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Widow Jane Distillery announced the release of Widow Jane Tequila Ocho Cask Finish Bourbon in May 2026. The product is finished in Tequila Ocho barrels and represents the first time Tequila Ocho has allowed its aged barrels to be used for whiskey production. The collaboration between Widow Jane and Tequila Ocho began in 2022 with a limited-edition tequila aged in Widow Jane's bourbon barrels.
Widow Jane’s new collaboration with Tequila Ocho is grabbing trade attention. The release represents the first bourbon finished in former tequila barrels, and the spirit comes from a distillery that blends whiskies from Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana before finishing them with limestone‑rich Rosendale water.
The spirit’s specific provenance—eight months in Arandas, Jalisco casks, non‑chill filtering, and a final proof of 45.5 %—lines up with two long‑running market trends. First, flavored whiskey sales are growing 6.2 % CAGR, projected to hit $1.4 billion in U.S. retail by 2025 per IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. Second, premium tequila imports rose 12.4 % in volume in 2025, a shift highlighted by U.S. Department of Commerce trade data.
Bar managers can use this collaboration to set their back‑bar line apart with a high‑proof product that still feels like Widow Jane’s flagship. The eight‑month finish adds subtle agave and mineral nuances while keeping the brand’s caramel‑toffee character, making it perfect for premium sipping or as an ingredient in cocktails that aim to evoke tequila without overt citrus.
With only 1,000 nine‑liter cases—about 2,000 standard cases—distribution is tight. Managers should balance orders to avoid excess stock that might sit idle or shortages that could miss the buzz generated by a release of this size.
Distributors need to remember that the product isn’t intended for wholesale; it will ship to bottle shops and back bars. It doesn’t fit into a regular portfolio line, but the partnership can be used as a marketing tool to pull traffic to partner retailers.
Consumers are drawn to the blend of two distinct spirit traditions—a classic American bourbon finished in Mexican tequila casks. The result delivers vivid freshness while preserving depth, thanks to limestone‑rich Rosendale water. Fans who love bold flavor adventures—particularly those seeking more than typical citrus or agave notes from premium tequila—will find this bourbon an appealing single‑pour that can be enjoyed neat or mixed into cocktails that need a hint of spice.
The release will hit shelves in May 2026 with 1,000 nine‑liter cases—about 2,000 standard cases—and aims to tap into the rising demand for flavored whiskey and premium agave imports.
Added May 2026: for buyers comparing tequila and bourbon finishes, Widow Jane’s collaboration with Tequila Ocho highlights a growing trend of blending spirits from different regions to create unique flavor profiles. The use of tequila barrels in bourbon finishing is becoming more common as distillers seek to differentiate their products in a competitive market.
Original Press Release
“With our Ocho Cask Finish, we treated the agave character as a prism; not to mask our 10-year whiskey, but to refract it. The result is a vivid freshness and brightness that still feels unmistakably Widow Jane.” – Sienna Jevremov, Head Distiller, Widow Jane
RED HOOK, BROOKLYN, NY (APRIL 20, 2026) – Widow Jane Distillery announces today a new chapter in the brand’s relationship with venerable tequila producer Tequila Ocho with the release of Widow Jane Tequila Ocho Cask Finish Bourbon. It will be available on back bars and in bottle shops beginning in May 2026.
The new product represents the first time Tequila Ocho has allowed barrels used to rest its aged expressions to be repurposed for whiskey production, and also a rekindling of the spirit of collaboration between these two craft brands.
The two producers, one tucked among the cobblestone streets of Red Hook, Brooklyn and the other amid the sprawling ranchos of rural Arandas, Jalisco, first linked up in 2022 with the introduction of Tequila Ocho Reposado Barrel Select Widow Jane, a limited-edition tequila aged for eight weeks and eight days in used bourbon barrels from Widow Jane’s Conover Street rick house. The two brands linked up again in 2023 to release a Barrel Select Añejo.
This year, returning the favor, Ocho lends its well-seasoned barrels to Widow Jane, bringing elegant agave notes to the bourbon while allowing Widow Jane’s signature intensity to be fully celebrated in a new, yet familiar way.
The sipping experience begins on the nose with the sweetness of Ocho’s overripe agave, followed by aromas of marigold, black tea, dark tobacco, papaya, and lime zest. The front palate delivers decadent chocolate pecan pie, canela, dried mango, agave nectar, and sun-kissed stone, with the tequila influence emerging and engulfing the back palate. The bourbon finishes with fresh green peppercorns, mesquite, roasted agave, coffee, and flan. Fruit and floral characteristics of overripe agave grown in the highlands of Jalisco are evident in each studied sip of this new bourbon.
Said Widow Jane Head Distiller Sienna Jevremov, “With our Ocho Cask Finish, we treated the agave character as a prism; not to mask our 10-year whiskey, but to refract it. The result is a vivid freshness and brightness that still feels unmistakably Widow Jane.”
She continued, “The Ocho casks express the terroir of Arandas, with notes of roasted agave and mineral-rich earth that elevate the 10-year caramel into a rich, sticky dulce de leche. Almond notes deepen into buttery pecan, while hints of nutmeg rise into herbaceous florals of tea and marigold. I’m excited for whiskey drinkers to explore it: a new realm of flavor, where some notes feel entirely unexpected and others feel instantly familiar.”
“We are incredibly excited to take our collaboration with Widow Jane to the next level with the release of Widow Jane x Tequila Ocho Cask Finish Bourbon,” said Tequila Ocho Global Brand Ambassador Jesse Estes. “This marks the first time a bourbon has been finished in Tequila Ocho barrels, and I believe the cooked agave, minerality, and citrus notes from Ocho will provide a distinctive brightness to beautifully complement the depth and character of Widow Jane. The result is a bourbon that invites whiskey drinkers to experience agave influence in a way they likely haven’t before. I see this release as an expression of what’s possible when categories intersect meaningfully, and when producers are willing to take creative risks in pursuit of something truly distinctive.”
Widow Jane Tequila Ocho Cask Finish Bourbon By The Numbers:
Widow Jane’s flagship 10-Year Bourbon finished for 8 months in Tequila Ocho casks
45.5% ABV / 91 proof
MSRP: $74.99
Total allocated volume: 1,000 9LC (2,000 phys cs)
As is the case with all Widow Jane whiskeys, Widow Jane Tequila Ocho Cask Finish Bourbon is non-chill filtered and is proofed with limestone-rich water sourced from the legendary Rosendale Mines of upstate New York.
Sources consulted (web research):
- Brooklyns Widow Jane Distillery Introduces Bourbon Finished For 8 Mon…
- Brooklyns Widow Jane Distillery Introduces Bourbon Finished For Eight…
- 2026 Widowjane Tequilaocho
- Tequila Ocho Widow Jane Reunite For New 12 Month Barrel Aged Anejo
- Drink Of The Week Tequila Ocho Anejo Barrel Select Widow Jane 2024
- Ntk Widow Jane
Source: BevNET