Brown sugar | Cola champagne | Seasoned oak | Pipe tobacco | Dark fruit jam | Lime zest

Fudge | Brown sugar | Seasoned oak | Agave | Light herbalness | Medium body

Minerals | Black pepper | Coffee bean | Chocolate crinkle cookie | Mild bitterness | Slightly earthy

Widow Jane Tequila Ocho Cask Finish Bourbon takes the distillery’s blend of 10 year old bourbons and finishes it for 8 months in barrels that previously held aged Tequila Ocho expressions, which is the first time Tequila Ocho has released its used casks for whiskey maturation. Notably, both companies are owned by Heaven Hill, and showcases the brand synergy the company is able to tap into

Finishing in tequila barrels continues to be a siren’s call that producers can’t help but fall under its spell. Many have tried, a few have been mildly successful, but the question remains: Will it ever reach the level of other barrel-finished whiskeys?

The jury is still out on whether bourbon and tequila flavors are truly complementary, but Widow Jane Aged 10 Years Tequila Ocho Cask Finish does everything it can to make the case. Thanks to its 10 year old base bourbon, there is a hefty amount of seasoned oak and brown sugar, along with tobacco, fudge, and coffee bean. This rich flavor profile absorbs the tequila’s earthy, herbal, and mineral notes well.  

The result is a whiskey that is surprisingly easy to drink and quite fun overall. This isn’t at all a complex whiskey, but it seems more interested in being approachable given its finishing barrel component. Tasting blind, some will take note that there’s something different going on, but tequila likely won’t be their first or second guess. This speaks to how well the tequila finishing is integrated into the base whiskey, allowing whispers of tequila’s agave, herbalness, minerals, and fleeting citrus to pull through. Priced at a reasonable $75, there’s enough Widow Jane got right to justify its cost for those looking for a tequila finished bourbon.