Review #186: Widow Jane 10 year Bourbon Batch 700 (2022)

MASH BILL: 70% corn, 20% rye, 10% malted barley

PROOF: 91

AGE: 10 yrs 

COST: $70 for 750mL (I’m reviewing a sample)

I was in New York City last weekend and wanted to visit the Widow Jane distillery, but with a tight schedule for the weekend I wasn’t able to make it work out. Upon my return, I remembered that I had this sample of Batch 700 of Widow Jane’s 10 year bourbon from 2022. Considering I wasn’t able to squeeze in a visit to the distillery while I was there, I figured I could at least enjoy a pour when I returned home.

Before I begin, let me dig out this gnat that Kamikazed this pour as soon as I poured it. Is it just me, or does it seem like there could be a gnat in the far back room of your house and as soon as you pour up a dram they are immediately drawn to it from rooms away and decide to end it all right there in your glass?

This sample is from Batch 700, bottle 805. Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: A burnt, orange color (1.4); thin, slow legs and a thin syrupy appearance. 

NOSE: Zesty and spicy. Vanilla cream and bright orange zest bring sweetness right away, but it’s really a mix of spices that dominate. Cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper, and dried rye berries. There’s a little alcohol burn that best resembles orange extract. Nothing necessarily unique about it, fairly traditional, but it’s nice and makes me want a sip.

PALATE: A thin simple syrup mouthfeel with a slight astringent tingle. The spice from the nose translates to the palate as more of a homogenous spice and less able to distinguish different notes. The sweetness is much the same though – vanilla cream, orange slice candy, a touch of tart cherry.

FINISH: This is a short finish that’s sweet and oaky. I wasn’t getting a lot of oak notes on the palate or nose for this being 10 years old, and I attributed that to the lower proof. But here in the finish you get a bit more of the oak profile. Caramelized sugar, orange peel, and a touch of seasoned oak. White pepper numbs the palate. Most of the flavor is gone within 10 seconds though and just leaving the palate tingling, making me wish the finish lasted longer.

RATING: 5.3/10

OVERALL: I like it…but I really wish it was proofed higher. There’s a lot of good flavor here but it’s been proofed down to the point that it’s lost a lot of barrel character for a 10 year old bourbon. The nose is robust, but the palate starts to get too homogenous, and then the finish is just far too short. I can’t help but attribute this to the 91 proof that it’s bottled at. It’s good, but it’s not great. There’s just not enough barrel character that shines through or robust flavor to elevate this as a 10 year bourbon.

1 | Disgusting | ...I've not subjected myself to this level

2 | Poor | Balcones Lineage

3 | Bad | High West Double Rye, Jefferson's Ocean 28

4 | Sub-par | Weller's SR, Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select, Hillrock Estate Sauternes CS

5 | Good | Buffalo Trace, Sazerac Rye, Green River Wheated

6 | Very Good | Blanton's, Holladay Bourbons, Eagle Rare

7 | Great | Baker's 7yr SiB, BBCo Origin High Wheat, 1792 BiB

8 | Excellent | Most ECBP batches, Maker's Mark Wood Finishing releases, High West MWND Act 11

9 | Incredible | Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 121.2, BBC DS #7, Four Roses OESQ

10 | Perfect | Found North Batch 08, RR15