The 2023 edition of Widow Jane's annual Vaults release is a collection of the distillery’s oldest and rarest whiskeys from Tennessee and Indiana. The component whiskies are aged a minimum of 15 years and blended in very small batches, before being finished for 3 months in air-seasoned casks at Widow Jane’s Red Hook, Brooklyn rickhouse.
Each release in The Vaults collection is highlighted by bold flavors including those imparted by the specific wood in which it was finished; a different wood every year harvested from various regions and with different amounts of air-seasoning to the staves the casks are raised from. The Vaults 2023’s finishing barrels were made from Chinquapin Oak staves harvested from trees grown on a limestone-rich shelf in Northern Kentucky and air-seasoned for at least 48 months, withstanding the often dramatic shifts in weather conditions typical of the mid-South.
As always, this release is a shining star in the small constellation of cult favorite long-aged Bourbons. 15 years in new oak can be too much for some whiskies, but under the careful blending of Widow Jane's new master distiller/blender Sienna Jevremov, this one retains an elegant balance, while showcasing flavors that only such long aging can bring, with tobacco, toasted almond, toffee, and dark fruit elements.
