Lately, our online retail partner Caskers has been on a tear as it snaps up private barrel selections of all manner of spirits. The latest is this expression from Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea collection, dubbed Voyage 17 and exclusive to Caskers. This is from the standard bottling (i.e., not cask strength) and is as always a blend of barrels that have spent months traversing the world’s oceans in a shipping container, sloshing around and getting an extra boost of impact from the barrel.

Let’s try it.

This is a perfectly fine bourbon from front to back. The nose is woodsy and dense, with a nutty, malty underpinning. Some evergreen notes are evident, as is a rather youthful cereal-meets-popcorn note. The palate is surprisingly malty, as if this batch was heavy on the barley (though I don’t really believe that’s the case), with ample secondary notes of red berries, butterscotch, and some nutmeg. There’s of course plenty of wood on the palate, but it integrates well into the remainder of the whiskey. That said, Voyage 17 is clearly an experience that lands more on the savory side of the spectrum, complete with a finish that is more buttered popcorn than Cracker Jack.

90 proof.

B+ / $75 / jeffersonsbourbon.com [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]

Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea Bourbon Voyage 17 Private Selection for Caskers

$75

8.5

Rating

8.5/10

BUY IT NOW

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