Jefferson’s Just Gave Its Bourbon a Major Upgrade
Jefferson’s is known for its bourbon experiments (some call them gimmicks), like aging barrels of whiskey at sea on container ships and giving very old whiskey a wine cask finish. The core whiskey portfolio is more about selecting and blending high-quality barrels into various expressions than taking chances, however, and the two main bourbons just got upgraded in terms of age and proof.
Jefferson’s was founded in 1997 by father and son team Chet and Trey Zoeller, both of whom were inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame a few years ago. Chet passed away in 2024, but Trey continues to lead the brand, which was acquired by Pernod Ricard in 2019 when it purchased Jefferson’s parent company, Castle Brands. As mentioned before, the lineup includes some of these more experimental release like Ocean Aged at Sea, which is a blend of barrels that spent months onboard container ships circling the globe, or last summer’s Founder’s Reserve, a fantastic 20-year-old bourbon that was finished in a French Bordeaux wine cask (an unusual step for a bourbon that old).
The core lineup consists of Very Small Batch Bourbon, Triple Rye, Ocean, and Jefferson’s Reserve. The latter bourbon just received a very significant improvement upon what was already a good whiskey—it now carries an eight-year age statement, and the proof was raised to 96 (up from 90.2). “Getting to this age statement meant going back through our older, more mature barrels and crafting this bourbon with intention,” said Ale Ochoa, Jefferson’s master blender, in a statement. “Aged a minimum of eight years in American oak, this bourbon offers dark fruit and vanilla custard upfront, then baking spice, oak, and toasted almond carrying through to a long, spicy finish.” Another upgrade was given to Jefferson’s Very Small Batch Bourbon, which saw its proof raised from 82.3 to 88, a small amount that has a big impact upon the flavor.
In addition to these liquid upgrades, Jefferson’s also refreshed its packaging, something that other brands like Bardstown Bourbon Company have done over the past year or so. The reaction of longtime fans to a packaging refresh tends to vary, but these new labels seem to be pretty inoffensive. According to the brand, the new design was “built to better reflect the quality and character of the liquid inside, creating a stronger, more cohesive identity and a clearer navigation system for exploring the full Jefferson’s portfolio.” Given the current state of the whiskey market, anything that might help to boost sales is a good thing, so why not try out some new art. You can currently find the new versions of Jefferson’s Very Small Batch Bourbon, Triple Rye, Reserve 8-Year-Old, and Ocean Aged at Sea at liquor stores around the country. Smaller 375 ml and larger 1-liter and 1.75-liter bottles will be available later this year.
