Jefferson's Reserve Old Rum Cask Finish
Bourbon
Jefferson's // USA
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Milliardo
Reviewed March 1, 2020 (edited November 17, 2020)AND WHAT BE A PIRATE’S FAVORITE BARREL? Rum? AYE, YOU’D THINK THAT. BUT IT’S ACTUALLY FIRST FILL AMERICAN OAK THAT’S BEEN CHARRRRRRRRRRRED. This is the rum barrel finished bracket of my finished bourbon experiment. Tonight is a blind taste test between Jefferson’s Reserve Old Rum Cask Finish and Blood Oath Pact 5. Though I preferred the nose of Jefferson’s, BOP5 won out big on body and finish. I respect the way both drinks approached rum barrel finishing, and I think those approaches were different. BOP5 requires more discipline to really see what it has to offer than JR does, but if you put in the effort, there’s simply more reward there. Next blind taste test is between Borough and Barrel Dovetail (big thanks to Andrew-Nguyen1 for the Dovetail!) The tasting of Jefferson’s Reserve Old Rum Cask Finish: The nose is the best part of this drink. I could sniff this all day. I normally don’t care for this Jeffersoniness in my whiskey, but this is the best I’ve ever seen this scent profile done. There’s the grape jelly, but it doesn’t smell sickeningly sweet like it can. There a cherry sweetness there too. There’s a bitterness in the nose that balances. I get salt, lemon, brine. Body is an honest extension of the nose, but that overly sweet mouth feel is still there. Sweet grape jam and cherries dominate the body. Finish is where the saltiness and brine kick in. I think somewhere hidden in that transition is where I was detecting a bitter lemon scent, but the flavor isn’t detectable for me. I just recall the mixture of brine and sweetness doing that to my taste buds in the past. There’s chocolate there. I get leather, oak, baking spices too. Pick one = chocolate. I don’t hate this drink. It’s one of my favorite Jefferson’s to date because they dialed back that grape jelly nonsense a bit with the salt and brine. I think the rum influence also did some interesting stuff with the sweet body, almost creating a tropical vibe. Still, I’d put this more into the “interesting” category of drink than the “enjoyable” category. At this price, I definitely will not buy again. -
EaluOrm
Reviewed January 27, 2020Batch OR0077, Bottle #131. This bourbon is different from the other in the Jefferson's Reserve line, as the rum casking adds some additional layers of oak and sweetness. Oak is heavy on the nose, with a touch of floral notes. Decent body, it doesn't linger with excess flavor. The end finish is smooth, with notes of caramel candy and a brown sugar. Enhanced with a bit of ice, that cuts the heat of the ABV. -
Whiskey_Hound
Reviewed January 10, 2020 (edited March 1, 2020)This was an impulse purchase. I didn't know much about it, other than that I've generally had good experiences with other Jefferson's products in the past. So instead of a backstory, here are some stats: This bottle is from Batch 4, Bottle No. 03209. It's bottled at a Jefferson's standard 45.1% ABV and is, obviously, finished in rum casks for an unspecified length of time. Nose: Vanilla, toffee, caramel, brown sugar, and butterscotch. A bit of molasses and sugar cane imparted by the rum cask. Some cherry sweetness and cocoa. A bit of Some pumpkin spice, and very, very mild baking spice. Fairly standard bourbon nose with a slight rum twist. Palate: The molasses and sugar cane are out in full force here. The vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, caramel, and butterscotch notes are now accompanied by milk chocolate and hazelnut. Some graham cracker and toasted marshmallow. More of the pumpkin spice, and a bit of ginger and cinnamon toward the tail end. This is some tasty stuff. Finish: Finish is all spice. At first it's more ginger, then a rush of cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and clove. Vanilla sweetness throughout. It's medium-long, which is very respectable considering the relatively average ABV. This was quite a surprise. I purchased it on a whim, without much expectation, and I've got to say this is damn fine stuff. It's the first rum cask-finished bourbon/American whiskey I've tried, and I've got to say that it is a fine combination when properly executed. At $70, I'd say it was a worthwhile purchase. I wouldn't pay any more, but I feel that it performs well in comparison to others at this price point. The highlight is the palate, but it's really good stuff from start to finish. The classic bourbon profile collides with a nice dosage of rum cask influence, making for a damn fine product. Highly recommend for bourbon fans look to break the mold. It's also a fine way to introduce a friend to whiskey in general. Damn good stuff.70.0 USD per Bottle
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