Review: Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength Offers a Distinct Flavor

What we’re drinking: Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength, a 130-proof cask-strength take on the brand’s signature bourbon

Where it’s from: Jefferson’s Bourbon launched in 1997 as a family collaboration with Trey Zoeller and his father, bourbon historian Chet Zoeller. The brand was acquired by Pernod Ricard in 2019 and will soon have a new $250 million facility for distilling.

Why we’re drinking this: When I speak of Jefferson’s, it’s almost always about the brand’s Ocean Aged at Sea releases, which is primarily bourbon (usually six to eight years old) placed in small barrels and loaded onto special cargo ships; from there, the barrels sail around the globe through different seasons, extreme temperature fluctuations and a lot of agitation from storms and waves. So for me, Jefferson’s has always been about radical and unusual maturations with its small-batch releases. But I’ve never really examined Jefferson’s Reserve, the whiskey that launched the brand back in the late ’90s. Now, the flagship product is getting a cask-strength release that’s just under Hazmat levels.

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“We’ve only done a Cask Strength in the Ocean line,” Trey Zoeller says. “Reserve was released back in ‘97 and, at the time, 90.2 proof was right up my alley. I like drinkable, nice mouthfeel, not big, not [laughs] stabbing. But in the 20+ years I’ve been doing this, my palate has changed. I appreciate cask-strength whiskey more.”

For Reserve, Jefferson’s is blending four different bourbons; the brand’s eight-year base bourbon comprises about 65% to 70% of the total blend, while the other three “meander,” as Zoeller suggests. “But that base bourbon, it’s pretty damn good straight out of the cask,” he says. “So this is showcasing what the meat of our Reserve release is. It’s unfiltered, cask-strength, 130 proof.”

Will the aggressive proof drown out Jefferson’s more nuanced flavors or amplify them? Let’s find out.

How it tastes: Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength is non-chill filtered, aged eight years and comes in at a robust 65.5% ABV. Yes, it’s brawny and full of barrel/tobacco spice, but there’s a lot to love here, even for discerning palates. Cola is a surprisingly dominant flavor, followed by red fruit and vanilla. Rounded out by a creamy mouthfeel, this one is delicious but definitely calms down with a drop or two of water (highly recommended).

Fun fact: The Zoellers’ love of bourbon is a family tradition that goes back to 1799, when Trey’s eighth-generation grandmother became the first woman on record in America to be arrested for the “production and sales of spirituous liquors.”

Where to buy: Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength is a limited-edition release, available nationwide for $70.