Heritage
Widow Jane Baby Jane Heirloom Corn Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750 ml, 91 proof) is a bourbon that embodies the brand’s vision of grain-to-glass authenticity. It is distilled in Brooklyn from a proprietary heirloom corn variety called “Baby Jane,” developed specifically for Widow Jane from a cross of Bloody Butcher red corn and Wapsie Valley corn. This distinctive grain imparts a richer, more complex flavor than standard yellow dent corn used in most bourbons. Proofed with pure limestone water from the historic Widow Jane mine in Rosendale, New York, it carries the hallmark texture and depth that define the distillery’s style.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairings
Tasting Notes
The nose offers aromas of sweet corn, vanilla, and caramel balanced by oak and a touch of dried fruit. On the palate, layers of toffee, honey, and roasted nuts develop alongside hints of cocoa, clove, and stone fruit. The texture is smooth yet full, with the heirloom corn lending a distinct sweetness and earthiness. The finish is long and warming, with lingering notes of caramel, spice, and toasted grain.
Food Pairings
Starter Corn fritters or grilled polenta cakes, echoing the whiskey’s corn-driven sweetness.
Main Course Roast pork with apple compote, matched by the bourbon’s fruit and spice character.
Cheese Aged gouda or clothbound cheddar, complementing the whiskey’s nutty and caramel notes.
Dessert Cornbread pudding or honey-drizzled sponge cake, mirroring the bourbon’s sweet, grain-forward richness.
Craftsmanship
Widow Jane is a Brooklyn-based whiskey brand founded in 2012, born out of the creative, artisanal culture of Red Hook. What started as a small chocolate-making venture evolved into a whiskey project built on the same values of craftsmanship and authenticity. From the beginning, the brand aimed to stand apart by combining traditional whiskey-making techniques with a distinctly New York identity.
Its defining feature is the use of limestone water from the historic Widow Jane mine in Rosendale, New York. This mineral-rich water, filtered through ancient limestone, gives their whiskey a smooth texture and unique mouthfeel, becoming the brand’s hallmark. While Widow Jane sources aged bourbons and ryes from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee, the blending, proofing, and bottling are done in Brooklyn, using that special water. Alongside this, they are steadily developing their own distillates with heirloom corn varieties and custom stills, moving toward a future of grain-to-glass production.
Today, Widow Jane is recognized for marrying heritage and innovation, producing whiskeys that are bold, complex, and unmistakably tied to a sense of place. Each bottle reflects both New York grit and the elegance of carefully aged American whiskey.
