Welcome to
Whisk(e)y Reviews
September 2021
with
Widow Jane
Sampling of Widow Jane
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By now, you must have heard of Widow Jane Distillery, or at least I would hope my readers have (unless my parents are reading). Widow Jane hails from Brooklyn, NY, not what people would consider a powerhouse in the distilling industry. An interesting tidbit is that Widow Jane proofs all of their whiskey using pure limestone mineral water from the Rosendale Mines of NY, about 100 miles north of the distillery. The geek in me would love to know the true differences in distilling with the limestone water and just proofing with it, but we can leave that for another day. Widow Jane also has a close connection with the mines. First, the Widow Jane Mine is the inspiration for the distillery name. The mine itself is a historical site maintained by the Century House Historical Society. The distillery has partnered with the society so that they can continue to harvest the limestone water and allow the society to guard and promote the history of the mines.
So, what about the whiskey? Their bourbon is sourced, but it is blended by Widow Jane. The whiskey made from heirloom grains, like Baby Jane corn, are distilled in Brooklyn. The rye whiskeys are also sourced, and just like the bourbon, blended 5 barrels at a time. While some of their whiskey is currently sourced, the plan is to make 100% of their whiskey in NY. Obviously, we won't be seeing the fruits of that labor for a while in the case of their 10 year bourbon. Given that they bottle both bourbon and rye (and heirloom varietals), it will take some time before they can get to that kind of capacity.
For some of you, it may be hard to find Widow Jane. They are still ramping up as a brand, and they are distributing more widely as of late, including in my home state of PA. While PA did have a full bottle of the Widow Jane 10 year Bourbon, I admit it, I am a sucker when I hear the words "Sampler Pack". There is something that is so much fun about tasting a few different whiskeys from the same distillery. So, of course, I bought the sampler pack with 375ml bottles of Widow Jane 10 year Bourbon, Rye Aged in American Oak, and Rye Aged with Oak and Apple Wood. Bourbon and Rye in the same pack? Sign me up! So let's see what Widow Jane has given us.
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Widow Jane 10 year
Class: Blend of Straight Bourbons
Price: $70-$80
Notes:
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Aged 10 years
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Blend of bourbon from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana, "Hand assembled" in Brooklyn, NY
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Unknown mash bill
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Bottled at 45.5% ABV (91 proof)
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Batch #238, Bottle #374
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Non--chill filtered
Nose: 82/100
Caramel and burnt sugar start the show. A hint of cloves sit in the background. After some time in the glass, vanilla becomes more apparent. Everything gets supported by a bit of toasted oak.
Palate: 84/100
Rich and oily. Caramel and vanilla lead here. There is a pleasant underlying smokiness. You can find a fleeting nutty flavor, like walnuts, but it is short lived. Toasted oak in the background again. It does get just a touch warm.
Finish: 86/100
Burnt caramel and vanilla, all wrapped in a smoky layer. It feels like a medium finish, but the smoky caramel lingers on the back of your tongue. Dry oak lies underneath everything. Like the palate, it gets a bit warm.
Overall: 84/100
Recommendation: Must try!
What I like about this bourbon is the consistent flavor profile. You get most of the same notes throughout the entire tasting process. In addition, those notes are very good because this is very good bourbon. There is one problem with Widow Jane 10 year, in some places it gets expensive. In the state--run PA stores, we have a decent $70 price, but prices outside of PA quickly rise into the $80s and $90s. I feel like $70 is a good price for this, since it doesn't really get into the "amazing bourbon" territory.
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Widow Jane Rye, American Oak Aged
Class: Rye Whiskey
Price: $40
Notes:
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At least 2 years old
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Blend of sourced Rye Whiskeys
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Unknown mash bill
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Bottled at 45.5% ABV (91 proof)
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Batch #37, Bottle #461
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Non--chill filtered
Nose: 82/100
Honey and grass lead the way. A touch of anise sits in the background. Rye spice is faint, but still apparent.
Palate: 80/100
Oily. Flavors are a bit muted and muddled. Honey and rye spice are most obvious. The grassy note remains but stays far in the background. Definitely sweeter than spicy.
Finish: 82/100
Honey and spice and everything nice! A little warm, but it seems to complement the flavor nicely. While it is only a medium length finish, the rye spice seems to stick to your tongue for ages.
Overall: 81/100
Recommendation: Worth buying a pour.
This was definitely an interesting rye. Sweet at times, spicy at other times, and muddled in the middle. This is a great pour to get at a bar for a nice change of pace rye. That being said, this is an inexpensive, quality rye that could easily find a place on your shelf. Given the sweet and spicy dynamics, this could make a great cocktail.
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Widow Jane Rye, Oak and Apple Wood Aged
Class: Rye Whiskey
Price: $40
Notes:
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At least 2 years old
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Blend of sourced Rye Whiskeys
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Unknown mash bill
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Bottled at 45.5% ABV (91 proof)
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Batch #37, Bottle #2344
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Non--chill filtered
Nose: 84/100
Rye spice and vanilla cream greet you immediately. Sweet mint lies underneath, almost like a Mojito flavor.
Palate: 85/100
Light but rich. Rye spice dominates with the vanilla cream right behind. The sweet mint tries to break through, but stays in the background.
Finish: 86/100
Wow! Spiced apples pop immediately. The vanilla cream quickly returns. The mint stays well in the background. It has a great blast of flavor in the beginning, with the rye spice and vanilla cream lingering.
Overall: 85/100
Recommendation: Buy it now!
I always worry when I hear the words "finishing staves". Some distilleries are experts with staves, like Maker's Mark and their Private Selection bottlings. In less experienced hands you can get an overly woody mess. Widow Jane has definitely hit the mark on this one. The apple wood really enhances the tasting experience and really transforms this into a great rye whiskey. In addition, you get this at a very reasonable price. Definitely find some of this when you can.
What did we learn?
Well, Widow Jane has some damn fine whiskey. Yes, their bourbon is sourced, but as we are seeing, blending is as much of an art as distilling. Widow Jane isn't afraid to experiment, either. As I mentioned earlier, the use of finishing staves does not always end well, but they have something good going with the apple wood staves. Interestingly, all three whiskeys had really good finishes where some of the flavor gets stuck on the back of your tongue. I've reviewed a decent amount of whiskey at this point and I have to say that is a fairly unique occurrence for a group of whiskeys. Overall, you can't go wrong with any of these. Definitely buy some Widow Jane when you get the chance, and no, I don't get paid for saying that :)