Jefferson’s Ocean Rye
Voyage 26 Double Barrel Rye | 48% ABV
The crossroads where gimmick meets interesting results
My whiskey club is great fun. We started about a year ago, and the dozen of us are a quirky, sarcastic, generally irreverent, and tight-knit lot.
We have had tastings at a local liquor store, blind challenges, a barbecue evening hosted by a pit-master, as well as monthly get-togethers to discuss various bottles, purchases, how to read labels, etc. We drink and review single malts, blends, bourbons, Canadian whiskies, and other world whiskies.
That said, my particular sweet spot is single malt. Ryes often carry too much rye spice punch for my taste. Bourbons, by and large, are not complex enough and too sickly sweet for my palate (though there are notable delicious exceptions – Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style, for example). Everyone knows my lane to be single malt. Certainly, among the club, we all know each other’s preferred drams and expressions.
Our club has sampled and reviewed some rye whiskies, and while there are a few that interest me, anyone who has paid attention to my reactions to different rye bottles has seen a bit of recoil…a bit of wincing…and sometimes a quizzical look on my face, as if to ask, “Why is this in my mouth?”
Now, I don’t carry protest placards decrying people who drink rye whiskey; I don’t try to “convert” people who like rye whiskey to single malt… But, again, people who know me – and certainly those in my whiskey club – know that I am not a fan of rye.
So, imagine the look on my face and my surprise when, at a dinner gathering at my house a few weeks ago, a fellow whiskey club member who was in attendance walked up to me to thank me for my hospitality with a bottle in his hand. I couldn’t see the label, just the amber-reddish liquid. Intriguing. I couldn’t place the bottle — usually, the shape of the bottle is a dead-ringer. We whiskey folk can identify a Diageo bottle a mile away, as well the silhouette of a bottle of Glenfiddich or the distinctive robin blue of Bruichladdich’s Classic Laddie. But my friend was cradling a rounded bottle that I could not identify. And then that bottle was handed to me.
A rye? Really?
My pal, as if confessing to a crime, started rambling and stammering over himself with his hands up. He knew I was not a rye fan, BUT… Evidently, this bottle was something intriguing and lovely. He insisted that it was worth the try. I was tempted to do or say something sarcastic, but instead I thanked him. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop. An awkward pause. No, I told him, I genuinely was most appreciative. He smiled, but backed away wearily, laughing in a worried sort of way, still not sure.
Even though the ryes that have crossed my tongue have, generally, not been favorable flavor profiles (for me), I know that our tastes and preferences are always changing. Years ago, my introduction to whiskey was a Glenfiddich 15 Solera. I thought I had come across manna from heaven when I first sipped it. The same bottle would now, no doubt, elicit a fond memory. That said, however, with the whiskey journey I have traveled, I would also undoubtedly now pan the very pour that started me on my journey. My palate has changed. As I remind myself every time I try a new expression, or return to try a bottle that has not been sampled for quite some time, I need to keep an open mind — as the times (to coin a phrase), they are a-changing.
When the gathering was over and the guests had gone (my friend still eliciting some worried and nervous laughter as he said his goodbyes), and once things were sorted in the house, I sat down with my new bottle of rye. I looked at it quizzically. As I poured my dram, I clearly heard John Cleese in my head saying, “...and now for something completely different.”
Review
Jefferson’s Ocean Double Barrel Rye, Voyage 26, 48% ABV
US$80 and wide availability in the US, limited elsewhere
Nose
Not what I expected at all. The initial hit is a cross between a Glenrothes 12 and Four Roses Single Barrel. I continue to nose the glass. There are some rye spices there, but not formidable or forward. There is cherry cola along with herbaceous notes. Marshmallow and vanilla. Again, the scents are not overpowering, but the more I go back to nose my glass, the more the rye spice starts to assert itself.
Palate
The immediate tastes are oak, rye spice, and caramel. Even though this is only 48% ABV, a warmth starts to come forward mid-palate, along with vanilla flavors and a bizarre flicker of artificial orange in the distant background. The flicker is just that – here and gone. Not unsettling or problematic, but unexpected. The oak and vanilla play with the rye spices, making sure that this rye is not spelled with capital letters. Most notably, though, there is a mellow and creamy overtone here throughout, making me think there is some wheat in this mashbill. Surprisingly pleasant. The finish is not long, but a tingle of alcohol remains as the oak, rye spice, and vanilla slip away.
This drinks more like a bourbon than a rye. There is no mistake that there are rye spices here, but nothing akin to a 100% rye mashbill whiskey expression that smacks your tastebuds with the subtlety of a Mike Tyson uppercut of dill, pepper, and caraway. On the contrary, this is subtle and nicely incorporated.
