Jefferson's Bourbon is a Louisville, Kentucky–based brand of bourbon whiskey. The brand was first released in 1997, and is distributed by the Castle Brands.
Jefferson's Small Batch Bourbon | |
Type | bourbon, rye |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Kentucky Artisan Distillery, independent distilleries |
Distributor | Castle Brands |
Country of origin | United States |
Region of origin | Kentucky |
Introduced | 1997 |
Alcohol by volume | 40% |
Variants | Jefferson's Small Batch, Jefferson's Reserve, Jefferson's Presidential, Jefferson's Ocean, Jefferson's Collaboration, Jefferson's Rye |
Website | jeffersonsbourbon.com |
Jefferson's has used experimental blending and aging techniques, such as aging bourbon at sea, where wave action can affect the product's development. It also produces a rye whiskey.
The Jefferson's brand was initially applied exclusively to bourbon distilled by other companies. Jefferson's acquired Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, Kentucky. 25% percent of barrels warehoused for aging in 2017 were produced at Kentucky Artisan Distillery. The other 75% are produced by independent distilleries.[citation needed]
History
Jefferson's Bourbon was launched in 1997 by Trey Zoeller, a native Kentuckian, and his father Chet Zoeller, a bourbon historian. He founded a company called McClain & Kyne after Zoeller's past relatives, including an 8th generation grandmother arrested in 1799 for moonshining.[1][non-primary source needed] McClain & Kyne was purchased by Castle Brands around 2005. Asked about the name, Zoeller reportedly said, "I had no marketing budget. I simply wanted a recognizable face associated with history and tradition."[2]
In June 2015, Castle Brands announced a 20% purchase of Copperhead Distillery Company, which owns and operates Kentucky Artisan Distillery.[citation needed]
In 2022, Pernod Ricard announced an investment of $250 million for Jefferson's Bourbon to build a five years to build a new, carbon-neutral distillery and aging warehouses in Marion County, Kentucky.[citation needed]
Production
In addition to conventional bourbons, ryes, and whiskeys, other products include:
- Jefferson's Ocean (45% ABV), which was initially an experimental bottling before being made a standard offering. Barrels of bourbon aged 6–7 years are loaded onto ships, which then sail around the world for six months, a process that Jefferson's claims develops the bourbon more quickly through the motion of the waves. Temperature swings also cause the barrels to expand and contract- the distiller claims this expedites maturation of the spirit.[3]
- Jefferson's Collaboration (41% ABV) was blended in collaboration with chef Edward Lee to pair well with food.[4]
Reviews
Jefferson's Small Batch Bourbon and Jefferson's Reserve received a 92 and 94 respectively from the Beverage Tasting Institute in 2012.[5] Jefferson's Rye received a 92 from Wine Enthusiast in 2012.[6]
Food critic Morgan Murphy said "The dark amber of this bourbon makes it look like woodpile water, but the sweet caramel taste has a very restrained oak flavor."[7]