Jefferson’s Presidential Select Batch #4 1991 Vintage 17-Year
This bourbon created quite a stir when it hit the market last year, which was somewhat surprising, given that it comes from McLain & Kyne, distillers of Jefferson’s Reserve. Not that they’re a bad distillery, just that their flagship product is a solid, if generally unexceptional whiskey. But the Jefferson’s Presidential Select began making waves the moment that it hit the shelves.
The reason is due to the provenance of the whiskey in the bottle. This 17-year old bourbon was not distilled by McLain & Kyne, but was bottled by them. They purchased several barrels of whiskey distilled from no less than the famed Stitzel-Weller Distillery of Louisville, Kentucky, the same distillery renowned as the place where the oldest bottles of Pappy Van Winkle whiskies were distilled. Along with the 15-, 20-, and 23-year old Pappy Van Winkles, previously available bottlings of W.L. Weller bourbon also came from this distillery. Needless to say, that’s a heck of a pedigree.
But, note the similarities between those two whiskies, Van Winkle and Weller. See it? That’s right, they’re both wheated bourbons, two of the very small handful of wheated bourbons on the market today. The Stitzel-Weller Distillery produced solely wheated whiskey throughout its history, beginning when it was opened by Pappy Van Winkle himself in Spring 1935. Throughout the following decades the whiskey produced here gradually garnered a strong reputation. Yet, sadly, the Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company and the distillery were sold in 1971, sold again in 1991, and closed for good in 1992. Since then, whiskies from this distillery have gained an aura that only time and scarcity can grant, and today they are highly sought after.
Thus the surprise in the whiskey world when this bourbon arrived on the scene. Even noted bourbon expert Chuck Cowdery mused,
“Now I wish they would tell us how they got these particular barrels…The company now known as Diageo was the last operator of Stitzel-Weller. It still owns the facility and uses the warehouses. Both Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace got some Stitzel-Weller barrels when they bought Old Fitzgerald and W. L. Weller respectively. No one has ever been quite sure how much Diageo retained. Did they really mean to age it 17 years or more? How did McLain & Kyne get it?”
And John Hansell, editor of the Malt Advocate referred to these bottles of whiskey as “a piece of history”, noting:
“To me, Stitzel-Weller and Michter’s are like Brora and Port Ellen in the Scotch whisky world–silent distilleries that once produced some great whiskeys.”
Illustrious company to be sure! Even better, across the board the whiskey was getting wonderful reviews. Cowdery had noted that other recently released whiskies from this famed distillery had been influenced by perhaps “too much wood”, a common issue with older bourbons. Because bourbons age so much more quickly than scotch whiskies, and the barrels used are brand new, older bourbons can often appear too woody, with the oak notes overwhelming the whisky’s flavor spectrum. So, to have John Hansell proclaim this as being one of his whiskies of the year is pretty significant.
And so, after some hemming and hawing, I hitched up my trousers, made my way down the road, and picked up a bottle of what promised to be an exciting experience, both gastronomically and intellectually!
Tasting Notes
This bottle is from the 4th batch of Jefferson’s Presidential Select, and is bottle number 716. It was distilled in the Fall of 1991, and bottled in 2008 at 47%.
The whiskey is amber in color with glinting gold highlights. The nose is very rich, with a personality that leaps out of the glass displaying notes of polished wood, dark honey, toffee, pecan pie, berries, lots of fruit, cinnamon, and maple syrup. The palate has a velvety texture with mouth-coatingly rich flavors of caramel, sultana raisins, toffee, mesquite honey, almonds, and spices. There is a resiny dryness that is present throughout, while not being overwhelming. Instead, it functions more as a counter-balance to the rich spectrum of flavors, giving evidence of the whiskey’s age without detracting from the flavors in the glass. The finish is medium-length, with flavors of honey, caramel, almonds, and just a hint of citrus.
This is the most expensive bourbon that I’ve bought, and I’ll admit that it’s taken me a bit to come to terms with that. I resolutely believe that one of the beauties of bourbon is how affordable it is to purchase absolutely stellar bottles of whiskey, and this bottle no doubt pushed my comfort level. But I have to admit that I’m very happy to have a tasted whiskey from this famed distillery. Given the degree to which I appreciate whiskey, this is a great experience on many levels.
Would I recommend this? Absolutely. It is indeed a piece of history, along with being a very, very good whiskey in its own right.
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