If there was ever an award for the best traveled bourbon, I’d say that Jefferson’s Ocean would win that award. After being aged for about 6-8 years, this bourbon is placed on ships where it then travels for a few months. This means the bourbon further matures with the ocean salt before it is bottled. If you are like me, this bourbon had you at Ocean.

Before jumping into the review a little background. Jefferson’s was founded in 1997 by Trey Zoeller and his father Chet, a bourbon historian. Jefferson’s doesn’t have a distillery. They buy aged bourbon from other producers and experiment, both with blending and aging techniques, hence this very well-traveled bourbon.

The Jefferson’s Ocean I tasted was bottled at Cask Strength with a 56% ABV (alcohol by volume). I got a chance to try this at a tasting this past weekend. Personally, I love it!

Tasting Notes

Nose: salt, pears and the beach

Palate: briny with sweet notes of honey, caramel, nuts and oak

Finish: robust and briny to the end

If you don’t like whiskey’s that pack a punch, this will not be for you. Although it is strong, for me, those sweet and salty moments is what makes me want more. The ocean salt and the caramel notes bring a great balance to the bourbon.

To me it is pretty solid, but also pricier because it is cask strength. A bottle of the cask strength ranges about $95-$110. If you are looking for the non-cask strength a bottle is priced around $75-$85.

I found this bourbon to be quite unique and extremely tasty. And, although it is a strong whiskey it still smooth and full of flavor. Even with its robustness and the ocean elements, there are plenty of sweet elements that reel you in. It’s balanced and not like all other bourbons out there. If you like bourbons that pack a punch with sweet notes, then this is one to try and I do recommend it.

Cheers!

Note: The contents on my blog are solely my opinion. To me every palate is different! Although I may or may not like a product, I always recommend for people to try it and make up their own minds.