Pernod Ricard’s North American Distillers division has partnered with cruise ship operator Holland America Line to age 11 barrels of American whiskey brand Jefferson’s at sea.
The project will see 11 ships carry one barrel of the bourbon each, for a minimum of six months – the first of which was loaded this month, while the final barrel is set to leave port in April. Following the voyages, each barrel will be bottled separately and released as part of Jefferson’s ‘Ocean Aged at Sea Bourbon’ series.
Each barrel will produce between 150 and 300 bottles, which will be sold aboard Holland America Line cruise ships from 2027. An SRP was not indicated, nor whether the whiskies would be available in bricks-and-mortar retailers.
North American Distillers and Holland America Line will run onboard activations as part of the collaboration, including “educational tastings that show how the ship’s itinerary shapes the spirit”.
Jefferson’s ‘Ocean Aged at Sea Bourbon’ series has 29 iterations listed on its website. The brand posts logs from the ships that consumers can follow to read about sea conditions and where the barrels have travelled. Most recently, Jefferson’s made an Aged at Sea wheated bourbon, which was released in 2022.
Last night, Pernod Ricard admitted that it was in discussions with Brown-Forman about a possible “business combination” with the Jack Daniel’s American whiskey owner.
