Widow Jane Black Opal 20 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey
Widow Jane Black Opal 20 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey is a blend of straight bourbons carrying a minimum 20-year age statement, finished in rare Japanese Mizunara oak casks and bottled at 49.5% ABV (99 proof) in a 750mL bottle. It arrives in a black steel box with a numbered fine-art print — the crown jewel of the Brooklyn distillery's long-aged collection. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 49.5% (99 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 20 years minimum — sourced Kentucky and Tennessee straight bourbons
- Finish: extended finishing in old-growth Mizunara oak casks (medium toast) — porous, low-tannin Japanese oak, ~$6,000 per cask
- Water: proofed with limestone water from the legendary Rosendale Mines of upstate New York
- Origin: blended and bottled by Widow Jane Distillery, Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY (Heaven Hill) — non-chill filtered
- Release: limited — 5,000 bottles (original release); each bottle ships in a riveted black steel box with a numbered art print
Twenty Years, Then Mizunara
Widow Jane has built one of the largest holdings of long-aged bourbon in the country, and Black Opal is its most ambitious expression: 20-year-old Kentucky and Tennessee straight bourbons, selected by head distiller Lisa Wicker, then finished in Mizunara — the prized Japanese oak that breathes in aromatics without piling on tannin. Proofed with mineral-rich Rosendale limestone water and never chill-filtered, it is bottled the way a 20-year-old bourbon deserves.
Tasting Notes
The nose opens with Tahitian vanilla, frankincense smoke, dried apricot, and rose hip. The palate is deep and layered — walnut, black strap molasses, crème brûlée, poached plum, burnt sage, and brown butter. The finish brings beeswax, ginger snap, chocolate ganache, nutmeg, and caramelized sugar in a long, lavish close.
How to Enjoy
Widow Jane recommends it neat, with patience — let it breathe in the glass and the notes expand. This is a special-occasion bourbon for the collector and the connoisseur alike, and a showcase of what Mizunara can do outside Japan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mizunara oak?
A rare Japanese oak, harvested from old-growth trees and air-seasoned; it is highly porous and low in tannins, so it adds intense aromatics without overwhelming the spirit.
How old is the bourbon in Black Opal?
Every barrel in the blend carries a minimum 20-year age statement, sourced from Kentucky and Tennessee distilleries.
What comes in the box?
A riveted black steel box inspired by Red Hook's industrial history, with a numbered fine-art print showing an insider's view of the distillery.
Order Widow Jane Black Opal online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — 20 years old, finished in Mizunara, gone when it's gone.