Jefferson's Bourbon Company

In 1997, when only eight Kentucky distilleries remained and bourbon was dismissed as "your grandfather's drink," Trey and Chet Zoeller launched Jefferson's with a radical idea: become master blenders instead of distillers. They cherry-picked small lots from struggling distilleries, creating batches of just 8-12 barrels and proving that terroir in whiskey comes from where bourbon matures—not where grain is grown. Temperature cycles, humidity, warehouse location, and even ocean voyages shape flavor more than any cornfield. "What I really try to do is put stories in bottles," Trey says. From blending artistry to maritime aging to honoring a Revolutionary War widow, each expression tells a distinct narrative. Today, Jefferson's is one of Pernod Ricard's fastest-growing American whiskey brands, backed by a $250 million investment in a new Kentucky distillery.

We're featuring four expressions that showcase this philosophy. Jefferson's Bourbon (82.3 proof, $36.99) is the approachable foundation—a blend of straight bourbons from different Kentucky warehouse environments creating brown sugar, vanilla, and peach notes perfect neat or in cocktails. Jefferson's Reserve Very Old (90.2 proof, $66.99) showcases extended aging across multiple warehouses, delivering honey, caramel, and tobacco complexity that shines in a Boulevardier. Jefferson's Ocean Voyage 28 (90 proof, $84.99) proves maritime terroir—six months at sea visiting Australia, Asia, and the Pacific created crème brûlée, sea salt, and espresso notes from constant motion and temperature swings. Jefferson's Marian McLain Batch 4 (102 proof, $319.99) honors Trey's 8th-generation grandmother arrested for illegal whiskey in 1799—a five-bourbon blend across Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana finished in Ocean barrels, delivering brown sugar, molasses, and black cherry at cask strength. Four bottles, four stories, one revolutionary approach to bourbon.