Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Bourbon Whiskey Voyage 24 Southern

45% ABV, 750 ml, Voyage 24 

Ever since it was founded in the late 90s, Jefferson’s always had a penchant for crafting innovative whiskey expressions. Named after American’s third president, who was also known for creating unique distillates, the brand imparts flavors into their expressions in a variety of ways from the classic cask-finishing to their more meticulous Aged At Sea approach which gave rise to their small batch line dubbed Jefferson’s Ocean.

The Jefferson’s Ocean Aged At Sea Bourbon Whiskey Voyage #17 is one of the more recent releases for the label, made from a blend of over 60 bourbon whiskeys aged between 6 and 8-years-old. After being carefully blended by founder and master blender Trey Zoeller, the bourbon is placed into oak casks which are then brought on board a container ship to start its voyage. Over the course of 6 months, the bourbon crosses the equator 4 times and visits over 30 ports, all while being sloshed around by the rocking of the vessel allowing it to absorb more of the wood’s goodness before being finally disembarked, tapped, and bottled at a hearty 90 proof.

Each sip of this amber-caramel-colored bourbon begins with the classic notes of dark fruit, sweet corn, brown sugar, vanilla, orange zest, dark honey, caramel, and oak. This is immediately followed by a rich and sweet palate of spice, cherries, dark fruits, cinnamon, brine, vanilla, and oak, all culminating into a medium finish of wood, caramel, sea salt, and a final touch of vanilla.