Tastes

Appearance: dark amber/copper Nose: sweet caramel with banana and a hint of mint and clove, very inviting. Palate: Oaky and leathery base is joined with strong and complex fruity notes of raisin, ripe banana and orange blend together, yielding to more caramel and toffee notes. Mouthfeel is more buttery than expected also. Finish: longer dry finish and lingering with peppery cinnamon/spice. Overall: Rich and complex, and a very enjoyable pour. I was skeptical of the ‘aged at sea’, but tasting Voyage 24 (my first) I cannot deny the flavors - it seems all that warm Caribbean weather can do some interesting things. Will have to check out their others to compare flavors. To me, I have taken a chance on other $80 bottles that are garbage compared to this. Knock it if you want, but to me this is a solid bourbon with a unique flavor profile on par with some other fruit bombs I have really enjoyed. My expectations were neutral and they were far exceeded. Strong work, Jefferson’s.

Color: Golden/amber. Nose: Overall the nose is primarily ethanol with subdued spice, earthy notes, maybe small amount of potpourri and vanilla. Not super complex nor fruit forward, but still inviting. Palate: The spice and peppery notes (rye) are dominant, and is then taken over by earthy notes of leather and subtle, sweeter notes of vanilla, maple syrup, and caramel. The sweet notes are not super complex though and the ride is a little rough on the transitions. Finish: Fairly brief finish and the sweeter notes send you off, which is nice. At times the spice/pepper peaks out again and says hello. Overall: If you like a bourbon with a little rye spice, and fairly straightforward, this is your jam. I can appreciate this bourbon, and was still a pleasant pour even though it is not my favorite. For how affordable it is, it’s not bad.

Nose: strong spice and sweet (and as the name suggests) cinnamon and vanilla notes, followed by fruity notes of cherry and orange. Palate: Spice leads this palate as was promised on the nose with cinnamon, black pepper and coffee notes but which are balanced by lighter sweet notes of vanilla/syrup; this initial wave of flavor is accompanied by a strong backdrop of woody, toasted oak. A little hot but not bad for 108.8 proof. Finish: mellow and pleasant as the spices give way to some of the complex sweeter notes and wood/nutty notes. Overall: definitely as advertised and Cinnamon/spice forward, but I love how it finishes and begs you for another taste. Sweeter overall than a similar series/stave profile from Bellevue, KY called “The Spice is Right” (Party Source), which had a 2/1/2/2/3, compared to this profile of 1/2/2/1/4 (must be the extra toasted French Spice and seared French Cuvée). I love pretty much all Maker’s so I am biased but very worth the try! Cheers!

Nose: strong clove, potpourri and wood/oak. Palate: buttery smooth mouth feel, front notes of butterscotch, caramel and syrup; middle notes of sweet corn are the anchor, mixed with complex woody/toasted oak and slight hints of banana. Finish: is a little hot, though the heat is brief and overall nice finish. After adding a couple drops of water, could definitely pick up more complex floral notes on the nose and palate. A fantastic tasting bourbon, and definitely the strongest clove nose and buttery mouth feel I have experienced in a while.

Fruit forward but complex and fantastic finish. One of the best bourbons I’ve ever had. I was blown away.