Widow Jane 10 Year Old Bourbon Review

Brent Joseph -

BOTTLE DETAILS

  • DISTILLER: Widow Jane Distillery blends the sourced bourbon (unable to disclose which distillery made it) with their own Limestone Mineral Water from the Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale, NY.
  • MASH BILL: Undisclosed
  • AGE: 10 Years
  • YEAR: 2019
  • PROOF: 91 Proof (45.5% ABV)
  • MSRP: $69.99-$79.99

BRENT'S NOTES

NOSE: Cola  |  Cinnamon  |  Whipped Cream  |  Barrel Stave

TASTE: Almond Extract  |  Maple Sweetness  |  Spearmint |  Mineral/Metallic Flavor

FINISH: Medium finish, not much of a Kentucky Hug but it is 91 proof so that’s not much of a shocker. You’re not gonna mistake this for a barrel proof expression but that’s just fine. There is actually more heat in mouth and on your palate than there is in your chest.

SHARE WITH: Bourbon fans and friends that are interested in trying something that may be a bit off the beaten path.

WORTH THE PRICE: This one is a bit on the pricey side at anywhere between $69.99-$79.99 a bottle. Even though it’s 10 years old, the bottles you find may be a bit different from one to the other since this is a “small batch bourbon” and each batch is blended from only five barrels. So if you try Widow Jane and find a bottle you like, be sure to note the batch number and keep an eye out for it. Or, keep an eye out for Batch 177. The worth of the bottle is really going to depend on what your tolerance is for paying for a bourbon.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar. I’d suggest trying this at a few different places so that you can get a true feel from a few different batches. I know that for example I’ve tried a few different McKenna 10 year Bottled In Bond Single Barrels and they’ve been all over the map for me. Some have been amazing and some have been not so good. I’m going to need to search out a few other batches and compare thoughts, but this one was very enjoyable.

OVERALL: Overall I was pretty impressed with this current expression of Widow Jane 10. This is actually my second review of Widow Jane. I wrote a a review of the Widow Jane 10 Year Old Single Barrel bourbon a few years ago after they sent me a sample to try and I wasn’t a fan. I was shocked when Bourbon & Banter was contacted to see if I would be interested in trying it again. I don’t know of many distilleries out there that would willingly send samples to be reviewed after that particular individual didn’t care for their juice the first time around. I think that speaks volumes to the effort that they’ve made to improve their product as well as their faith in the product that they are sending to market. This is a NCF (non-chill filtered) product that has been aged 10 years and is batched in 5 barrel batches from bourbons from KY, IN, and TN. All of the Widow Jane bourbons have been proofed down with pure limestone mineral water from the Rosendale Mines in upstate NY.

BRAND NOTES

Proof: 91 (45.5% ABV)

Mash Bill: Undisclosed

Age: 10 Years

Nose: Vanilla  |  Cinnamon  |  Nutmeg  |  Cream

Palate: Orange  |  Maple|  Cherry  |  Almond

Finish: Charred Oak  |  Spice

"Widow Jane 10 year old is our signature bourbon - a meticulous blend, only ever in five barrel batches, of some of the finest bourbons fro KY, TN, & IN. Always proofed with the pre limestone mineral water form the Legendary Rosendale Mines of Upstate NY, this classic bourbon has a viscous mouthfeel & flavors of vanilla, spice, maple, cinnamon, orange, almond & cream."

Disclaimer: Widow Jane Distillery provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.