A new leadership team has Widow Jane Whiskey looking forward to a bright future ahead. The critics below all agree that superior blending and regional sourcing from the nation’s best barrels has translated into great results. And isn’t that what really matters, after all?
Widow Jane has positioned itself in a way that genuinely connects with the rich history of the New York concrete industry, centered around the town of Rosendale, and the Widow Jane mine therein, with plentiful mentions about those histories on the distillery’s website.
Tasting Notes from the Pros
Bourbon & Banter
The suggested retail price is $69 for a 750ml bottle though I’ve seen it slide it down a bit recently, depending on where you look and what kind of specials you can get at the local liquor store.
Bourbon & Banter’s review said it well – let’s say you are a Bourbon fan, one who expects more heat in the mouth and your palate than in your chest. For that select group, Brent highly recommends the Widow Jane 10 as a strong selection among an ever growing, crowded space.
Though Widow Jane 10 feels a little bit closer to the pricey range, you should keep trying new bottles as they hit the market, he suggests, helping you get a “true feel”, after tasting from a few different batches of Widow Jane 10.
This is an 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.
Brent Joseph, Bourbon & Banter
Overall, Brent Joseph is impressed by the effort put forth in improving their product in the last two years and the company’s faith in their final result.
Whiskey Buzz
Whisky Buzz’s Mark Bylok expanded on the notion that the distillery is under new ownership and an entirely new management team.
Mark agrees that this current Widow Jane 10-Year-Old is better than before. It continues to be marketed as a small-batch, with each batch of ten-year-old being sourced from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The author also seems to price it at a premium level, though he also agrees it offers “up a unique perspective on straight bourbon sourced blends.”
Taste-wise, Mark offers one of the most descriptive reviews, some of which we agree with entirely! The Widow Jane 10 does a great job bringing the aroma of Brown sugar, ginger, and plenty of zest to the palate’s forefront.
Mark flashes his enthusiasm for the barrels Widow Jane has since sourced:
If I were to narrow this down in terms of regions, the nose is all Tennessee, but the palate borrows from Indiana and Kentucky. It has that bit brown sugar that I’d associate with Kentucky and that sweet herbal note often achieved in Indiana. The nose is a little ordinary, but on the palate, it’s a standout.
This current Widow Jane 10 Year Old is better than before…
Mark Bylok, Whisky Buzz
Whiskey Reviewer
Richard Thomas and Whiskey Review had a chance to catch up with Lisa Rope Wicker, master blender from Widow Jane. The author believes Widow Jane will continue to be an innovative player, given her small distillery experience.
He agrees and remains very impressed with all the aspects of the Widow Jane 10 palate. Though staying well inside the standard bourbon profile boundaries, the difference and the spatiality in color, scent, and taste of the Widow Jane 10 are highlighted in his review.
To Richard Thomas, Widow Jane is a mighty fine example of what bourbon should be.
I gave this bourbon such high marks because of just how much it brought out of being good, plain old fashioned bourbon. Everything about it is pretty much what I expect from the benchmark experience, only more so. It’s just a mighty fine example of what bourbon is stereotyped as, taking what is expected and doing it very well.
Richard Thomas, The Whiskey Reviewer
Widow Jane has been in hot waters in the past, given its claims to use Brooklyn water from Red Hook, a request explored by NBC News in this article from Andrew Stern. Stern goes on to expand on neighboring High West and Whistle Pig Whiskey distilleries, new kids on the block who also source from the mighty MGP at some point in their respective histories, while partially benefiting from marketing itself as a localized product.
“Small batch,” “craft,” and “hand-crafted” are short terms in their label which have no legal meanings but are often mentioned as selling points. For example, even though brands didn’t distill the bottle’s true spirit, they’re still allowed to say it in their labels they did. Savvy customers are encouraged to do research and start with what matters most: taste and comparable value.
“Unless you’re fluent in the industry’s jargon, it can be tough to figure out who’s distilling their own whiskey” – Colin Spoelman, co-founder and master distiller of Kings County Distillery, which distills all its spirits in Brooklyn, New York.
Naming conventions aside, there’s something to be explored with this ten years blended bourbon. So, if the liquor store doesn’t have your favorite bottle laying around, whichever one that may be, reach for this small batch and give it a shot, as the nutty ness and caramel-like finish may get you to add a new favorite to the list.
Celso Oliveira 