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The Pairing

In this third Sip and Spin installment, we’re pairing Led Zeppelin III with Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. It’s a whiskey with real presence—bold oak right up front, followed by subtle notes of banana, warm caramel, and a little red pepper heat that lingers on the finish. Much like the album, it reveals new layers with each revisit. And when it comes to those beautiful acoustic tracks that use alternate tunings, it’s like adjusting your senses to a whole new flavor profile. Each tuning opens up a different dimension of the song, making those acoustic moments feel as rich and layered as a sip of that Single Barrel whiskey.

A Memory from the Early Guitar Days

There’s some nostalgia here, too. When I was younger and just learning how to play guitar, I used to thumb through guitar magazines and I’d see Jimmy Page with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s No. 7. That image stuck with me, and it’s part of the reason I chose to pair Led Zeppelin III with Jack Daniel’s. It just felt right—the music, the whiskey, the attitude.

Since I’ve Been Loving You

When “Since I’ve Been Loving You” comes on, and the whiskey’s true nature opens—intense, soulful, and absolutely unforgettable, I’m lost in that nostalgia. The guitar work in that track is raw, moody, bluesy and smokey. The lead guitar is an absolute masterwork in raw emotional improvisation.  There’s something about the way each note bends and aches that pairs beautifully with the Single Barrel’s mix of caramel sweetness and red pepper warmth. Both leave a lasting impression.

Bron-Yr-Aur, Stomp & the Cottage Sessions

A huge part of the heart of *Led Zeppelin III* comes from the time Jimmy Page and Robert Plant spent writing at Bron-Yr-Aur, a tiny stone cottage tucked away in the Welsh countryside. With no electricity and nothing but acoustic guitars, rolling hills, and quiet, they tapped into something deeply earthy and intimate. Many of the album’s acoustic-driven tracks were born there, carved out of stillness and long stretches of uninterrupted inspiration.

Whenever I pick up my guitar and tune it for “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp,” it’s like relearning it all over again—retuning, rediscovering, and reconnecting with that raw, joyful energy Page and Plant tapped into at that cottage. That strong oak foundation in the Single Barrel, the soft banana and caramel notes, and that late spicy kick feel just like the layers you uncover every time you return to this acoustic gem.

And it wasn’t just “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp.” Songs like “Gallows Pole” and “That’s the Way” also carry that Bron-Yr-Aur spirit. “Gallows Pole” has this wild, climbing energy—starting sparse and acoustic before rising into a frantic, almost desperate swirl of banjo, guitar, and rhythm. It mirrors that red pepper heat in the whiskey: slow at first, then suddenly alive.

“That’s the Way,” on the other hand, is pure vulnerability. Gentle, open-tuned strumming, quiet vocals, and this fragile, sunlit innocence. It’s the banana and caramel notes—the softer, sweeter side of the Single Barrel—reflecting a song that feels like a quiet conversation shared at the edge of the world.

Final Thoughts on the Pairing

At the end of it all, *Led Zeppelin III* and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel feel like two sides of the same experience—earthy, honest, layered, and worth returning to year after year. This album isn’t just something you listen to; it’s something you revisit, relearn, and reconnect with, the same way each pour of a great whiskey reveals a little more of itself. From the cottage walls of Bron-Yr-Aur to the pages of the guitar magazines I grew up thumbing through, this record has followed me through every stage of life. And pairing it with a whiskey that carries its own history, heat, and soul just feels right. Here’s to coming back to the songs—and the sips—that never stop growing with you.

Photos Courtesy of Matthew Kohorst