Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea Voyage 17

This is my official deep dive into Jefferson’s. Feel free to skip ahead to the tasting, because there are going to be a bunch of these cheesy intros, all copy/paste. ~~~~~~~~~~ Concept: I walk into a liquor store and see like a billion different Jefferson’s bottles, yet my knowledge of them is minimal. My perception is that I typically don’t care for their stuff, but somehow, before choosing to start this experiment, I already had six different Jefferson’s on my shelf. How did they invade my house? ~~~~~~~~~~ Methodology: Step 1: Jefferson’s Very Small Batch. Patient 0. Where it all started? Never had it, so a damn good place to start. This one was bought specifically for this experiment. Step 2: Jefferson’s VSB vs Jefferson’s Reserve (Very Old Very Small Batch). I already had this one. How did this get in my house? Step 3: Jefferson’s VSB vs Jefferson’s Ocean. Is it a gimmick? Again, how did this get in my house? Step 4: Jefferson’s Ocean standard vs Jefferson’s Ocean wheated mash bill. Repeat house question. Step 5: Finished Jefferson’s. I got rum, Sauternes, and Prichard Hill. Let’s do this. Step 6: Blind taste test with all 7. Hell, throw in Chef’s Collaboration. (Seriously, how?) So there’s 8. Can I pick them out based on steps 1-5? Are there any standout Jefferson’s expressions, or is it all marketing? The stakes are so low, the tension is palpable. ~~~~~~~~~~ Disclaimer: Starting this, I don’t much care for Jefferson’s in general. There’s this weird gummy-bear-ness that I can’t shake. Hoping to find my Jefferson’s product by the time this is over. ~~~~~~~~~~ Jefferson’s Ocean, aka “Step 3” Is this a gimmick? This was one of my main questions coming into this experiment. I’ve been drinking this one side by side with Jefferson’s Very Small Batch over multiple days. I don’t have a drinking problem. I’m a scientist. This is voyage 17, for those counting. And holy hell is this dark compared to the VSB. If you really want to compare the noses of these guys, Glencairn is the way to go. They are related, but this one drops the leather and the nuttiness. It’s still very sweet and floral. I’m sticking with honeysuckle as the main takeaway, but there’s caramel and sugar too. Great nose. The body is a different world. While solid for what it aims to do, Jefferson’s VSB is oily and entry level, very bottom-shelven in taste. Just made up a word, and I think I’m gonna keep it. This body is creamy and thick feeling, like milk. The flavors that stand out are simple, but well done. I get salt, caramel, cane sugar, and bitter chocolate. Well presented, very different from VSB, and special. Finish is salty, but when combined with the residual chocolate you get a praline flavor. It’s phenomenal. The VSB cinnamon is there, but that praline note takes the cake for me. Multiple times during this review, I had to make an effort to avoid being that guy. I was tempted on more than one occasion to say “sea salt” instead of “salt.” I weathered that storm. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that this really does make me reminisce about trips to the beach. Just sitting here now, at least 5 minutes since my last sip, I lick my lips and it reminds me of what it feels like lick your lips at the end of a long day swimming at the beach. I literally hate myself a bit for typing that just now, I’m just being honest with you fine people. According to their website, this magic is due to the motion of the ocean. Here’s the rub: could you accomplish the same flavors without traveling around in a boat, bumping into rubber duckies? I don’t see why not. I’ve had all these flavors before. Not trying to take away from the value of the product here, just pointing out that this whiskey is a strong performer in an existing flavor profile space. From a tasting note perspective, there’s nothing truly revolutionary here, even though this is a very delicious bourbon. Is there something about this sea-aged process that truly takes your mind back to the ocean, or is it merely the power of suggestion? I honesty don’t know, and I’m pissed off about that. I still strongly dislike most Jefferson’s products I’ve tried. However, I like Jefferson’s VSB. Moreover, I freakin love this. I hate reviews that say, “this tastes like a warm, summer day.” But I’ll be damned if this doesn’t taste like a warm, summer day at the beach. I hate myself so much right now. Nonetheless... so far, this is my Jefferson’s. Is it a gimmick? Who the $&@% cares? It’s delicious. They could age a barrel in the trunk of a 2001 Ford Focus for all I care. If it tastes like this, I’m down. Speaking of gimmicks: I liked this drink so much I bought a color-changing rocks glass that says Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea. It turns light blue with ice. I have no regrets. Moreover, this gives me a chance to give notes on the rocks: As expected, ice kills most of the nose. I can still get caramel and salt, with effort. The body has an amazing, even more creamy feel, and milk and chocolate take over. The body is very easy to drink and enjoyable this way. A praline finish is still there, but without the heat. On the rocks is very delicious with this bourbon. Conspicuous problem: since voyage 17 is good, do I need to collect them all? My brain went there, and I immediately shut it down. The answer might be yes, but even though this product line is going to be a new permanent resident of my shelf, I simply don’t care enough to track down earlier voyages. I’m not going to spend my bourbon capital that way, and I don’t think those that do will see return on investment. I’d be interested to hear from a true Jefferson’s fan if I’m wrong there. Regardless, I absolutely will grab future voyages, should they pop up in my local stores. Like Booker’s, I strongly believe that these are made to drink, not hoard.

