Jefferson's Reserve Old Rum Cask Finish

90.2 proof. Bourbon aged in rum casks. Corn, sugar, caramel, apples, coconut, bananas, cinnamon, butter, vanilla marshmallow, peaches, oak, charred oranges crush.

Excellent sipper

Rating: 18/23 I got this sample thanks to @Milliardo. I've never tried Jefferson's before and rum-finished bourbon is always interesting, so this should be a good experience. - Nose - Rich, toasty wood, with definite vanilla and a surprising hint of salted and roasted pork. A light note of something drying that borders on being slightly tart. - Palate - Quite rich, though not the fullest. There's this nice, big, toasty vanilla and caramel sweetness, which touches a hint of that pork from the nose. There are herbal flavors in here as well, which surprises me since they make this taste more like a rye at times. - Finish - The sweetness is really decadent, with enough going on to be enjoyable as it lingers into the finish with the light herbal notes. - Conclusion - I like the profile that this has. Its rye character reminds me of Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered (18/23), but side by side the Smoke Wagon is sweeter and younger, as well as less nuanced. This is a more mature and sophisticated dram. The rum cask was a great call here. This is a really standout bourbon, with decadence, complexity, and maturity. The nuance here makes this competitive with my latest bottle of Balcones True Blue Cask Strength (19/23), so I think I'll give this the same rating. I'd like this to be fuller. I did think that this might be a 20, but I'm now confident that it's not. It could be an 18. It's an 18 or a 19. I'm leaning toward an 18 now.