Jefferson's Reserve vs Jefferson’s Presidential Select 18 Year

[jeffrey r]

It's 90.2 I believe. They dropped the price recently, don't recall previous price but probably $45.

That seems to be an anomalous price on the Reserve--I'd stock up at $30, but maybe that's just me.

[cowdery]

The sample of standard Jefferson's that I reviewed for 1001 Whiskies... was excellent. That wasn't that long ago.

[BourbonGuy]

The sample of standard Jefferson's that I reviewed for 1001 Whiskies... was excellent. That wasn't that long ago.

Sorry, which are you considering the standard? There is the Jefferson's Very Small Batch that goes for around $33. Then there is the Jefferson's Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky that is around $50. The Presidential Select, when I could get it was around $80 to $90 and
was excellent.

[tanstaafl2]

The sample of standard Jefferson's that I reviewed for 1001 Whiskies... was excellent. That wasn't that long ago.

Sorry, which are you considering the standard? There is the Jefferson's Very Small Batch that goes for around $33. Then there is the Jefferson's Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky that is around $50. The Presidential Select, when I could get it was around $80 to $90 and
was excellent.

In the book Chuck only reviews the basic Jefferson Very Small Batch. The other two are not mentioned. He also quite rightly makes it clear that they are blending sourced bourbon and that they aren't transparent about the source(s) of the bourbon but also gives them credit for generally doing a good job with what they produce.

Seems like the local prices for the two ongoing Jefferson bourbons has been dropping of late. Don't recall the current local price (will have to look the next time I make my rounds) but some internet sites (prices are all over the map) have the Very Small Batch down near $20 (used to be at least $30's) and the Reserve at or below $40 (used to be in the $50's as I recall). They are still that high on some sites but that may be older stock.

At those lower prices, if similar here locally, I will at least think about picking up the occasional bottle although it is essentially impossible to know what you are getting from bottle to bottle until you try it. I guess you have to either trust the people blending it or not!

[squire]

Wonder if the source is blending it for them.

[tanstaafl2]

Wonder if the source is blending it for them.

Good question but I don't know the answer. I would think they would at a minimum have some say in how the blend is constructed and since they could theoretically be sourcing and blending bourbon from 2 or 3 different distilleries perhaps it would have to be done at a facility that could accommodate the amount of stock they have available. Perhaps the same place that is bottling it?

[cowdery]

Typically, the bottler will do the combining (I hate to use 'blend' since that suggests blended whiskey, which this is not) and I imagine that's the case here. Last I heard, Proximo in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, was their bottler. It used to be KBD.

It might be a mixture of bourbons from different sources, or bourbon from one source of different ages, or bourbon from one source that changes depending on availability, or all of the above. That's what we don't know. But I am pleasantly surprised by how good a job they do with what they have to work with. I guess with bulk whiskey, as with most things, you get what you pay for.

[smokinjoe]

Good question but I don't know the answer. I would think they would at a minimum have some say in how the blend is constructed and since they could theoretically be sourcing and blending bourbon from 2 or 3 different distilleries perhaps it would have to be done at a facility that could accommodate the amount of stock they have available. Perhaps the same place that is bottling it?

Interesting info that the standard is a mingling of different bourbons from different distilleries. Sherlock's did a Single Barrel version of this whiskey. I wonder how that worked?

[tanstaafl2]

Interesting info that the standard is a mingling of different bourbons from different distilleries. Sherlock's did a Single Barrel version of this whiskey. I wonder how that worked?

Definintely no confirmed info on my part! More the convoluted musings of my own rambling mind. But it is also not just the standard bourbon. The Reserve is also the same, a combining of three different bourbons according to their website.

Might be different distilleries but just as likely and maybe even more likely that it is as Chuck says, different ages of whiskey from the same distillery. As he points out we just don't know and that is whet keeps me from liking this bourbon more than I do (and I would like to like it!). Would love to see them at least as open as High West has become. If you aren't going to tell me where it comes from then at least tell me a little about age and makeup of what each component in the "combining" is.

[tanstaafl2]

Also stopped into one of my usual stores today and while there checked the price on the Jefferson's. Interestingly they are out of the Reserve and the Presidential Select 18yo. The standard Very Small Batch is currently going for $32.