Review #265 - Jefferson's Ocean Double Barrel Rye
From Kentucky Artisan Distillery, located in Crestwood, Kentucky, we have the Jefferson's Ocean brand. This particular bottling is a rye whisky, a 'double barrel' in fact - after initial aging in new charred oak barrels, the rye was split into two batches: some went into another fresh set of new charred oak barrels, while the rest of the spirit spent its second maturation in toasted barrels.
This rye was aged on 'Voyage 26,' which started out in Savannah, Georgia, before visiting Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, China, South Korea, and Japan; after traveling down the west coast of the United States, a trip through the Panama Canal led back to Georgia.
Jefferson's Ocean Double Barrel Rye
USA - Rye
Current Locally Available Price: USD 81 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 48% ABV
Cask Makeup: New charred oak barrels and toasted barrels
Details: Voyage 26; not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 16 months; bottles at 90%, 70%, and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: The rye notes here are mellowed out - soft herbal notes, little hints of candy canes and peppermint. More fruity, with dried grape, orange, and a hint of medicinal cherry; earth, cloves, and moldy oak add a 'brown' side to the scents. Little hints of peach, wood smoke, and maple syrup from time to time.
Palate: Medium-thin mouthfeel - decently oaky, with hints of polish and wood smoke. Soft flowery herbal flavors, though there's a nice fizzy peppermint hinting at the rye character. There's a bit of ethanol there, too, but we get nice tart cherry and juicy orange adding a fruit dimension. Baking spice of white pepper and clove can be found occasionally.
Finish: Medium-short, slightly acrid dry oak, as well as some spices from cinnamon and white pepper. Quite oaky, really, and there's a hint of ash in it as well; little hints of sweetness from orange and vanilla later.
Final Note: Interesting flavors, especially in the nose, but the mouthfeel and finish didn't quite live up to that standard. It becomes a bit sharper and more dry, almost a little too much in the finish. Not a cheap bottle, either, but not the worst value.
Our Average Rating: 6.2 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.69
Check out our other Jefferson’s reviews:
Review #82 - Jefferson's Reserve Pritchard Hill Cabernet Cask Finish
