Spoiler Alert – I decided to write this review because I was craving a sip of Blanton’s bourbon, but I didn’t have an open bottle. As a general rule I only open a new bottle once I finish one of my open bottles. I had about 1.5 ounces left of Jefferson’s, noticed I hadn’t reviewed it yet, and needed to clear some space on the bar shelf…so here it goes.
This is a bottle my sister got me for Christmas 2 years ago. I had never had it previously, and I’ve been nursing this bottle for a while. Jefferson’s seems to sell for quite a premium here in Manitoba (i’m not sure why). The bottle retails for $97.00 Canadian at the Manitoba Liquor Mart.
Jefferson’s Reserve
Date Reviewed: April 07, 2020
Atmosphere: In a Glencairn glass, neat at home during the covid 19 pandemic
Distillery: McLain & Kyne
Mash: Unknown
Age: No Age Statement
Type: Bourbon
ABV%: 45.1%
Price I Paid: Zero – but it retails for $97.00 Canadian
Appearance: Classic Amber colour, but more watered down than most.
Nose: I found this bourbon to be extremely muted. It lacks the typical sweet vanilla/brown sugar scents that most are accustomed to with a bourbon. The only thing that stands out is some oak/wood but even that is pretty tame. After a few swirls, some VERY subtle hints of cherry cola come out, but again very faint. This might be the least expressive nose of a bourbon on any bottle I’ve had over $20.
Palate: The taste follows the nose. The oak from the barrels is the dominant flavour profile. It is very smooth, with no burn, but leaves a lot to be desired. The second sip is a little better, some sweeter notes slightly poke through, but it’s not enough to capture my interest.
Finish: The smooth finish is definitely the best part of this bourbon. No heat, no burn, just a nice easy finish.
Conclusions: It’s a tame, easy to drink bourbon, but it lacks any real depth. If this was a $40 bourbon, I’d say keep a bottle for the finish alone – but at almost $100 it’s a hard pass for me. When you can get Bookers or Blanton’s for the same price it’s a no brainer. That said I’ve heard some of the other Jefferson’s expressions are real good (Oceans for example) which I will definitely try.
Overall Score: 73/100
Cheers.
Moneymaaster 