Manhattan distillery Great Jones Distilling has teamed up with a Hamptons winery for a whiskey that celebrates New York State terroir.
Great Jones Distilling, the first whiskey distillery in Manhattan since Prohibition, has announced a new whiskey made in collaboration with Long Island’s Wölffer Estate Vineyard. The limited edition Bourbon marks the first time Wölffer has partnered with a whiskey brand, or lent its barrels for finishing.
Developed by head distiller Celina Perez and winemaker Roman Roth, the whiskey is a blend of four to seven-year-old straight Bourbon, which was finished for more than a year in Wölffer Estate’s Caya Cabernet Franc barrels, and cut to proof with Catskills Mountain water. The Caya Cabernet Franc barrels impart a refined sweetness characterised by dark cherry and fig notes.
“This specialty release is a true New York State terroir collaboration and it has been a pleasure to work with an industry legend like Roman Roth,” Perez said. “We started with a wide range of proofs and blends, and found an unspoken dialect in our shared passion to find the right flavour notes. It wasn’t just collaboration, it was fortuitous.”
Great Jones x Wölffer Estate Cask Finished Bourbon is bottled at 44% ABV and priced at RRP US$50.
On the nose, it shows notes of sticky date pudding, Madagascar vanilla, and dried pepper. The palate, meanwhile, features fig compote, crème brulée, and dried corn husk.
“We started with a beautiful synergy of flavours between the berry notes of our Caya Cabernet Franc and the sweet notes present in the Great Jones Bourbon, and it has been a pleasure to watch how the whiskey has matured to a complex final spirit,” Roth said. “From start to finish, Great Jones was a perfect match for Wölffer Estate. Their professionalism, commitment to quality, and extensive resources made for an exceptional partnership.”
The whiskey will be available at select bars, restaurants and retailers throughout New York State as well as at the Great Jones Distillery in Manhattan’s East Village.
Great Jones had previously celebrated New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat with a capsule collection of limited whiskies and a pop-up experience at its distillery.