Bottled at Hazmat Proof, Jacob’s Pardon’s Latest ‘Light’ Whiskey Is Anything but

Jacob’s Pardon launched a new expression in early June: Small Batch Recipe #3. Bottled at a hazmat proof of 142.5, the whiskey is available at select locations across the U.S. at a suggested retail price of $195, the brand said in a news release.

The whiskey has a mashbill that consists of 99% corn and 1% malted barley. It was barreled in 211 uncharred new barrels and aged for 18 years, which allowed the “corn to shine through over time,” according to the brand.

“We took our time with Jacob’s Pardon Small Batch #3. While it is a light American whiskey, the tasting experience is anything but light,” Master Blender Paul Pacult said. “We chose to bottle at cask strength, allowing for less human interference and a more authentic product to be best enjoyed as is.”

Corn typically requires more time in barrel to develop tannin, and mashbills that have higher percentages of the grain require elevated aging times in order for the grain to reveal the depth of its complexity. Fortunately, this whiskey’s 18-year age statement gives it all the tools needed to be full of complexity.

The brand describes Jacob’s Pardon Small Batch Recipe #3 as having aromas of “caramel corn, black cherry and prune danish,” coupled with “baking spices, clove, vanilla bean and pipe tobacco fragrance.”

About Jacob’s Pardon

Jacob’s Pardon was launched in 2020 by Marc D. Taub and his son, Jake. The Taubs own two wine and spirits import businesses, Palm Bay International and Taub Family Selections. Though Jacob’s Pardon is in its nascent years, the brand is steeped in nearly a century’s worth of history.

The non-distilling producer is an ode to Jacob and Abner Taub, who were rectifiers (an older term for non-distilling producers; rectifiers purchased whiskey from distillers and then “rectified” it to change its flavor profile) and bootleggers during Prohibition by trade. Jacob and Abner Taub were the brothers of Marc Taub’s grandfather, Martin.

In 1929, Jacob and Abner Taub were arrested, which left their business in ruins. President Franklin D. Roosevelt pardoned the Taub brothers in 1935, and they were able to start their business back up again.

Nearly a century later, Marc and Jake Taub have chosen to honor their legacy with Jacob’s Pardon and the latest expression of a light American whiskey.

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