Aged oak | Old leather-bound book | Dark mixed berries | Faint vanilla bean | Dark stone fruits | Sweet cream | Flan | Incredibly pleasing

Tannic aged oak | Black peppercorn spice | Rye spice | Faint muddled vanilla | Sharp dark berry | Dry

Sharp rye spice | Black peppercorn | Blackberry | Aged dry oak | Lingering mixed black pepper and dark fruits

To honor America turning 250 years old in 2026, Jefferson’s Bourbon released an ultra-limited, high priced, and high aged bourbon. The company finished a 20 year old bourbon in French Bordeaux wine barrels for an undisclosed amount of time before bottling at 94 proof. Notably, the bourbon's proof, while under 100, is actually the same proof the whiskey came out of the barrel at, making this a cask strength bourbon. The release is limited to 250 bottles, each numbered and hand‑signed by Jefferson’s Bourbon founder, Trey Zoeller.

Jefferson's Founder’s Reserve 20 Year Old Bourbon is a roller coaster ride of a bourbon. It starts off with an intoxicating aroma that is beyond incredibly pleasing. So much so that you can’t help but get excited that this might be an instant best of the year whiskey. While the extended time aging and additional finishing time work great for its aroma, the rest of the sip clearly shows this has spent one too many days aging.

Opening with an aroma of aged oak, an old leather-bound book, dark mixed berries, and flan, the combination of scents couldn’t work any better together. The trouble starts midway through, as gripping tannic oak, black peppercorn spice, and an intense, sharp dark berry note highlight a palate that actively reduces the moisture in your mouth. The finish continues the theme, with sharp rye spice, black peppercorn, and blackberry taking front and center. Aged dry oak steps in before lingering mixed pepper and dark fruits trail off.

Aging for an extended time is always a tricky proposition, especially when bottling at cask strength. All of the concentrated oak notes and flavors are brought to you unadulterated, and in this case, the intensity overshadows the end result. I’m curious why Jefferson’s chose to finish the base 20 year bourbon, as adding in additional oak notes only highlights the final whiskey's age. In the end, Jefferson's Founder’s Reserve 20 Year Old Bourbon is much like America at its initial founding, rough and tumble, but still finding its footing to help it stand out.