The Dregs
Well . . . damn it. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this, but I have. What kind of distillery makes a rye that I can connect with? What kind of distillery puts their booze on boats?
Jefferson’s Distillery’s home is The Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, Kentucky, roughly twenty miles from Louisville. The Jefferson’s brand has been producing bourbon – a wide range of bourbons using many finishes and different casks – for twenty-five years. Around 2008, the folks at Jefferson’s tapped into their creativity and started ocean-maturation of their bourbon expressions. As the story is told by the distillery:
While aboard the ship of fellow Kentucky native . . . Chris Fischer, Jefferson’s Master Blender Trey Zoeller got a wild idea. As he and Chris watched the whiskey swirl in their glasses, compelled by the constant rock of the waves, they pondered: what might happen to a barrel of bourbon if it were aged at sea? The rest, as they say, is history.
Since that time, Jefferson’s has completed twenty-five such barrel aging/maturation voyages around the world. As their website states, they have placed hundreds of barrels aboard boats that have each been sent around the world to an average of over twenty-five ports in five continents, with at least two equator crossings.
Jefferson’s Ocean bourbons have developed a sort of cult following. With constant ocean undulations, the ocean maturation agitates the whiskey constantly, creating a very different interaction of barrel and liquid than would happen in a rickhouse. Moreover, the drastic changes in temperature over these voyages result in what Jefferson’s call “hyper-aged, darker, richer and caramelized” whiskies. Now, with Voyage 26, they have pivoted from their bourbons and ventured to see what happens to rye whiskey if it, too, takes a Jefferson voyage.
The rye distillate in my bottle is a product of Canada, as is noted on the label. There is no indication of the mashbill breakdown on either the bottle or Jefferson’s website. As noted above, based on the nose and palate, I wouldn’t think the mashbill of this Canadian-sourced whiskey was 100% rye, as I don’t get a sensory assault of dill, pepper, and/or caraway seed. Here, in contrast, those usual taste suspects are tamed. Also as noted above, I would bet there is wheat in this mashbill due to the mellow and creamy flavor that intertwines throughout. I can speculate all I want, but the whiskey geek in me would still love to know the mashbill breakdown.
I would also like to know the age of the whiskey. Jefferson’s website is silent on the subject. One online source claims that the rye in my glass is at least four years old. That said, I could not find any confirmation.
What we do know about the distillate is its barrelling. As the tag around the bottle neck states, “The rye was aged first in #3 char barrels and then double barrel in a split between char #3 and toasted barrels.” While there may be ryes that use a double barrel split as is done here, I have not seen them previously. Of course, I am not a big rye aficionado, and haven’t done research on ryes as I have done with single malts. That said, from my limited research and knowledge, this double barrel split appears to be rather unique to rye whiskey expressions. Clearly, this liquid had the benefit of some unique aging techniques before it started its similarly unique ocean journey. After tasting this, I appreciate the double barrel split as I believe it explains the oak layers that I found in the palate.
And yet, we have the maturing of whiskey on boats across the seven seas. Frankly, it sounds corny; a P.T. Barnum-esqe hook to get you to buy the bottle. I am not sure to what degree the ocean voyage affected the distillate, as I don’t have the benefit of some of the same distillate that wasn’t put on a boat for comparison. I am sure, however, that the ocean voyage with its lengthy route going through varied climates (you can track the voyage on Jefferson's website) has had an impact. Whether it is a marketing gimmick or not, it works — it all works well.
When going to the store, we whiskey folk know to read labels on bottles to glean relevant information instead of being lured in by flashy artwork or gimmicky language. One would think that the angle of barrel aging on a ship that travels around the world would be one huge gimmick. And, while it might be, what I can say is that the whiskey in my glass was unlike any rye that I have ever had. I enjoyed this pour. Maybe my palate has changed. Maybe this rye expression is unique. Maybe the positive raves of my buddy’s affected my experience. Maybe other factors are at play here. Regardless, this is a rye whiskey that is an easy and enjoyable sipper.
Admittedly, the $80.00 USD price tag is a bit high. Everyone’s value perspective is different, so take mine with whatever grain of salt you choose. If $80.00 USD doesn’t bother you, then no worries. From my point of view, $80.00 USD for this bottle is a bit steep. All that said, however, if you can find this at a better price, it is a solid addition to your whiskey cabinet.
Who knew that it only took a special double barrel process and sailing all over the world for me to enjoy a rye? Clearly, I am easily impressed.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS