Review | Widow Jane 10 Years Old Bourbon

From their distillery in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, Widow Jane blends this exceptional 10 years old bourbon from carefully selected barrels.

Review | Widow Jane 10 Years Old Bourbon

Widow Jane produces small batch whiskeys from their distillery based in Red Hook, a neighbourhood in the western Brooklyn area of New York City that is filled with art galleries, breweries, bars and restaurants. Widow Jane currently sources casks of whiskey from across the USA and distil their own spirit in Red Hook, with the intention of making all of their own spirit in time. Widow Jane whiskeys are non-chill filtered and have been proofed with their own pure hard-yet-sweet limestone mineral water from the Rosendale Mines of New York, one of which lends its name to the distillery and brand.

Widow Jane 10 Years Old Bourbon whiskey lying on wood and steel

Widow Jane 10 Years Old Bourbon uses whiskeys sourced from across the USA that are ‘assembled’ (the term Widow Jane uses to describe their blending process) in the distillery using a batch of only five barrels. Bottled at 45.5% ABV ( 91 Proof) and hand numbered to show the batch and bottle number, the 10 Years Old blend of bourbons is Widow Jane’s signature whiskey with wide distribution across the USA and globally through specialist retailers. It should cost around £75.

Widow Jane Distillery is owned by Heaven Hill who acquired Widow Jane in 2022 when it bought Samson & Surrey, the company that owned Widow Jane from 2016 onwards.  The distillery was founded by Daniel Preston, a former aerospace engineer in 2012. The distillery is named after a local mine owned and operated by the Snyder family.

While calling the mine abandoned is technically incorrect, it has been more than 50 years since the site was last active. It currently acts as an art and event space (it even holds an annual poetry festival) as well as providing water for the distillery. There is disagreement as to who exactly the Widow Jane was as there were two Janes in the Snyder family. However, it is suspected to be due to Mr. A. J. Snyder – when he died the mine was named for his beloved wife Jane.

Widow Jane’s range currently consists of a number of small batch bottlings including Decadence, which sees the 10 years old expression finished in barrels that previously held artisanal maple syrup made in New York, The Vaults which is an annual limited release (the 2024 version is a marriage of old and rare 15+ years old bourbons) and Baby Jane, a a bourbon whiskey made using their own unique proprietary heirloom corn.


Our Tasting Notes

The colour is dark gold and the nose is expressive, sweet and spicy. Aromas of dried dark cherry, dessicated coconut and golden syrup lead the way and are quickly joined by further aromas of dark chocolate and vanilla ice cream. There is significant oak and some earthy and warming background spice, plus hints of confected banana and mocha. It smells deep and rich, and is enticing and raises expectations.

On the palate, this whiskey has a great mouthfeel – it is big and bold, sweet and luscious. Notes of creamy vanilla (this is reminiscent of really good vanilla patisserie custard) and orange fondant icing are first up and are accentuated by evolving hints of foam banana candy and cocoa powder. Then comes some milk chocolate, golden syrup (or is it maple syrup?) and a drip or two of orange oil. With time, distinct wood and spice come through – this includes tannic and drying oak, white pepper and cinnamon bark. Maybe a hint of clove also. A final note of chocolate-dipped dried cherry is a nice touch.

The lengthy finish sees the sweetness hold up well and it really shines through. As this, plus the cherry/coconut elements, slowly fade the whiskey becomes warmer with a distinctive late peppery heat and drying woody spices. Mouthwatering and delicious.

Widow Jane 10 Years Old Bourbon whiskey

What’s The Verdict?

This 10 Years Old is an excellent marriage of bourbons from across the US that have been skillfully ‘assembled’ by Widow Jane. It punches well above its weight and feels like a higher strength of whiskey and one that is more robust than expected, especially when compared to higher strength whiskeys. This has all the classic characteristics and hallmarks of a good bourbon but dialled up a notch for extra intensity and depth. A great and very impressive first tasting of Widow Jane and decent value too.