Army veteran Bobo selected for Jack Daniel’s 2026 Heroes release

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Before Jason Bobo became a warehousing foreman at Jack Daniel’s, he spent eight years in the U.S. Army, including tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

On Veterans Day, the Lynchburg distillery recognized that service by announcing Bobo as the selector of its 2026 Heroes Selection, a limited-edition Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey honoring veterans and active-duty military personnel.

Bobo, who joined Jack Daniel’s in 2011, continues a tradition of recognizing veterans who built careers at the Lynchburg distillery after their military service.

A tradition with military roots

Jack Daniel’s Heroes Selection is produced annually and distributed through select U.S. military retail outlets, including Army and Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps exchanges.

In 2024, the distillery chose Melvin Keebler, a U.S. Navy veteran and Jack Daniel’s senior vice president and general manager, to select a barrel-proof Tennessee rye whiskey.

Keebler said his military service and work at the distillery shared the same principles of community, camaraderie, and commitment to a mission.

The following year, the honor went to twin brothers JB and LB McGowan, both Army artillery veterans who began working for Jack Daniel’s in 1965. The brothers spent 34 years at the distillery before retiring in 1999.

Their 2025 selection was a Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey, bottled at 125-140 proof.

From Lynchburg’s barrelhouses

The 2026 release returns to rye whiskey, using Jack Daniel’s traditional mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley.

After distillation and charcoal mellowing, the whiskey matured in new American white oak barrels stored on the highest floors of the distillery’s Lynchburg barrelhouses.

Bobo’s selection is bottled at 125-134 proof. According to the distillery, it opens with aromas of apple and molasses, followed by a lingering spice and a finish with notes of sweet smoke and cherrywood.

The bottle features a military-inspired medallion and comes in a collectible gift box.

Chris Fletcher, Jack Daniel’s master distiller, said veterans remain an important part of the distillery’s workforce and its whiskey-making tradition. “The men and women of our military make an enormous sacrifice to protect our freedoms, and it’s a privilege to celebrate them each year with our Heroes Selection,” he said.

Fletcher also praised Bobo’s contribution to this year’s release. “Veterans like Jason play a critical role crafting our Tennessee Whiskey throughout the year, and he’s made a strong selection for this year’s release that is certainly worthy of his fellow service members.”

Bobo is also a host of the Hangin' Out in the Holler podcast.

Helping military families get home

Jack Daniel’s support for the military extends beyond the Heroes Selection.

Since 2011, the distillery has partnered with the Armed Services YMCA through Operation Ride Home, a program that helps junior-enlisted service members and their families pay for travel home during the holidays.

The campaign has raised more than $4.65 million and helped more than 16,000 service members and family members make those trips.

For young military families stationed far from home, holiday travel can be expensive. Operation Ride Home helps cover those costs, allowing families to spend the holidays together.

A veteran’s selection

The 2026 Heroes Selection is available in 750-milliliter bottles at select military retail locations and in limited quantities at the White Rabbit Bottle Shop at the Jack Daniel Distillery. The suggested retail price is $69.99.

The McGowan brothers were retired when they made their selection. Bobo is still on the job, overseeing warehousing operations at the distillery.

This year, the choice belonged to an Army veteran who helps make the whiskey.