Jefferson's Bourbon is a

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

-based brand of

bourbon whiskey Bourbon () is a type of barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn. The name derives from the French Bourbon dynasty, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbo ...

which is distilled, blended, and bottled in the US by

Pernod-Ricard Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or ''Ricard (drink), Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller ...

. The brand was first released in 1997. 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 Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey: * American rye whiskey, which is similar to bourbon whiskey, but must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye grain * Canadian whisky, which is often referred to as (and o ...

. Jefferson's works in four step process for making bourbon which is: Distill, age, cut to proof and bottle putting more time and focus into the maturation process. The Jefferson's brand was initially applied exclusively to bourbon

distilled Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heating ...

by other companies. Jefferson's acquired Kentucky Artisan Distillery in

Crestwood, Kentucky Crestwood is a home rule-class city in Oldham County, Kentucky, United States just outside Louisville's Northeast End. The population was 4,531 at the 2010 census. CNN listed it as the 52nd best place to live in America in 2005. It was first set ...

. 25% percent of barrels warehoused for aging in 2017 were produced at Kentucky Artisan Distillery. The other 75% are produced by independent distilleries.

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 Moonshine is high-proof liquor that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial dist ...

. 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." In June 2015,

Castle Brands Castle Brands is a developer and international marketer of premium and super premium beverage alcohol brands. Its core spirits include rum, whiskey/bourbon, liqueurs, and vodka, which are marketed and sold in the United States, Canada, Europe, La ...

announced a 20% purchase of Copperhead Distillery Company, which owns and operates Kentucky Artisan Distillery. The brand began with Jefferson's Reserve, then expanded with the addition of Jefferson's Presidential Select, and Jefferson's Small Batch. Jefferson's now produces several varieties of bourbon and rye, including some limited edition offerings. 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.

Production

In addition to conventional bourbons, ryes, and whiskeys, the label also produces some other noteworthy products. Jefferson's Ocean (45% ABV) 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 Jefferson's Collaboration (41% ABV) was blended in collaboration with Edward Lee, the chef of restaurant in Louisville, to pair well with food. In 2021, Jefferson's released Jefferson’s Rye Cognac Finish Whiskey (47% ABC) consisting of an aged rye whiskey finished for 9 to 19 months in used French Cognac casks. Jefferson's later released an Ocean aged at sea Rye Whiskey as their first-ever Ocean rye whiskey expression as Voyage #26.

Reviews

Jefferson's Small Batch Bourbon and Jefferson's Reserve received a 92 and 94 respectively from the

Beverage Tasting Institute The Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) is a marketing service company that provides reviews for spirits, wines, and beers. It uses numerical scores and publishes books of its test results. The company's beer marketing program, the World Beer Champion ...

in 2012. Jefferson's Rye received a 92 from ''

Wine Enthusiast ''Wine Enthusiast'' magazine is an American wine magazine published by Wine Enthusiast Companies in Valhalla, New York. Founded in 1979 by Adam and Sybil Strum, Wine Enthusiast Companies engages in the wine accessories, storage, information, educat ...

'' in 2012. 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."

References

External links

*
Castle Brands website
{{Pernod Ricard Kentucky cuisine Bourbon whiskey Products introduced in 1997 Pernod Ricard brands Crestwood, Kentucky 1997 establishments in Kentucky

History

Production

Reviews

See also

References

External links