swings accelerate interaction with the oak. The mashbill runs 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye.

Clyde May's Straight Bourbon is sourced from Indiana — widely understood to be MGP — and bottled in Florida after aging four to five years in heavily "alligator" charred new American oak barrels. The mashbill of 78% corn, 12% rye, and 10% barley tilts toward a sweeter grain character. Notably, this expression is non-chill filtered, preserving fuller body and texture. Clyde May's brand traces back to an Alabama moonshine tradition; this straight bourbon represents a departure from their signature Alabama Style whiskey, which incorporates oven-dried apples during aging.

Tasting Notes

Jack Daniel's Heritage Barrel —

Aroma: Soft oak leads into layers of honey and candied fruit. Beneath that, vanilla custard and warm cinnamon emerge as the glass opens.

Taste: The entry is rich with butterscotch and banana, shifting to toasted graham cracker and baking spice at mid-palate. Burnt caramel and a thread of cherry round out the peak.

Finish: Medium-long with lingering brown sugar and toasted oak. The lower char keeps the finish sweet rather than tannic.

Clyde May's Straight Bourbon —

Aroma: Caramel corn and marshmallow dominate, backed by vanilla ice cream sweetness and dried cherry. A subtle oak spice develops over time.

Taste: Sweet dried corn and peanut lead into a mid-palate of herbal spice and light citrus. Deeper notes of blackberry, peach, and heavy molasses build toward a root-beer-like complexity.

Finish: Medium in length with brown sugar and residual fruit sweetness. The non-chill-filtered body gives it a slightly oily, satisfying texture through the close.

How to Drink These Bourbons

Both bottles reward neat pours at room temperature, where their contrasting barrel treatments become most apparent — Heritage Barrel's high-toast sweetness against Clyde May's alligator-char depth. A single large ice cube is welcome on warmer days.

• Old Fashioned: Heritage Barrel's brown sugar and cinnamon lean naturally into this classic, needing minimal sweetener.
• Bourbon Smash: Clyde May's fruit-forward profile — blackberry and peach — pairs beautifully with fresh mint and lemon.
• Gold Rush: Heritage Barrel's honey and butterscotch notes complement the honey-lemon syrup at the cocktail's core.

Best For

• Gifting a bourbon enthusiast who wants to compare Tennessee whiskey and Indiana bourbon side by side
• Hosting a tasting night with two bottles that showcase different barrel char and toast philosophies
• Building a home bar with two versatile, cocktail-ready American whiskeys under 100 proof
• Introducing someone to non-chill-filtered bourbon alongside a more classic Tennessee profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the bourbons in this bundle taste like? Jack Daniel's Heritage Barrel leads with butterscotch, honey, and toasted graham cracker from its high-toast barrel treatment. Clyde May's leans fruitier, with caramel corn, blackberry, and brown sugar wrapped in a fuller, non-chill-filtered body.

How does Jack Daniel's Heritage Barrel compare to John J. Bowman Single Barrel? Both are bottled at 100 proof with low-rye mashbills and similar aging profiles, but Heritage Barrel's extended 24-minute toast cycle gives it a distinctly sweeter, more caramelized character. Bowman tends toward a drier, more oak-driven profile from its standard charring.

Is this bundle good for sipping neat? Yes — both bottles are proofed in the 92–100 range, making them approachable neat without water, yet strong enough to hold their flavor profiles over ice or in cocktails.

Where are these whiskeys made? Jack Daniel's Heritage Barrel is distilled at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, one of the oldest registered distilleries in the United States. Clyde May's Straight Bourbon is sourced from a distillery in Indiana and bottled in Florida.

What foods pair well with these bourbons? Heritage Barrel pairs well with pecan pie (echoing its brown sugar and toasted oak), smoked pork ribs (the honey sweetness cuts through fat), and dark chocolate truffles. Clyde May's complements sharp aged cheddar (contrasting its fruit sweetness), grilled peaches (reinforcing its stone-fruit notes), and brown-butter cornbread.

What sizes do these bottles come in? Each bottle in the bundle is a standard 750ml format.

Is this bundle worth the price? Both expressions position as mid-premium bourbon — Heritage Barrel brings a specialty cooperage technique rarely seen at its price tier, while Clyde May's delivers a gold-medal, 93-point bourbon with non-chill filtration. Together, the bundle offers strong comparative value for drinkers looking to explore barrel influence on flavor.

Why The New Bourbon Classics?

What makes this pairing instructive is that both whiskeys are corn-forward yet arrive at very different destinations through cooperage. Heritage Barrel's doubled toasting time pulls deep caramel and vanilla custard from the wood, while Clyde May's heavy alligator char drives bolder molasses and fruit. The inclusion of a non-chill-filtered bourbon alongside a more polished Tennessee expression gives drinkers a genuine study in how filtration and barrel treatment shape texture and flavor. With a 93-point Ultimate Spirits Challenge score backing the Clyde May's and a genuinely innovative barrel program behind the Heritage Barrel, both bottles earn their place among a new generation of American whiskey.