A Jack Daniel’s Exclusive – The Sinatra Century

I didn’t get a chance to see Frank Sinatra in concert, of course not, I’m too young for that but oh my, wouldn’t that be fun. When one of his songs comes on I can’t help but daydream and let my mind wander. It drifts to a time when men wore hats and ladies wouldn’t leave the house without a pair of gloves on, no matter the heat.  I have often wished that I could have been at one of those concerts at the Sands in Las Vegas while the Rat Pack was filming Ocean’s Eleven during the day and performing at night.  This is a completely different place that I would like to visit for a while.

A couple of weeks ago I kind of got the chance to do just that.

I was lucky to get an invite to an exclusive Jack Daniel’s tasting hosted by Brookline PR and Jack Daniel’s at the Bourbon Room at National on 10th in Calgary.  I had never been in that room before.  It is full of old school charm with dark paneling on the walls and red leather booths.  With ‘Ol Blues Eyes serenading us in the background, the atmosphere paired with the cocktails helped to get us in the mood.

John Breckon of Jack Daniel’s, dressed to the nines, took us on a tour without even leaving the room.  He weaved a tale of Jack and Frank.  Along the way we learned the process of how Jack Daniel’s is made.  There was a lot of talk of toasting barrels and how toasting the wood is a significant part of the process.

We were eased into the tasting with the lighter Gentleman Jack.  And then when our taste buds were awake and ready for a fuller flavor we tried the Single Barrel Select.  All of this was just to get us ready for the main event.

And then we heard about how Jack was such a part of Frank Sinatra.  It started the moment Jack Daniel’s was introduced to Frank by Jackie Gleason, that was the beginning.  It became such a part of Sinatra that he insisted on having it on stage with him at all times.  Did you know that he was even buried with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s?

So to honour this unique relationship this year, on the occasion of Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday, Jack Daniel’s created this special “once-in-a-lifetime whiskey” from only 100 barrels hand selected.  And the barrels were specially crafted with interior grooves that exposed the liquid not only to the toasted wood but the white oak as well.  The result is a complex, robust flavor that finishes with tropical notes.  It was my great pleasure to get a chance to experience this exclusive bottle.

Each bottle of the Sinatra Century comes in a commemorative box with a hardbound book that tributes Frank, his music and the whiskey.  But the really amazing thing is that Jack Daniel’s was able to acquire from the Sinatra family a never before released copy of a Frank Sinatra Sands concert from 1966.  Inside the box is a replica of Frank’s tie clip that plays this concert.

Now, I didn’t get a chance to listen to the music on the tie clip that night but what a way to time travel.  A chance to be taken back to that time I so want to visit, with the journey provided by Jack Daniel’s.

So where to get this exclusive bottle in Calgary?  Check out the Liquor Depot, Willow Park Wines and other select stores around town.  It will cost about $850.00 per bottle but for those Sinatra fans in your life, the experience would be priceless.