This is my official deep dive into Jefferson’s. Feel free to skip ahead to the tasting, because there are going to be a bunch of these cheesy intros, all copy/paste. ~~~~~~~~~~ Concept: I walk into a liquor store and see like a billion different Jefferson’s bottles, yet my knowledge of them is minimal. My perception is that I typically don’t care for their stuff, but somehow, before choosing to start this experiment, I already had six different Jefferson’s on my shelf. How did they invade my house? ~~~~~~~~~~ Methodology: Step 1: Jefferson’s Very Small Batch. Patient 0. Never had it, so a damn good place to start. This one was bought specifically for this experiment. Step 2: Jefferson’s VSB vs Jefferson’s Reserve (Very Old Very Small Batch). I already had this one. How did this get in my house? Step 3: Jefferson’s VSB vs Jefferson’s Ocean. Is it a gimmick? Again, how did this get in my house? Step 4: Jefferson’s Ocean standard vs Jefferson’s Ocean wheated mash bill. Repeat house question. Step 5: Finished Jefferson’s. I got rum, Sauternes, and Prichard Hill. Let’s do this. Step 6: Blind taste test with all 7. Hell, throw in Chef’s Collaboration. (Seriously, how?) So there’s 8. Can I pick them out based on steps 1-5? Are there any standout Jefferson’s expressions, or is it all marketing? The stakes are so low, the tension is palpable. ~~~~~~~~~~ Disclaimer: Starting this, I don’t much care for Jefferson’s in general. There’s this weird gummy-bear-ness that I can’t shake. Hoping to find my Jefferson’s product by the time this is over. ~~~~~~~~~~ Jefferson’s Very Small Batch, aka “Step 1” Coming into this experiment, I had a basic understanding of what it meant to be a Jefferson’s product, and the entry level item, the OG Jefferson’s, doesn’t have that juice profile at all. I don’t know what to believe. Nose is nutty. There’s some faint perfume stuff going on, and I can occasionally get a sweet garden scent, like honeysuckle. There’s leather too. Nevertheless, almond is my main takeaway. Very bottom-shelf bourbon standard or better. Solid nose. Body reminds me a lot of Wild Turkey juice, and I mean that as a compliment. It feels very oily, with caramel, leather, and vanilla. Classic notes. Finish hangs onto that leather, introducing a hint of pepper, powdered sugar, and a very bitter mouth feel. There’s some brine too, as I normally get from ryes or high rye bourbons. The finish is the weakest link in this surprisingly good drink, but it’s not slowing me down on this double pour. &$@#. This is precisely why you never make blanket statements about whiskey companies. After all this shade I’ve thrown at Jefferson’s over the years, here’s one bottle I had never tried that is solid, and it’s arguably the most entry level item in their portfolio. I don’t care to keep this on my shelf forever, because there’s just too much stuff out there. But I like this, and I wouldn’t shy away from this pour. I’d rather have this than most whiskies I regularly see at an average bar.