Continuing to work through whiskies in my collection that I’ve not yet reviewed. I received Voyage 17 of Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea as a gift. The “Aged at Sea” seems like a marketing ploy. According to the company, “Barrels of Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea® Bourbon travel aboard ships that visit ports all around the globe. The constant motion of the sea churns the whiskey, increasing its interaction with the wood of the barrel. Extreme weather ranging from the coldest of coldest to the warmest of temperatures hyper-ages the liquid in ways no rickhouse could. Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea® Bourbon is Aged At The Mercy of The Sea. Experience a voyage yourself.” It’s an interesting concept: the churning and warmer weather corroborate (conceptually) with the claim of “hyper aging,” though this claim is rendered moot due to the lack of an age statement. And I’m not so sure about the coldest aspect helping with the aging. At any rate… Color is a clear Pantone 138. There’s a certain dusty reticence upon initial nosing, but this fairly quickly resolves to dill pickle, rye, a little vanilla, and spearmint. The palate starts afresh with more rye, and then amplifies it with rye spice, and more heat than the 90 proof would suggest. The finish has some light woody tannins (perhaps due to the swirling of the distillate on the ocean) and a long finish of…rye. Rye, rye, rye: significant rye on the nose, palate, and finish. Since it’s labeled a bourbon, the mashbill has to be at least 51% corn, but I’d wager the remaining 49% is rye. This is a bourbon to me that is initially offputting because it lacks bourbon typicity. It’s like tasting a glass of orange juice that is actually limeade: it’s not bad, but the confusion detracts from the drinking experience until you recognize the familiarity of the unfamiliar. The marketing aspect is not perfunctory; apparently there are separate URLs for each voyage, replete with an interactive map, photos, and a “Captain’s Log” (Voyage 17 can be found here: https://jeffersonsbourbon.com/jeffersons-ocean-voyage-17/). The last sentence of the Captain’s Log exhorts the drinker to “get yourself…an ice cube or two and enjoy”: call me a purist, but when the company itself is telling you to drink an already diluted spirit with ice which not only dilutes it further but reduces the aromatics and taste due to the the physics of cooling, I can’t really take it too seriously. And although this was a gift, I’m not interested in spending $75-80 on a bourbon that doesn’t taste like bourbon, is only 90 proof, and is cloaked in heavy marketing (even if it is interesting, innovative, and perhaps somewhat legitimate). Would I buy it? No. Small-batch blend of straight bourbon whiskeys, so it’s at least two years old. 90 proof. 2.25 on the Distiller scale. N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Distilled by: Undisclosed Bottled by: Jefferson’s Parent Company: Castle Brands Proof: 90 proof Age: NAS, but the Ocean Aged at Sea project originally took a blend of 6-7 year aged bourbon that was then aged an additional 6 months at sea. Mash Bill: Undisclosed Barrel Char: Undisclosed Price: $79.95 at NC ABC Rested 5 minutes in a Glencairn, and then another 5 minutes because I got distracted. Neat. Nose: A lot of burnt sugar up front. Caramel. The oak comes through with some ethanol heat, with a slight touch of dried fruit underneath - ever had craisins? That. Palate: The fruit that was hiding a bit on the nose comes through in the palate. Pepper, with some kind of baking spices mixed in (clove? Allspice? Not quite sure). This palate is unique: it’s not like any of the other bottles I’ve had so far. The profiles aren’t overly complex, and you have to sort through them a bit rather than them having a nice progression. It’s a touch hot for the proofing, but not unpleasant. Finish: Medium-long. The fruit disappears pretty quickly, leaving the mouth coated with straight oak and tannins. It’s a bit bitter, and a bit tangy. Raw pecans pop up as the finish fades. Not bad. Overall: This glass, like I mentioned in the palate notes, is unique. It’s good, but a bit hot for 90 proof. I like to justify my ratings based on what I feel the value is rather than a score, and at $80 this... doesn’t do it for me. $80 is going to set the bar mighty high anyway, but this feels like a gimmicky bourbon that somehow got popular enough for the parent company to get away with the price tag it has. It’s a bottle with a fun story, if you’re into that.

