A New Jefferson's Reserve Cask Strength Release Is Simple And Elegant
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Jefferson's Bourbon is probably best known in some circles for its ocean-aged and finished whiskeys. Its newest release aims to create a memorable pour with a more straightforward approach: unfiltered, uncut Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, blended and bottled at cask strength.
Jefferson's Reserve Cask Strength is a limited-time version of Jefferson's Reserve, a bourbon that's served as the brand's flagship for years. The brand calls it a 'high-proof evolution of the iconic Jefferson's Reserve.' After an early taste (more on that below), we can say the resulting whiskey is bold, fruity, and accessibly drinkable, even at its high proof. The bourbon ultimately rides a fine line between brightness and oak.
Like the flagship and always-available release, Jefferson's Reserve Cask Strength is a marriage of sourced Kentucky bourbons, with blending overseen by Founder and Master Blender Trey Zoeller. But while Jefferson's Reserve is bottled at 90.2 proof, this cask strength release topped out at 130 proof (65% ABV) after blending was complete. According to the brand, the youngest bourbon in the blend is eight years old.
Jefferson's was founded in 1997, a joint project between Kentucky native Zoeller and his father Chet, a respected and well-known bourbon historian. The brand was among the first to popularize sourced and blended American whiskeys. Today, some of its earlier bottlings—especially the Presidential Select series—remain among the most celebrated releases of the early 'Bourbon Boom' period from around 2008 through 2015. Its Jefferson's Ocean line started as an experiment to age bourbon casks at sea and has since become a hallmark of the brand.
Pernod Ricard acquired the brand in 2019, and Zoeller stayed on in a directing and blending capacity; today he remains heavily involved in new product development.
'With this cask strength release, we're peeling back the layers to reveal the whiskey in its most authentic form—untamed, uncut, and packed with intense flavor,' said Zoeller in a company press release.
We had a chance to try Jefferson's Reserve Cask Strength for ourselves. The nose is big and bold, with a sweet, confectionary nose that matches the whiskey's 130 proof almost punch-for-punch. A medley of spiced fruit cobblers lead—think peach, apple, and berry topped with golden brown dough and sprinkled with cinnamon—followed by rum-soaked raisins and cherry cough drops.
While there's plenty of ethanol on the nose (though it's never overpowering), the palate isn't as hot as one might expect. Instead, more fruit leads, especially maraschino cherries. That quickly transitions into vanilla cherry cola and raspberry compote. The finish leans into cream soda, oak tannins, and a hint of chocolate truffles. That oak is both noticeable and restrained, and Jefferson's was pretty clearly intentional releasing this at eight years; the whiskey rides a fine line between fruity, peppery youth and tannins that become dominant as most bourbon approaches the decade mark.
Jefferson's Reserve Cask Strength is a limited time offering, available as of April across the United States. It carries an MSRP of $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
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