Drinking 1962-vintage Jack Daniel's With The Grandson Of The Man Who Made It... And More!

From left: Jack Daniel’s master distiller Chris Fletcher, Fine & Rare/Flatiron Room owner Tommy Tardie, me. Photo by either Svend Jansen or Minh Le, I forget. But you’re both awesome.

“There comes a time in every man’s life, and I’ve had plenty of ‘em,” the great Casey Stengel once said. And this was one of those times — getting to tuck into a just-opened bottle of Jack Daniel’s that had been sealed in 1962. Oh, and did I mention that I drank it with Jack Daniel’s current master distiller? Or that his grandfather was a former JD distiller himself, who helped make the very whiskey that we were drinking? It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience… although I still have about half a bottle left, so if Chris Fletcher comes to town again soon enough, it could be a twice-in-a-lifetime experience.

You can read all about it (including tasting notes) in the latest installment of What’s Tony Drinking?, brought to you by the good people at Alcohol Professor (link is right… wait for it… -> HERE <-), and read about some more incredibly rare and delicious spirits I’ve been tasting this summer, emphasis on delicious. Or rare, depending on where your interests lie. Re-reading the column made me realize for probably the fourth time in the last day or so what a fortunate so-and-so I am. If I never get invited to another tasting or never get another cool sample in the mail — which could happen any time, because the freelance life brings with it no guarantees — I’ve had enough amazing booze-related experiences to keep me reminiscing happily for a long time. And of course I still have plenty of top-shelf hooch at home to keep me busy. But what I’m saying here is that I’m very, very grateful.