The principal author of the Declaration of Independence and one of the greatest Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson was elected the third President of the United States in 1800. During his tenure, Jefferson authorized the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, dispatched Lewis and Clark westward in order to explore the remainder of the continent and repealed the Whisky Excise Tax.
After Jefferson retired from public office in 1815, he often tended to the garden that he had cultivated on his Monticello estate. At the time, it was customary for wealthy farmers, including Jefferson, to distill the excess grains they harvested from their farms into spirits (George Washington was one of the country's largest distillers of rye whiskey). As a result, each farmer's spirits were unique and reflected the local terrior of their farm.
Made in collaboration with Chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia and Milkwood restaurants in Louisville, Jefferson's Chef Collaboration Straight Whiskey pays homage to the spirits Jefferson distilled over two centuries ago. "We started to think about what foods would pair well with bourbon," says Trey Zoeller, Jefferson's founder and master blender. "When we started to think about pairing whiskey with some dishes from Chef Lee's cookbook — pork dishes, spicier dishes, and his fried chicken particularly — it really came together."
Crafted from a blend of straight bourbon and rye whiskies, Jefferson's Chef Collaboration has an aroma of cherry, dried citrus and oak that gives way to notes of buttered biscuits, peaches and tart apples on the palate. Subtle touches of rye bread and spicy oak tannins linger, and lead to a finish accented by touches of citrus and cloves.…