Review: Great Jones Whiskeys, Complete Lineup (Updated 2025)

Opened in 2021, Great Jones Distillery is Manhattan’s first and only legal distillery since Prohibition. Being so new, they aren’t yet bottling their own whiskey. Their products are currently distilled, aged, and bottled at Black Dirt distillery in upstate New York. Today we will be trying three of their whiskeys, but only the standard bourbon is widely available. The Four Grain and the Rye are distillery exclusives.

Coverage updated in 2025 with the new Wheated Bourbon release.

Great Jones Straight Bourbon Review

This four-year-old whiskey has a mashbill of corn, malted barley, and rye. The nose is soft, with enticing notes of brown sugar and vanilla as well as a touch of black pepper. On the palate, the rye pepper notes are more pronounced and provide a nice balance to the brown sugar and vanilla notes. The whiskey isn’t overly complex and tastes a bit young with a fairly short finish, but it drinks well, particularly for its price point. I would love to see how it tastes with a little more time in cask. 86 proof. B / $40 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Great Jones Four Grain Straight Bourbon Review

Made with corn, malted barley, rye, and wheat all grown in the state of New York, this whiskey has been aged for four years. The nose is quite lovely and offers caramel, corn-heavy sweetness, and cereal notes, along with a bit of nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon. The palate is similar. Caramel and baking spices come first, along with a bit of peppery rye. Light sweetness balances the spice nicely, and although this is a young whiskey, it drinks a bit older. The only drawback is the finish, which could be longer, but this is a solid sipper. It works well on its own and would be a great base for an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. 90 proof. B+ / $60

Great Jones Rye Review

This whiskey is 100% rye, aged a minimum of four years. The nose shows the mashbill, starting with a spicy kick followed by vanilla and dried apricots. The palate opens with caramel, more dried apricot, and a light sweetness followed quickly by peppery spice notes that are pronounced, but not over the top. There’s balance here, with a finish that is medium in length. This is a nice sipping rye at a good price point and would serve brilliantly in cocktails. 90 proof. B+ / $40 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Great Jones Wheated Bourbon Review

Great Jones Wheated Straight Bourbon is distilled from grain grown in New York and aged for at least four years. While Great Jones is now distilling its own spirits, this bourbon appears to still be sourced from Black Dirt Distillery in Orange County, New York, based on language found on the back of the bottle stating “bottled by.” This likely indicates that the spirit was distilled elsewhere and then bottled in-house. The exact mashbill isn’t disclosed, but Great Jones states that it includes corn, malted barley, red winter wheat, and rye—all grown in the Black Dirt region of Warwick Valley, New York. Drinkhacker reached out to the company for clarification on the distillation source but received no response.

The nose opens with a curious mix of warm corn tortilla chips and almond biscotti, followed by a faint trace of cherry pits that lends a bitter edge. A touch of brown sugar softens the experience slightly but doesn’t fully offset that initial sharpness. On the palate, heavily toasted wheat bread and black tea dominate, joined later by a note of burnt brown sugar. The texture stands out here—unusually oily, adding some weight and presence. The finish carries that same burnt sugar tone, with hints of nutmeg and more black tea. Unfortunately, a persistent bitterness runs through the entire tasting experience, and it feels slightly out of sync with the rest of the profile. While the viscosity is a highlight, the flavor balance leaves something to be desired. At $49, it’s a tough sell—and not one I’d be inclined to revisit. 90 proof. B- / $49 -Jacob Kiper

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