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

[BourbonGuy]

Anyone have both? How do they compare?

The 18 is being replaced with a 21 year old, which most likey will be out of my $$$. But the 18 I had was wonderful.

[HighInTheMtns]

They are not similar in age, price, or mashbill. Your opinion of the extra aged wheater unfortunately tells you nothing about what you would think of the standard Jefferson's Reserve.

[WAINWRIGHT]

When the Reserve was a 15yr. bourbon it was quite a nice whiskey,now with lack of an age statement and a non wheated mash bill it's a pass.The Reserve I had was only a former shadow of what it once was,$20 whiskey in a $50 bottle pretty much sums it up.

[tanstaafl2]

When the Reserve was a 15yr. bourbon it was quite a nice whiskey,now with lack of an age statement and a non wheated mash bill it's a pass.The Reserve I had was only a former shadow of what it once was,$20 whiskey in a $50 bottle pretty much sums it up.

Around Atlanta it has drifted down to around $40, maybe less. But as a NAS bourbon from an unidentified source that is a blend of different bourbons that can change as sourced stocks run out (it claims to include bourbon up to 20 years old (the Jeff Presidential Select 17/18/20+ barrels that aren't able to stand on their own perhaps, making it a "four grain" bourbon? Who knows!) it is hard to buy this one regularly even at $40 even though I have generally liked it the few times I tried it.

The regular Jefferson bourbon is getting down around $20 locally and is not bad at that price (although not great either and only 82.3 proof).

But I would still prefer to know more about it to buy it regularly. Don't absolutely have to tell me where it is from but it would be nice to at least provide some details on what it is. Doesn't seem likely that is going to happen any time soon though.

Edited January 21, 2013 by tanstaafl2

[savagehenry]

I'm thinking of giving it another shot as Hi Time now has it for $29.99

[smknjoe]

Anyone have both? How do they compare?

The 18 is being replaced with a 21 year old, which most likey will be out of my $$$. But the 18 I had was wonderful.

[WsmataU]

Haven't had the 18 yr. but the 15 yr. was my go-to premium bourbon for many years. You might get lucky and still find a few 15 yr. out there.

Joe, If you find any 15s (specifically the glass top) please let me know!

[jeffrey r]

I'm thinking of giving it another shot as Hi Time now has it for $29.99

That must be the 82 proofer, no? $29.99 is around the going rate for that bottle around me. The Reserve is closer to $50. Despite the strikes against the 82 proofer, it is generally a pleasing dram, and quite popular amongst some of my friends.

[smknjoe]

Joe, If you find any 15s (specifically the glass top) please let me know!

[savagehenry]

That must be the 82 proofer, no? $29.99 is around the going rate for that bottle around me. The Reserve is closer to $50. Despite the strikes against the 82 proofer, it is generally a pleasing dram, and quite popular amongst some of my friends.

[jeffrey r]

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

[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!

Edited January 23, 2013 by tanstaafl2

[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. :crazy: 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. :crazy: 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.

Edited January 23, 2013 by tanstaafl2

[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.

[Max Power]

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

This is correct. I bought a bottle on my last buy from the good folks over at Hi Time....and an extra for a friend.