Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon

I’m a fan of Jefferson’s. They do some interesting bottlings. They could possibly be overrated—I try to ignore the hype and not let that cloud my enjoyment of a brand. If it’s good, I like it. I’ve really enjoyed some of their experimental expressions. They flagship bottle is a decent entry point into the lineup. Yet, I somehow missed this one—the second tier offering. Without further ado, here’s my review of one of Jefferson’s cornerstone pieces. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar. Toffee and butterscotch. Vanilla frosting. Raisin. Cola and Gala apple. Cocoa. Sawdust, dusty corn, black pepper, oak, clove, and nutmeg. Palate: Gala apple, vanilla, and toffee. Caramel and brown sugar. Butterscotch. Cocoa. Blacl tea and tobacco. Raisin. A touch of leather. Sawdust. More of the dusty corn. Oak. Finish: Vanilla, caramel, toffee, and brown sugar. Black tea and peppercorn. Cocoa, tobacco, and cinnamon. Sawdust and dusty corn. Black pepper and oak. Clove and nutmeg. Medium-length finish. This is not a bad whiskey by any means. It’s pleasant and clearly of a quality bottling. It’d be a great bourbon to use to get a new drinker into the genre. But it also fails to stoke the imagination of a more experienced drinker—and that’s my main critique here. At $48 (on sale from down $54) I’d say this is worth the price of entry, albeit barely. I fluctuated from a score of 3.0 and 3.75. And tasted this back-to-back days and have settled on a score of 3.5. Because the price of bourbon (and whiskey as a whole) has increased rather drastically in the past couple years, I’m not going to be too harsh on this one for VFM. It’s a solid spirit, but could definitely benefit from a couple more years in the cask to earn it’s “Very Old moniker. It would easily be a 4 star dram, but it’s solid as it is now.

The nose is very even with standard bourbon notes, but layered with fresh savory herbs, and what Rob Morton is getting as sweet popcorn and fruit I think is what’s hitting me as a faint Double Bubble bubble gum. It is way less woody/tannic then I was expecting considering the rumored age (not a bad thing). This being my first time trying it I keep thinking how all the taste sensors are activated on the tongue: sweet, salty, un petit peu of sour and bitter, all smoothed over by an even umami sensation, a rich yet not overpowering leathery “meaty”ness (but in a different way than the meatyness in a lot of Islays). Adding a little water really brings out the rye. Definitely looking to add to my bar.

Nose: Corn, some astringency with a hint of fruit Palate: Buttery, creamy vanilla at first but more hints for fruit but now in the form of berries Finish: Short finish, with a hint of spice at the end. While we won't know what "very old" means, this pour is a very crushable one with a hint of proof but not too much to make it unapproachable. It's not classic in its flavor profile but it is familiar enough to sip on.

Neat. Rich copper in color. Nose is sweet and pretty. Ripe honey caramel fruit.. green and red apples, pears, creme brulee, oak, with some herbal and slight smoke for some balance. Taste is sweet and spicy. Kettle corn, caramel, green herbs, oak, vanilla, baking spices. Finish is decently long. Sweet, herbal, cinnamon candy. Smooth, easy to drink, with some complexity. Would buy again

I do like this expression by Jefferson's but prefer the Ocean Aged over the Very Old... It is decent to sip but I won't be stocking on my shelf. My Bourbon/Whiskey pallet is still pretty underdeveloped with more than 50 tracked tastings, but less than 100 as of 2022. (That's not all consumed, just all appreciated outside of shots and mixers)

Cherry sugary nose with a lightness to it. The sip itself is a smooth with fruity and spicy notes. Fruits that come to mind are rich red apple skin and matured mushy cherrys. The feeling on the palate is slightly viscous almost velvety. Overall a delightful bourbon.