I'm a big Scotch and Bourbon fan so OF COURSE I like this. To make it simple, this bourbon has 2 things that sets it apart from many other bourbons: a heavily charred flavor and brine. The weird thing is that it'd be hard to replicate these flavors naturally without a boat. So, that's what makes this bourbon special. It's very light and pretty which is not something I usually think of when I drink bourbon. Bourbon is usually dark and rich. If you're a Scotch-lover looking for a good bourbon? Get this. If you're a bourbon-lover looking for a good Scotch? Get the Glenfiddich 14 Bourbon Barrel Reserve. I'm not comparing these two in terms of flavor or richness or quality, just in terms of what they have to offer to people who like different styles of whiskies. I really do recommend this whiskey...if you don't care about money. It'll be hard for me to get another bottle because $75 is a lot of money for something like this. For $49.99 I wouldn't bat an eye at all. I just think this is one of the things where you're paying extra money for the story. For me, the story is important, but the juice is what you're paying for.

A gift from my friend on his many travels, this is a treasured addition of my collection. The nose on the Voyage 17 is beautiful and rich. Burnt brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and oak spices hit hard. Subtler notes include pear, apricot, and seaspray. On the palate the spices hit the back of the throat and linger nicely. The brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla coat the roof of the mouth and create a salivation to occur wanting for the next sip. The brine from the seaspray is present but very faint (I wish there were more of this here as per other Voyage offerings). Also on the palate is a black cherry note that adds to the peppery notes from the spice. I am a big fan of the Jefferson's Ocean releases and love the voyages with more brininess as the spray adds to the flavor profile in the most delightful way. The Voyage 17 must have encountered very calm seas as this note is very indistinct. A unique bourbon and worth pursuing. Nose: 4/5; Taste: 4/5 Finish 4.25/5 Overall: 4/5 Repurchase: Not available in my area but Yes if I encounter it along my travels Type: Special Occasion

This is Voyage 17. The nose is sweet and has cooked plumbs with baking spices, pear juice, sweet corn and a little oak. I also can’t deny that there is a brininess, even though I’m trying not to give into the whole “aged at sea” thing, it’s there. It is coming off kind of Scotchy. The palate has a nice creamy and oily mouthfeel with some sweet corn, hints of red apple, baking spices, vanilla, som leather, oak and a little saltiness. There is a quick burst of a scotch type note at the beginning, I guess that’s the brininess coming through. The finish is medium-long that has a very light burn that goes away fairly quickly. You’re left with notes of vanilla and a slight salty/bitterness on the front of the tongue. Overall this makes for a fine bourbon. The salty/briny notes are there, not overwhelming, but present and make this reminiscent of Scorch. And I can’t help but also be reminded of Blanton’s and other Buffalo Trace mashbill #2 products. The sweet, smooth cooked apples and spices are what is reminding me of that. So if Blanton’s were a scotch, this is it.