Jefferson’s Reserve Old Rum Cask Finish is their newest release of their experimental bourbon making. This expression features fully matured Kentucky Bourbon finished in Rum Casks.

Jefferson’s Bourbon is a producer / blender of bourbons made in ‘very small’ small batches. It was founded by the famous bourbon author and historian Chet Zoeller and his son Trey Zoeller in 1997. The company does not own a distillery of its own. They get their bourbon from selected distilleries around US and then work their magic by ‘experimenting’ until they create the spirit with the flavor profile and character that they are known for.

During these experiments, besides using different finishing casks, such as Cabarnet or Rum, they also utilize different aging methodologies like ‘river boat aging’ or ‘aging at open sea’ to create unique expressions.

The story of Jefferson’s Reserve Old Rum Cask Finish Bourbon starts in Kentucky. First the company purchased Kentucky straight bourbon that was aged for eight years. Later, the bourbon was put into Gosling’s Rum barrels and left there for 15 months of further aging before bottling.

These rum barrels have their own story as well. They were initially used for aging bourbon for four years. After that, they housed the award wining Gosling’s Family Reserve Old Rum – the Rum of The Year by The Caribbean Journal in 2012 – for 16 years before being sent to Jefferson’s.

In a statement by Jefferson’s, Trey Zoeller said;

“A couple of years ago, I was with Malcolm Gosling and tried his Old Gosling’s Family Reserve and thought it was fantastic…” “Not being a rum drinker, I poured a little Jefferson’s Reserve and topped it off with the Gosling’s Old Rum and loved it. I immediately asked Malcolm if I could get a hold of his Old Family Reserve Rum cask.”

According to the tasting notes from Jefferson’s, Old Rum Cask finish will have

“… a deep caramel color, maple and banana flavors that shine in the finish. There is also a hint of spice from the rum that helps balance out the overall flavor profile.”

Jefferson’s Reserve Old Rum Cask Finish will be available on shelves mid-October and will retail for $79.99.