Widow Jane Aged 10 Years Review - 2020

This Brooklyn distillery has undergone a few changes since I last wrote about them. The distillery is under new ownership, and they’ve hired Kentucky’s Lisa Wicker as their head distillery (Lisa was more recently named the president as well). Under new management, gone are the criticisms of the past. 

What remains is all the good stuff. The bottle, the label, and some tweaks to the whisky. This current Widow Jane 10 Year Old is better than before. It misses that weird funk from the one I review in 2017. And it’s small batch, truly small batch, with each batch of ten year old being 5 barrels of bourbon sourced from from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. 

It’s priced at a premium level, but this is the way of micro-distillation today. Widow Jane Distillery is deep down the path of distilling their corn and rye, and these products can be picked up directly at the distillery in Brooklyn.

More importantly, by going down this path of having a blend of straight bourbon from all three major bourbon producing states, it offers up a unique perspective on straight bourbon sourced blends. 

Widow Jane Aged 10 Years - Batch 177, Bottle 1090
Category: NDP, Blend of Straight Bourbons
Proof: 45.5% ABV
Score: Become a Patron

Nose: Brown sugar, ginger, and plenty of zest. 

Palate: Nice levels of brown sugar, soda, and some nuttiness that comes through really nicely. 

Conclusion: 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. 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Widow Jane for sending me a bottle. It had no affect my review, but it did encourage me to write a review.