Jefferson's Ocean Voyage 4 Review

Welcome to the review for Jefferson's Ocean, Voyage 4. Jefferson's Ocean started as an experiment to discover what would happen if bourbon was left to weather the extreme elements: temperature fluctuations, salt air, and the gentle rocking of the ship. It started with three barrels on the first voyage and has now turned into a real money maker for the Jefferson's brand as they are now up to their 15th voyage.

Since the ports, routes, and weather are different for each voyage, they all come out with a unique taste and profile. With that said... Let's get into it.

Manufacturer: Castle Brands (McLain & Kyne at the time of purchase)

Age: Unknown

Location Produced: Unknown

Mash Bill: Unknown

Aroma (from manufacturer): N/A

Taste (from manufacturer): N/A

Finish (from manufacturer): N/A

Alcohol: 45%

Who is this for?: Sailors.... up to and including: Captain Ron, Lt. Dan, Cabin Boy, Pilgrims, the cast of Deadliest Catch, Jack and Rose, and Popeye... but excluding Captain Morgan and Jack Sparrow because they are more interested in Rum. This is also for people who have never been on a cruise but want to taste the sensation... Thomas Jefferson descendants.... ok, we'll stop now... It's mostly for people looking to experience new and unique tastes and flavors in their bourbon as well as collectors.

Cost (Ohio): $89.99

Review: 

Taste - Score 25.5 out of 35

On the nose, we picked up floral notes, honey, vanilla, and hints of maple. On the taste, it came across as pleasantly light with a sweet leafy taste. It's not as flavorful as some of the more mainstream bourbons and there was nothing discernable or standing out.

Smoothness/Finish - Score 17 out of 25

The finish came across on the quick to medium end and was earthy and smooth with floral and mild spice notes peppered in (but no pepper taste) and a hint of stone.

Intangibles: Color/Appearance - Score 9 out of 15.

The bottle is fine. a bit uninspired... one comment was it looks like grandpa drew that ship... Some positives are that it has etching on it and having the cork is nice (and expected at this price point), but it's a fairly simple design overall. The dissenting opinion was that someone did like the crabbing boat... like deadliest catch without the crabs.

The color of the bourbon is on the lighter side that we've seen. This is to be expected as there is no age statement so it probably wasn't in the barrel as long as a lot of other bourbons that we've seen.

Availability - Score 1 out of 5

This was available in Ohio, but they are up to voyage 15 so this vintage is no longer available. It was available at one point, but it was being at the right place at the right time in order to purchase a bottle. The most recent voyages are more available than the earlier ones so we're giving it a point. 

Overall Value - Score 11.5 out of 20

At $90 this is on the high side when compared to other bourbons. Even the high end Woodford (Woodford Double Oaked) is $52... Bookers is $80... and Blanton's is $55. After having a bottle of this, we don't think we would choose this over any of the higher ends listed above that are all at a cheaper price point. We had read notes about the saltiness, but we didn't taste any. Overall, we love the idea and were glad to have tasted, but we weren't overwhelmed with the final product to be a repeat purchaser.  

Final Score: 64 out of 100 - Some uniqueness and could be good in the right situation

Note: This review was done by Mark, The Willets, and the great Johny K and his partner with tasting notes from Ashwin. The bottle was purchased at Ale Wine & Spirits of Powell for $89.99 + tax, in beautiful, Powell Ohio.