Jefferson’s Founder’s Reserve Is a 20-Year-Old Bourbon Finished in French Bordeaux Casks, Limited to 250 Bottles

As bourbon brands mark America’s 250th anniversary, scarcity is becoming a familiar part of the conversation. Some commemorative releases will be special but broadly available; others will be limited, though still found in meaningful numbers.

Jefferson’s Founder’s Reserve belongs in a far rarer category.

Jefferson’s has unveiled a 20-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey finished in French Bordeaux wine casks, with only 250 individually numbered bottles created.

While Jefferson’s has not yet publicly announced the price, release date or exact availability details for Founder’s Reserve, BourbonBlog.com has reached out for pricing, release timing, allocation information and more from Trey Zoeller on the story behind the release.

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A 20-Year Bourbon With a Bordeaux Finish

The label identifies Jefferson’s Founder’s Reserve as a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey finished in French Bordeaux wine casks.

That combination is intriguing. A 20-year-old bourbon already arrives with a great deal of maturity, oak influence and concentration. The Bordeaux finish introduces another layer, potentially bringing dark fruit, dried cherry, red-wine tannin, cocoa and spice to the whiskey’s older-bourbon foundation.

It is bottled at 47% ABV, or 94 proof, and the label calls it cask strength.

Jefferson’s has made experimentation part of its identity, from ocean-aged bourbon to specialty wood and cask finishes. Founder’s Reserve takes that same instinct into a much more mature, collector-level release.

The new Founder’s Reserve also draws on the Thomas Jefferson inspiration behind the brand itself. Jefferson’s has long used its namesake as a symbol of curiosity, exploration and doing things differently, and this release leans into that founder-focused historical presentation.

The bottle features a wax-seal-style design, individual numbering and founder Trey Zoeller’s signature, pictured below.

Only 250 Bottles Created

The biggest headline may be the production number: just 250 bottles.

The bottle shown by Jefferson’s is individually marked—No. 1 of 250—and the small total makes this far more than a standard limited-edition bourbon.

For collectors, the appeal is obvious: a 20-year age statement, Bordeaux-cask finish, numbered presentation and a bottle count measured in the hundreds rather than thousands.

Price and Availability Are Still Unknown

As mentioned, we are still learning more about the price, release date and when Founder’s Reserve will become available. Also still to be revealed are the length of the Bordeaux-cask finishing period, the number of barrels involved, where bottles will be allocated and whether the release will be offered through select retailers, private allocation or another channel.

But the essential details are already enough to make this one worth watching: Jefferson’s Founder’s Reserve is a 20-year-old bourbon finished in French Bordeaux casks, with only 250 bottles in existence.