Review #2: Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea

Intro:

So, we’ll be honest, we thought this was a gimmicky recipe that was introduced by a company that has a track record of good bourbon to charge people more for a mediocre bourbon. In one sense that’s true. The development of this bourbon started as an unknown.

However, Jefferson’s is a good brand that makes some very good bourbon (if you can get your hands on the Kentucky Straight Very Small Batch or Reserve you should), so we decided to take this review this seriously.

While each version is a bit different, our bottle is the 17th voyage. It’s a 90-proof bourbon with 45% alcohol content. This particular voyage was relatively calm, had warmer weather, and almost no storms. It is because of this “smooth sailing”, that Jefferson’s claims this is a much smoother bourbon. The bottle reads that it is part of the Very Small Batch line.

Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea Bourbon

Spoiler Alert: The bottle doesn’t claim to be “Kentucky” straight bourbon whiskey. It might upset the purists out there, but there is a chance some of the blend was sourced outside the borders of the Unbridled state.

The Backstory:

Jefferson’s was founded by father / son duo of Chet and Trey Zoeller. Their distilling heritage dates back to the 1700s where their grandmother was, “arrested for the production and sales of spirits.” Trailblazer if you ask us. It’s a brand that prides themselves on applying creativity and maybe a bit of the scientific method to some of their bourbons. Keep in mind they are a blended bourbon that sources their bourbons from various independent distilleries, so in some cases they may be a bit of a hodge-podge.

According to Jefferson’s, the Ocean Aged line started out as an experiment with just three bourbon barrels. Effectively, they were curious as to what would happen to the bourbon in more extreme elements (i.e., temperature swings, salty ocean air, etc.). What started small has grown into hundreds of barrels and runs in this line. Apparently, each voyage typically crosses the equator four times and visits thirty ports spanning five continents.

Tasting Notes:

According to Jefferson’s: The almost black color and caramel flavors resemble a dark rum as the sugars within the barrels caramelized; the briny, savory taste from the barrels breathing the sea air is reminiscent of Islay Scotch.

According to Him: Our bottle is more of a medium caramel color. Not sure where the black color went... It tastes a bit sweeter to me. I get hints of caramel, vanilla, and a little bit of oak. Every once in a while, I get a faint hint of cherry. Incredibly smooth throughout. It’s that smoothness that is a bit of a downer, but that might just be this particular batch. I was hoping for a little more spice in this mix. It hits my pallet twice. On the first sip right at the tip of my tongue which is very subtle. On the second, right at the back of my throat. Both are fairly minor hugs, but the second one lingers for a little with some minor heat.

According to Her: This is a smooth one! It starts off sweet with light heat that builds in the back of the throat. On the nose it is beautifully sweet with hints of oak, almond, and chocolate. As I begin to sip, I tasted hints of honey, caramel, vanilla, almond, and pepper.

The Rating:

Overall, it’s a decent bourbon. We received our bottle as a gift. It wouldn’t be the first one we would grab off the shelf (in general or from the Jefferson’s line). It has a top-shelf price, but honestly, we aren’t sure it belongs there. It’s a cool concept and a fun idea, but hard to justify spending the kind of money to buy a bottle. There are many others that are less-than or equal in price, but ahead in taste.

3 out of 5 Glasses. We’ll put this bottle on the middle shelf, maybe to the side so it isn’t front and center for everyone to taste.