Widow Jane Distillery released the second iteration of Black Opal Bourbon, the Red Hook, Brooklyn distillery’s exploration of marrying its oldest and rarest bourbons. 

Black Opal 2026, a limited release named for one of the world’s rarest gemstones, is a blend of bourbons aged for a minimum of 20 years and finished for 13 months in old-growth Mizunara oak casks. 

Befitting a bottling decades in the making, the bourbons blended to create Black Opal were distilled in Tennessee and Kentucky. The barrels identified for this bourbon finished their ageing journey within the century-old brick walls of the Widow Jane rickhouse which sits just blocks from the Red Hook waterfront where, since the early 1800s, a robust shipping industry gave rise to a culture that shaped the neighborhood. 

Head Distiller and Blender Sienna Jevremov painstakingly tasted through more than 50 individual barrels, a multi-month process that yielded an initial sketch of what would become Black Opal.

Once the barrels were selected, Jevremov married the liquids, by hand, until it met her and Widow Jane’s standards. Finally, the whiskey took on an extended 13-month finish in casks raised from prized, old-growth Mizunara oak (Quercus crispula) – nearly a full year longer than the first Black Opal expression released in 2024. 

Mizunara trees, which occur naturally in Japan’s mountainous Hokkaido island, are harvested, air-seasoned for 12 months, and crafted into casks that receive medium toast plus a light char. The casks are highly porous and low in tannins, imparting an intense and distinctive flavor on the bourbon.

“For the 2026 Black Opal, I was excited to explore how much more the Mizunara could bring to these 20-year-old whiskies with additional time in the cask,” Jevremov said in a news release. “Compared with the last release, this is a longer finish, and you can really see that in the way the Mizunara has settled into the whiskey bringing more sandalwood, incense, and a soft, savory spice without losing those beautiful fruit notes. There’s still that deep, mature character you want from a whiskey of this age, but it feels bright and alive, with the Mizunara giving it another layer to unfold.”

As is a signature of Widow Jane whiskeys, Black Opal is proofed with limestone water from the legendary Rosendale Mines of upstate New York. This mineral-rich, hard and sweet water delivers a full, round, lavish mouthfeel and long finish, fitting for a bourbon 20 years in the making.

Widow Jane Black Opal by the numbers:

• Aged 20 years
• Finished 13 months in old-growth Mizunara Oak
• 49.5% ABV (99 proof)
• SRP: $500/750 ml
• Allocation: 3,300 bottles
• Availability: In select markets beginning in October

Widow Jane recommends experiencing Black Opal neat, allowing the precious liquid to open up and its flavors and texture to expand in the glass as the bourbon breathes.

Read more: Widow Jane Releases Second Edition of Borough Blend Bourbon

About Widow Jane Distillery

Widow Jane is an award-winning artisanal distillery located in the New York City neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn. The company is named in homage to one of the legendary mines of Rosendale in Upstate New York, from which the brand sources its proofing water. The facility in Red Hook includes mashing, fermentation, distillation, barreling, aging, blending, warehousing and bottling. Widow Jane Distillery is also open for tours and tastings. For more information, visit www.widowjane.com.