Rating 94
Style
American Whiskey
Whiskey
Produced In United States
ABV 49.5%
Availability Year Round
Price $500.00 
Reviewed By
Reviewed 2025-02-26

Widow Jane Black Opal Review

It’s understandable to balk at the idea of paying $500 for a bottle of bourbon — especially when the liquid is sourced. But budgets and the very notion of affordability are completely subjective. Should you, therefore, be looking to shell out this kind of cash, Widow Jane’s 20-year-old Black Opal is a compelling candidate.

About that sourced whiskey: the Brooklyn-based distillery lists Kentucky and Tennessee as the origins. While we can’t be sure, the latter component has long been theorized in online circles to come from Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., the home of George Dickel. As for the Kentucky component, Widow Jane’s parent company Samson & Surrey was acquired by Heaven Hill in 2022, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to deduce that as being the likely origin.

Sleuthing and hypothesizing aside, what’s really important lies within the bottle, and it arrives at 49.5 percent ABV, with a minimum age of two decades, and following an extended finishing period in Mizunara oak casks. Also important to highlight — and a large reason for its inclusion as our splurge pick — is the fact that oak in no way dominates its profile. The finishing vessels instead add pleasant wisps of signature sandalwood and spice to the nose. The palate is lithe yet flavorsome, and delivers fruity, savory, sweet, and spicy sips, all with great depth and concentration.

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94
POINTS
Widow Jane Black Opal
It’s understandable to balk at the idea of paying $500 for a bottle of bourbon — especially when the liquid is sourced. But budgets and the very notion of affordability are completely subjective. Should you, therefore, be looking to shell out this kind of cash, Widow Jane’s 20-year-old Black Opal is a compelling candidate. About that sourced whiskey: the Brooklyn-based distillery lists Kentucky and Tennessee as the origins. While we can’t be sure, the latter component has long been theorized in online circles to come from Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., the home of George Dickel. As for the Kentucky component, Widow Jane’s parent company Samson & Surrey was acquired by Heaven Hill in 2022, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to deduce that as being the likely origin. Sleuthing and hypothesizing aside, what’s really important lies within the bottle, and it arrives at 49.5 percent ABV, with a minimum age of two decades, and following an extended finishing period in Mizunara oak casks. Also important to highlight — and a large reason for its inclusion as our splurge pick — is the fact that oak in no way dominates its profile. The finishing vessels instead add pleasant wisps of signature sandalwood and spice to the nose. The palate is lithe yet flavorsome, and delivers fruity, savory, sweet, and spicy sips, all with great depth and concentration.

Reviewed On: 02-26-2025
94
POINTS
Widow Jane Black Opal
It’s understandable to balk at the idea of paying $500 for a bottle of bourbon — especially when the liquid is sourced. But budgets and the very notion of affordability are completely subjective. Should you, therefore, be looking to shell out this kind of cash, Widow Jane’s 20-year-old Black Opal is a compelling candidate. About that sourced whiskey: the Brooklyn-based distillery lists Kentucky and Tennessee as the origins. While we can’t be sure, the latter component has long been theorized in online circles to come from Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., the home of George Dickel. As for the Kentucky component, Widow Jane’s parent company Samson & Surrey was acquired by Heaven Hill in 2022, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to deduce that as being the likely origin. Sleuthing and hypothesizing aside, what’s really important lies within the bottle, and it arrives at 49.5 percent ABV, with a minimum age of two decades, and following an extended finishing period in Mizunara oak casks. Also important to highlight — and a large reason for its inclusion as our splurge pick — is the fact that oak in no way dominates its profile. The finishing vessels instead add pleasant wisps of signature sandalwood and spice to the nose. The palate is lithe yet flavorsome, and delivers fruity, savory, sweet, and spicy sips, all with great depth and concentration.

Reviewed On: 02-26-2025