143: Widow Jane Distillery - Lisa Wicker Brings Wine Expertise to Bourbon

We are joined by Widow Jane Distillery President and Head Distiller & Blender, Lisa Wicker. Her fingerprints have been left in many distilleries over the years and she’s landed in her new home away from Kentucky, Widow Jane Distillery in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY. We discuss two different bourbons with Lisa Wicker, including Widow Jane 10 Year (5 barrels, 6+ years, small batch, 91 proof) and Lucky Thirteen Bourbon (small batch, less than 10 barrels, 93 proof). You’ll hear about Lisa’s time in the wine industry and how she’s made her mark in the bourbon world as well.

About Widow Jane Distillery

Widow Jane is an award-winning artisanal distillery located in the New York City neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn. The company is named in homage to one the legendary mines of Rosendale in Upstate New York, from which the brand sources its proofing water. Before becoming a natural reserve of extraordinary mineral water, the mines produced the natural cement used to construct some of the most iconic American landmarks, such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building, among others. The pure, limestone-filtered water from the mine, plus one of the country’s largest holdings of long-aged Bourbons, and a refusal to compromise the product with chill-filtration, are just three elements that make Widow Jane a stand-out whiskey company.

The facility in Red Hook includes warehousing, aging, barreling, blending and bottling. For more information, visit www.widowjane.com or find Widow Jane on Instagram @widow_jane

About Lucky 13 Bourbon from Widow Jane

Originally launched in 2020 as private barrel program, bourbon whiskey aged 13 years in American oak and bottled at 93 proof in hyper small batches. 

LUCKY THIRTEEN is aged a very unique 13 years in American oak barrels hand-picked by Widow Jane President and Head Distiller Lisa Wicker and proofed with limestone-rich water from the legendary Rosendale Mines of NY. Initially released as a private-single-barrel program at a variety of proofs, LUCKY THIRTEEN will now be available exclusively at 93 proof (46.5% ABV) in hyper small batches, little more than a handful of barrels at a time, making this bourbon addition a unique expression of Widow Jane’s signature intense, complex profile. 

Widow Jane president and distiller Lisa Wicker notes that the blending process with these aged bourbons is fine and delicate, and that’s what makes LUCKY THIRTEEN a real treat; well-aged bourbon in hyper small batches, and absolutely not chill filtered. The resulting whiskey has a rich mouthfeel and lingering finish.

Said Wicker, “I see the ability to share really special expressions, like LUCKY THIRTEEN, with whiskey geeks and industry friends as one of the real gifts of this profession. As our stock of well-aged bourbon beyond 10 years continued to mature, we were able to match Lucky Thirteen to our signature blending process, consisting of bourbons from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana. This was a very natural evolution for us, to make a rich, complex bourbon, while upping the ante in proof to 93, versus our 10 year bourbon’s proof of 91.”

LUCKY THIRTEEN will now be available year-round, though still in limited quantities. It will be made available in 750 ml bottles at a suggested retail price of $99.99.

Links:

• Widow Jane Distillery
• Widow Jane 10 Year Bourbon
• Widow Jane Adds 13 Year Bourbon To Its Range Of Year Round Offerings
• Samson and Surrey
• Around Brooklyn: Widow Jane bourbon grows in popularity 
• This $150 bourbon is made with the same water that goes into New York bagels