That Jefferson’s Bourbon Founder & Chief Strategist Trey Zoeller launched the brand’s new Cask Strength Expression at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado was no accident.

“It’s all about me being very self-serving,” he joked as he announced the bourbon’s release during a launch dinner on the stage at Red Rocks. “This is the greatest place on Earth.”

In addition, Jefferson’s Reserve is also in abundance at Red Rocks, thanks to a partnership between brand and venue – in other words, if you order a whiskey at your next Red Rocks concert, Jefferson’s is what you’ll get.

The first pours of Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength 8-Year were disseminated to assembled media and other guests following a backstage tour of the famed concert venue and park, known for its majestic sandstone formations and deep history — a place where artists from all genres have performed for decades, from Willie Nelson to U2 to the Beatles.

Traditionally, Jefferson’s Reserve releases are presented at between 90 and 100 proof, but Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength is a mighty, 130-proof flavor bomb that is bottled with an 8 Year age statement – both of which are somewhat new territory for the brand.

“It’s a little bit different than what we traditionally do,” Zoeller said, noting that most of the brand’s expressions are blends and/or are finished in separate casks, from wine barrels to cognac casks to custom barrels.

The Cask Strength, however, is presented as a straight bourbon whiskey. Morever, it’s the brand’s base whiskey recipe – essentially a full-strength version of Jefferson’s Reserve Very Small Batch.

“We wanted to showcase it by itself, and it’s pretty damn good,” Zoeller said.

The new expression was served to the gathering both neat and on one rock, alongside like samples of the 92-proof expression, for comparison’s sake. The difference in the body and color are immediately striking, and once the cask-strength version opens up – it’s going to bite back at first – it opens up into a creamy bouquet of big, classic bourbon flavors. Most in attendance agreed that drinking it slowly and neat is the way to go.

Why now for this big, age-stated release? Well, Zoeller goes back into tongue-in-cheek mode, explaining that over the years, one’s palate craves the bigger and bolder flavors that come with higher-proof bourbons.

“When you become an old man like I am,” he said, “your taste buds start to get a little beaten up. Sometimes you just want a damn big bourbon.”

Zoeller explained that the blend of barrels ranged from 120 proof to 140 proof, and the final blend went into this bottling at an even 130. 

The bourbon went over well with the attending media. At an SRP of $69.99 for the new Jefferson’s, one whiskey content creator called it, “A Stagg killer. Or at least a Stagg competitor.”

Cases have shipped, and bottles of the deep, amber liquid should be landing on shelves in the very near future, Zoeller said. More information about the bourbon will be forthcoming with an official media announcement.

The founder sees this announcement as an offering for the experience bourbon drinkers – those who, like his, have seen their taste buds get a little “beaten up” over the years. It’s sort of a coming-of-age moment for Jefferson’s Reserve drinkers. A well-earned one.

“No one drinks a cask-strength bourbon for the first time and says, ‘Where has this been all my life?’” Zoeller said. “It would be like doing the Double Lindy before you learn to swim.”

-Kevin Gibson

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