Spirit Of The Week: Jacob’s Pardon ‘Cask Collective’ 16-Year-Old Sherry Cask-Finished Whiskey

Esteemed spirits maestro F. Paul Pacult adds the perfect touch to a heavily matured whiskey.

“For Jacob’s Pardon’s Cask Collective series, my mission was to identify specific mature lots that exhibited exceptional quality,” F. Paul Pacult tells Maxim. Widely considered one of the great American spirits writers, and author of such weighty tomes as American Still Life: The Jim Beam Story, Kindred Spirits and its 2021 followup New Kindred Spirits, Pacult’s mighty palate has also been tapped for special projects — such as acting Master Blender for acclaimed whiskey label Jacob’s Pardon. 

As Master Blender for Jacob’s Pardon, his most recent project is the latest from their “Cask Collective’” series—a light whiskey aged 16 years, and then finished in historic Oloroso casks sourced from sherry makers Williams & Humbert. Founded in 1877 by brothers-in-law Sir Andrew Williams and Arthur Humbert, the ancient winemakers from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, are among the most prestigious sherries in the world. Pacult explains how his partners at Jacob’s Pardon Marc and Jake Taub collected roughly 2,500 various barrels of American whiskey, including bourbon, Light Whiskey, and Tennessee whiskey warehoused in late 2018. “Suffice it to say, I had a treasure trove of aged whiskey to sort through when I started,” the bestselling author states.

“The 16 years afforded the 48 barrels of Light Whiskey aged the whiskey to near perfection. In my view, when the oloroso sherry casks were mentioned to me, I immediately considered it to possibly be the link which would bring perfection,” Pacult reveals. “Because of the intensity of the raisin-like sherry influence, all the whiskey needed was a few weeks of in-barrel contact. As a result, the ripeness of the sherry impacted and elevated all the aspects of the mature whiskey, almost as though the sherry cask mentored the Light Whiskey.”

But working with Light Whiskey can be a tricky thing. Created by the TTB with the help of Whiskey Distillers of America, the Light Whiskey category was adopted in 1968 to fight the oncoming and foreseen dominance of clear spirits like vodka. As whiskey sales collapsed, distillers looked for an option viewed more as a middle ground between vodka and bourbon. Despite its misleading name, Light Whiskey is normally very high in ABV punch (up to 95%), demands no specified age requirement, can be aged in either used or new un-charred barrels, and is always distilled specifically in column stills to least 160-proof. 

The experiment failed, miserably, and Light Whiskey offerings gathered dust on bodega shelves across the nation. “Because of the folly of its name, the drinking public understandably thought that the name meant low calorie or low alcohol whiskey,” Pacult explains. “When Light Whiskey is matured for short periods, its volatility has no time to smooth out. Hence, in the younger stages it tastes raw, rough, and aggressive.”

But all that changes when allowed to age indulgently, such as with Jacob’s Pardon latest which polished its edges a full 16 years before the Taubs tapped the barrels. “The 99% corn is significant because of the innate sweetness of corn, which when allowed to mature in oak barrels for, in my view, a minimum of ten to twelve years, creates a whiskey of finesse, elegance, and subtle power,” Pacult opines. “Giving it even longer periods in the barrel, the aromatic and taste characteristics can begin to echo bakery treats, spices like vanilla, clove, cinnamon, and allspice, orchard fruits like pear and apple, and even honey.”

When asked if he’s got one more volume of his expansive Kindred Spirits book series in him, Pacult defers. You see for each, the esteemed spirits reviewer blind taste-tested four to six expressions for three hours every single morning between 1989 until late 2023—a lovely but heavy Sisyphean endeavor. In total, Pacult estimates he’s evaluated over 33,200 spirits over his career. “Fact is, I’ve never viewed my career as a job. It’s always been more of a privilege, an honor to know the women and men around the world who have been the source of providing so much joy to the world through their spirits,” he adds humbly. “So while I’ve put away my pen for the moment, I’ve reaped many rewards from assisting brand owners, such as Marc and Jake Taub, in developing and bringing to life their spirits dreams.”

For now you can check out his latest work in liquid form. The highly limited Jacob’s Pardon “Cask Collective” 16-Year-Old Oloroso Sherry Cask-Finished Whiskey is available now by allocation at select retailers with an SRP of $125.

Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.