“When I saw my dad [Chet] buy a barrel of Irish whiskey, I asked him, ‘If you can buy a barrel from Ireland, why can’t we buy barrels from our friends in Kentucky?’” Trey Zoeller recalls of the lightbulb moment that eventually lead to the creation of Jefferson’s Bourbon. As a revered historian—Chet literally wrote the book Bourbon in Kentucky: A History of Distilleries in Kentucky—the family’s roots with their Bluegrass State neighbors run deep. “There were only eight distilleries at the time, and seven of the eight would sell me almost anything we wanted. So I was able to cherry pick small esoteric lots of bourbon and source great whiskey, which inspired us to start Jefferson’s.”
Launched in 1997 when American whiskey was suffering a sales nadir, Trey and Chet’s new bourbon line defied odds with hits coming right out of the gate. Utilizing their knack for sourcing great bourbon, they’d also level-up the juice by employing interesting second finishing barrels, or brainstorming incredibly inventive aging techniques. For an example of the former, consider Jefferson’s Reserve Pritchard Hill Cabernet Cask, a unique finishing barrel Trey considers his favorite summertime bourbon.
For the latter, none beat Jefferson’s Ocean—a groundbreaking expression that revolutionized the idea of “dynamic aging,” where a label employs artificial movement of the barrel to accelerate aging. In Ocean’s case, Trey and Chet placed three new-filled barrels in the 126-foot OCEARCH shark research vessel, spending roughly four years in tropical waters, sloshing the high seas, visiting five continents along the way. Other editions soon followed, including Spirit Of The Week: Ocean Aged at Sea Rye Whiskey.
One of Jefferson’s earliest and greatest triumphs, however, was its first ‘Presidential Select’ expression in 2009—a blend of 400 barrels of 17- and 18-year-old bourbon sourced from none other than the original Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Considered the Holy Grail of bourbon, it is rumored that these might just be the last barrels from the famed Shively, Kentucky distillery. A booty so prized, word got back to Julian Van Winkle III—grandson of the legendary Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, son of the man who sold the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in 1972, and creator of the Pappy Van Winkle expression.
“Julian actually called me and said, ‘I heard you have my whiskey, will you sell it back to me?’ I told him, ‘Sure one bottle at a time.’ His response might have had some expletives in it,” Trey recalls with a smile. “That being said, Julian and I are still good friends.”
“This release honors that historic partnership by bringing together two great traditions—Kentucky bourbon and French wine—in one remarkable whiskey.”
Jefferson’s Bourbon co-founder Trey Zoeller
Now as the patriotic brand seeks to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, Jefferson’s releases Founder’s Reserve 20-Year—one of the oldest and rarest expressions in the label’s nearly 30-year history. Starting with a Kentucky straight bourbon aged two decades, the team then finished the exquisite juice in a French Bordeaux wine cask for about a month. A serendipitous nod to Thomas Jefferson himself, who in 1787 traveled through Bordeaux as the U.S. Minister to France to learn new winemaking techniques.
“I’m proud to raise a glass to America’s 250th anniversary with this Founder’s Reserve release, inspired by our namesake Thomas Jefferson and the enduring alliance between the United States and France,” Trey tells Maxim. “This release honors that historic partnership by bringing together two great traditions [Kentucky bourbon and French wine] in one remarkable whiskey. The result is a beautifully balanced, elegant spirit that celebrates craftsmanship, innovation, and the shared history that helped shape our nation.”
Captured at cask strength, 47-percent ABV (94-proof), with each bottle individually numbered and signed, the Founders Reserve is naturally restricted by its single-barrel limitations to only 250 units. Yet even with its $500 SRP it is well worth seeking out.
“We found the Bordeaux cask very influential, and as a result the whiskey was monitored and tasted weekly after being put in the cask,” Trey shares, explaining how the bourbon was only ready for bottling once the team found the perfect balance of bourbon backbone with Bordeaux influence. “The wine cask acts as an assist to an already great, aged whiskey—making it a very special liquid. From a flavor perspective, I get a lot of cherry upfront, then a ton of tobacco and leather mid pallet followed by dark fruits on the finish. The wine cask influence almost bevels the edges of the whiskey, yet still allows big flavors to come through.”
Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher’s travel, spirits and automotive adventures on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.