Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
Jefferson’s Bourbon is no stranger to taking some big risks with their product. Many are familiar with Jefferson’s Ocean, a bourbon aged on container ships navigating around the world. I believe Jefferson’s Ocean voyage 15 or 16 just released. Now, Jefferson’s is introducing a new experiment, Jefferson’s Tropics, aged in humidity.
In a press release at the time of this whiskey’s unveiled, Jefferson’s founder Trey Zoeller said, “after taking barrels to many different locations, it was evident that the hot and humid climates had such a positive impact on the bourbon. So when homing in on location to age our first Jefferson’s Tropics Aged In Humidity release, we knew we needed to be near the equator, where the heat and humidity would be year-round and intense. Singapore – one of my bucket list travel destinations – was absolutely perfect for this experiment.
“The result is a remarkable bourbon, one that further reinforces my belief that terroir for whiskey comes from the environment that the bourbon matures in rather than the ground from which the grains are grown. The Jefferson’s Tropics Aged in Humidity series embodies the result of this with its richness and complexity.”
Terroir is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that impact the contextual characteristics or character of a crop, or in this case a whiskey. Kentucky, as a state, famously is land locked and in a rather temperate climate. Many distillers in the region praise the hot, but not too hot, summers, and the cold, but not too cold, winters for the unique flavors Kentucky Bourbon receives while resting in oak. The whiskey will filter deep into the wood during the summer heat and retract out of the wood during the cold snowy winter.
This interaction imparts color, flavor, and personality to a barrel of whiskey, or that is the conventional wisdom and the story that I am familiar with.
Jefferson’s is attempting to challenge conventional wisdom by taking 720 fully matured Kentucky Bourbon Barrels from Kentucky to Singapore. Starting the project in 2019 these barrels were stored in the humid Singaporean environment for 18-months before being brought back to Kentucky in March of 2023. Now, and I’m inferring here, those dates are over 36 months apart, not 18, which means it’s likely these barrels were also on a bit of an Ocean voyage as well. We thus have a bit of a two-for-one, an Ocean and Tropic impact on the bourbon.
Jefferson’s describes the flavors as intensely caramelized, and steeped with flavor boasting aromatic baking spices on the nose, bing cherries, toffee and sea salt on the palate, with a long textured finish. Conceptually I understand the concept of finishing the whiskey in heat. You maximize the whiskey’s interaction with the oak before allowing it to cool and come out of the wood while it travels home. It’s a very novel concept. With that, we turn to the glass.
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Tasting Notes: Jefferson’s Tropics
Vital Stats: 52% ABV; limited release in September of 2023; SRP $99.99
Appearance: Straw
Nose: Very light, alcohol is present, tropical fruits like mango, banana leaves, light coffee, and sugar. The nose is harsher than I expected, but overall inviting albeit with a salty brine quality.
Taste: An initial rush of smoke before a salty profile on the tongue with soft oak and cocoa. There is vanilla and molasses about the mid palate before giving way to an even blend in the finish. The finish holds softly on the tongue for a reasonable length before drifting off with a hint of brine and citrus fruit.
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