Widow Jane has released Decadence, a 10-year bourbon finished in maple syrup barrels from New York state. It's their trademark Kentucky straight bourbon - bottled in Brooklyn, non-chill filtered - but given a final six months in barrels that previously held Crown Maple syrup.
The result hits 91 proof and walks a line between sweet and savoury that actually works. Think caramel and vanilla meeting bacon and oak. Not a dessert bourbon, not a heavyweight either, something in between that makes sense as a sipper or in cocktails where you want complexity without cloying sweetness.
Australian availability is TBC, but worth watching. Widow Jane has carved out a niche with their barrel finishes, and this one sounds like it's actually bringing something new rather than just slapping maple on bourbon and calling it done. If it lands here, expect premium pricing, their standard 10-year sits around $150–200 locally.
Fun fact: while Widow Jane feels like a Brooklyn craft whiskey story, it actually sits within the broader family of Heaven Hill Distillery brands. Back in 2022, Heaven Hill acquired the premium portfolio of Samson & Surrey, bringing Widow Jane into the fold alongside brands like Tequila Ocho, FEW Spirits and Mezcal Vago. So while the whiskey may be bottled in Brooklyn and famous for its limestone water sourced from the Rosendale mines in New York, behind the scenes it now sits under the same independent family-owned umbrella that produces stalwarts like Rittenhouse Rye and Elijah Craig.
Source: BOURBON & BANTER
