Jefferson's Ocean Bourbon Is Aged At Sea, But Is It Worth The Expensive Price Tag?

Jefferson's Ocean Aged At Sea Bourbon is unique, but is its outside-the-box aging process sufficient enough to earn a spot in your liquor cabinet? Probably not. Though the brand has come up with creative ways to bottle bourbon, this variety landed on our list of some of the worst bourbons you can buy.

The idea is intriguing, however, as Jefferson's Master Blender decided to send barrels of bourbon onto boats to age, letting rising tides and salty air mature batches to perfection. Since 2008, barrels have traveled all over the world, crossing the equator and stopping at ports in various continents. Though one of the rules of bourbon-making is that it is made in America, aging barrels at sea doesn't revoke the spirit's bourbon classification. Jefferson's loads its aging barrels onto ships, where the concealed liquid is held at the mercy of whipping winds and blustering currents. 

As bourbon-bearing ships sail across the globe, changing temperatures build character in the spirits. The process results in a spirit that can't be easily controlled, unfortunately, and this gamble is part of what you're paying for. At around $65-$90 per bottle, Jefferson's Ocean is priced as a bourbon worthy of savoring, but the inconsistent aging conditions lead to some batches with noses of crème brûlée and tobacco, while others lead with a salty, briny expression.

Given the extensive traveling involved in the aging process of Jefferson's Ocean, it makes sense that the price point is on the higher side, but whether that price is justified is debated among reviews. Customer ratings at Total Wine are generally positive at 4.4 out of 5, but of the negative reviews, almost all of them reference a sharp taste and an inflated price.

The main allure of this bottle is the process used to age it, but it is that very process that makes the bourbon so inconsistent from year-to-year. One year's edition may receive glowing reviews while another may be castigated, with many of the flavor changes being due to the differing conditions of each unique journey, which makes it difficult (but fun) to compare different batches (marketed as "Voyages") to each other.

Some connoisseurs plan bourbon tasting adventures to sample and contrast different drams. The most recent Voyage 29 is a wheated variety that comes in at 90 proof. A Beyond Bourbon review on YouTube found the bottle disappointing, saying that it lacked sweetness. "The palate is not that great ... It has a savory, meaty, umaminess to it, almost like a ramen broth," the review stated.

Overall, reviewers agree that the series is inconsistent among different voyages; the one consistency connecting each voyage is that most reviewers believe the bottle to be priced too high, even when they enjoyed it.