Well, as you can see from the picture, it took us a while to come to a decision regarding Jefferson’s Reserve, whose full name adds Very Old, Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Very Small Batch. However, we could not find an age statement on the bottle or on the website, so “Very Old” should be taken with a grain of salt. Jefferson’s Bourbon was founded in 1997, and the Reserve is, from their website, “The oldest and most robust bourbon whiskey in the core Jefferson’s family.” Also, from the site, “Jefferson’s is the brainchild of Trey Zoeller and his father Chet.” And “His curious and experimental mindset has allowed him to push the boundaries of bourbon whiskey. Upholding tradition, yet always discovering new possibilities.” Not sure if it is Trey or Chet who has the curious and experimental mindset.
The term Small Batch refers to the fact that blended Bourbon, which is all of them, but the ones that say Single Barrel, typically can use 1000 barrels or more to get a specific taste profile. Small Batch blends usually contain 200-300 barrels, so there can be a little bit of taste variance. We can only assume that Very Small Batch uses even less.
Jefferson’s Reserve is pretty easy to find, sells for around $60, is 90.2 proof, and comes in an elegant-looking corked bottle. As stated above, we could not get an age statement, we also could not find the mash bill. It says on the website that it is made by Kentucky Artisans Distillery, which we have never heard of.
We have had mixed results in our Jefferson’s experiences. The standard Jefferson’s Very Small Batch was pretty rough and not really complex, leaving it for more of a cocktail use. We did like the Ocean, and they made one for a short time called Groth. It was one of those Bourbons that are finished in some other type of barrel after the initial aging, it was just okay. The last time we had the Reserve, we liked it, but neither of us remembers being blown away by it.
NOSE
Todd: Very unique with scents of wood and butterscotch. Also, getting a little spice, nuts, and some type of fruit. Ice made it a little sweeter.
Matt: Strong oak upfront with pecan, fruit, and butterscotch as secondary aromas. I can also smell the alcohol, but in a good way. Ice brought out a little bit of a melon-like scent.
TASTE
Todd: Very smooth, neat, with a nice combination of caramel, leather, spice, and fruit. Ice didn’t change it much.
Matt: Oak, corn, and malt stand out first, with a slight herbal taste in the background. Ice made for a sweeter drink with a bit of vanilla.
FINISH
Todd: Medium long with a bit of spice and more fruit.
Matt: Medium to short with more of what I mentioned in taste.
OVERALL
Todd: Smooth with some good qualities, but in the end, nothing really special.
Matt: I found it hard to pick up the scents and tastes, everything was very lite.
Nose 4 out of 5
Taste 7.25 out of 10
Finish 3.25 out of 5
Total score 14.5 out of 20 barrels.
One should not come off describing a $60 bottle of Bourbon as good but not great or that it comes across as lite. Nevertheless, that is how we describe this $60 Bourbon. There is just too much juice out there at this price or lower, so to stand out, you need to offer a little more. We both could think of quite a few Bourbons we would buy before we got to this one.
Just to reiterate, Jefferson’s Reserve is a fine Bourbon, and in today’s Bourbon world $60 is not outrageous. It just doesn’t have a reason to buy it besides a somewhat unique nose and a little bit of an herbal taste. If you are a fan of all things Jefferson’s, you should buy this bottle and probably always keep one around. If you are more budget-minded or just want more bang for the buck if spending this amount, we suggest reading our other posts.