Widow Jane Black Opal Returns With 20-Year-Old Bourbon and Mizunara Finish

Widow Jane Black Opal 2026 Blends 20-Year-Old Bourbons.

Widow Jane Distillery has unveiled the second iteration of Black Opal Bourbon, a limited release featuring a blend of bourbons aged for a minimum of 20 years and finished for 13 months in old-growth Mizunara oak casks. The 2026 expression follows the first Black Opal release in 2024 and is named after the rare gemstone.

The bourbons used in Black Opal 2026 were distilled in Tennessee and Kentucky before completing their aging in the century-old Widow Jane rickhouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Head Distiller and Blender Sienna Jevremov evaluated more than 50 individual barrels over several months before selecting the barrels used in the final blend.

Widow Jane Extends Mizunara Oak Finish to 13 Months

After the bourbon barrels were selected and blended by hand, the whiskey was finished for 13 months in casks made from old-growth Mizunara oak, nearly a year longer than the finish used for the first Black Opal expression. Mizunara, or Quercus crispula, grows naturally in the mountainous regions of Japan, including Hokkaido. The wood is air-seasoned for 12 months before being made into casks that receive a medium toast and light char.

According to Widow Jane, the highly porous, low-tannin oak imparts distinctive flavors to the bourbon. Jevremov said the extended finish allows the Mizunara character to develop further while maintaining the mature character and fruit notes of the 20-year-old whiskey.

“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. 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,” said Jevremov.

Black Opal 2026 Offers Layered Tasting Profile

Widow Jane describes the Black Opal 2026 nose with vanilla beans, orange-butter crepes, espresso, sea salt and lily. The palate features canelé, rock sugar candy, Manuka honey, white miso, azuki bean paste, frankincense and chocolate-covered orange. The finish brings notes of sugar-roasted root vegetables, cinnamon gelato, cocoa powder coffee bean, blackstrap molasses and chocolate mint.

As with other Widow Jane whiskeys, Black Opal is proofed with limestone water sourced from the Rosendale Mines in upstate New York. The distillery says the mineral-rich water contributes to the bourbon’s mouthfeel and finish.

Widow Jane Black Opal 2026 Limited to 3,300 Bottles

Widow Jane Black Opal 2026 is bottled at 49.5% ABV, or 99 proof, with a suggested retail price of $500 for a 750-milliliter bottle. The limited release is allocated to 3,300 bottles and is scheduled to become available in select markets beginning in October 2026. Widow Jane recommends enjoying Black Opal neat to allow the bourbon to open in the glass.