OUr Bourbon
Your Reward is Waiting
Every bottle of J. Henry & Sons bourbon is made in small batches, slow-aged, in large barrels in a rustic barn on the Henry farmstead.
The uncontrolled temperature in this historic barn allows the wild Wisconsin weather swings to work magic between the bourbon and the barrels. The result is a pure Wisconsin craft bourbon releasing aromas of sweet corn, caramel pudding, toffee, creamy vanilla, dark cocoa, cinnamon, coconut shavings and Jamaican allspice, to be sipped and savored. Reward yourself and enjoy our family’s new crafted bourbon and celebrate the fruits of your labor with ours.
Our Bourbon
Small Batch 92 Proof
Wisconsin Straight Bourbon
True small batch bourbon, using batches of only 20 barrels. We blend these barrels together, and then slowly reduce the proof in a technique that does not shock the spirit to an approachable 92 proof (46% alcohol). This bourbon is blended and proofed to consistently deliver depth and complexity and approachability for a variety of different uses; reward yourself neat, on the rocks, or in any classic cocktail that calls for bourbon, or rye whiskey, due to our unique four grain build.
Patton Road Reserve
Cask Strength
These are the best barrels in our rickhouse, so good in fact that we do not want to proof them down in any way, or blend them together with other barrels to hide their uniqueness. These single barrels are bottled at cask strength to maintain the purest expression of our product. This is a bold, yet dangerously drinkable high proof bourbon. Reward yourself with a neat pour, or throw some water or ice to experience an explosion of flavors, just like taking a whiskey thief straight to our rick house and taking a sample!
Our Finished Bourbon
Bellefontaine Reserve
Cognac Finished Bourbon
Named after Bellefontaine (beautiful Fountain) Farms in Basco WI, the first Henry family property purchased by Joseph and Josephine Henry when they emigrated from France in the late 1800’s, our Bellefontaine Reserve combines the Henry family’s French Heritage to their Wisconsin Bourbon. We hand pick very select barrels to blend using a French Cognac process and then finish for 8 months in Cognac casks imported from France. During that 8 month finishing process, we take another group of our ex bourbon barrels; which have been aging Petit Eau (Water aged in our bourbon barrels for 3 or more years until it is about 30%ABV) and slowly reduce the proof to the perfect level as determined by batch number. This product is the culmination of our Wisconsin home grown bourbon, blending with ancient French proofing techniques for a unique treat you can reward yourself with for any occasion.
La Flamme Reserve
Armagnac Finished Bourbon
Every autumn in Gascony, France local farmers observe the successful grape harvest and the start of the Armagnac distilling season with ‘La Flamme de l’Armanac’ celebration. La Flamme Reserve honors traditional French blending techniques and marries the flavors of the Armagnac region of France to our Wisconsin Straight Bourbon. We hand pick very select barrels to blend using a French Armagnac process and then finish for 8 months in Armagnac casks imported from France. Armagnac is distilled with the future in mind, as an investment in what is to come. We take the same approach by slowly aging our bourbons and finishing in these generations-old casks for a complex and unique flavor. Reward yourself with this celebration of the harvest.
Heirloom crops grown right on our farm.
All of our bourbons are made using Heirloom Red Corn, Heirloom Wheat, and Heirloom Rye, all grown on our farm in South Central Wisconsin, which has been in our family since 1946.
We use a unique, 4-grain mash bill for all our bourbon products: 64% Red Heirloom Corn, 14% Heirloom Glacier Winter Wheat, 14% Heirloom Spooner Rye, and 8% Malted barley. While most bourbons utilize the sweetness of wheat or the spiciness or rye as their ‘flavor grain,’ we decided to use both to create a complex, yet balanced, easy drinking whiskey that both sweet wheat and spicy rye bourbon lovers can reward themselves with together.
“Our goal at this point is to make a really good bourbon that is uniquely Wisconsin.”
Rolling out the barrels.
Our barrels and maturation conditions play an important role in our final product. We take a few extra steps in barrel production. First, we season every oak stave a minimum of two years, which allows the wood sugars and flavors to slowly enhance and mature–similar to dry aging a steak. Then we lightly toast every barrel to caramelize the wood sugars and further enhance the flavors–similar to toasting a marshmallow on a campfire. Finally, we use a level 3 char on our barrels to ensure our bourbon can properly penetrate into the seasoned, toasted, and charred oak and extract maximum flavor.
“We don’t mind getting our hands dirty, it’s all a part of the bourbon-making process on our farm.”
Wisconsin weather working
its magic.
Once the bourbon is in the barrel, our bourbons undergo a minimum of five years aging in our cupola-topped rick houses, styled after a 100 year-old dairy barn to allow maximum airflow. Wisconsin has one of the widest range and most volatile temperature swings in the US, with highs in the 100s through the grueling days in the summer, and lows down to -30° in the cold of winter. This volatility causes our barrels to expand when the temperature rises, allowing the barrels to soak up our bourbon and extract flavor; and dropping in the winter, pushing that bourbon back into the barrel and taking all those flavors from the wood with it. This process allows our bourbon to extract maximum flavor from our barrels while maintaining complexity and balance throughout the aging process.
In the end, it’s really all about the process for us – from growing the seeds, to harvesting, to the actual creation of our straight bourbon that’s aged for a minimum of four years to attain that warm amber color and smooth, mellow flavor.