Since its founding in 2012, Brooklyn-based Widow Jane has relied on sourced whiskey. Even as its supply of Brooklyn-made distillate has grown in recent years, sourced barrels (coming from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana) remain ever-important, a fact that’s highlighted by the release of Black Opal—the oldest whiskey to be released in the brand’s history.
In making Black Opal, head distiller and blender Sienna Jevremov tasted over 100 barrels of Kentucky and Tennessee-sourced bourbon, all of which were aged for a minimum of 20 years. Once the production team decided on the final blend of bourbons, they finished it in mizunara casks, which were air-seasoned for a year and given a medium toast and light char prior to being filled. This release is the first time Widow Jane has turned to mizunara casks; the oak is known for creating soft, subtle flavors, among them sandalwood, spice, and floral sweetness. The whiskey was bottled at 49.5% ABV.
Given the age of this release, there’s not a whole lot to go around; that said, at 5,000 bottles, the most hardcore Widow Jane fans should be able to get their hands on one. The new crown jewel of Widow Jane’s lineup is priced at $500, and it’ll be available in select markets across the U.S. Black Opal comes on the heels of another ultra-aged release from Widow Jane: The Vaults 2024. That, too, is a blend of straight bourbons, though it’s slightly younger (15 to 20 years old) and aged in amburana as opposed to mizunara.
