Lucky Thirteen & the Thrill of the Bourbon Hunt

🥃 The Hunt for the One: Why Special Batches Make Bourbon a Thrill

Not all bottles are created equal... some are chosen. 🍀

There’s a certain kind of magic in the hunt. I’m not talking about deer stands or metal detectors—I’m talking about the sweet, slow chase for special batch bourbon.

You know the kind: small-batch. Handpicked. Scarce enough to feel like contraband. And when you find it? It feels like the whiskey gods are smiling down on you.

What is a special batch?

Let’s break it down neat:

• 🛢️ It comes from hand-selected barrels, usually by a master blender

• 🥃 Flavor can vary from batch to batch—no two pours are the same

• ⏳ It’s often a limited run, bottled once a year (or less)

• 💼 It’s sought after by collectors, casual sippers, and flavor nerds alike

These bottles have soul. They tell stories. They're the unicorns that make whiskey fun.

The Day I Got Lucky 🍀

A few falls ago, I stumbled into a little shop just off the Hudson River. The kind of shop where they don’t sell spirits—they curate them. I was chasing something new but didn’t know what… yet.

That’s when I saw it. A dark, quiet bottle with a label that read:

Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen: 13-Year Bourbon.

Aged for 13 years in American oak. Hand-blended in small batches. Limited and elusive. It had that “you better buy me now or kick yourself later” look.

I brought it home. And friends, when I uncorked that beauty?

It was cherry, orange peel, burnt sugar, a hint of leather—like jazz in a bottle. 🔥

Now here’s the kicker...

You don’t have to wait for fate to bring you this bottle. You can get it right now—for $129.99—and start your own Lucky story.

👉 Buy Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen 13-Year Bourbon here

The Weekly Pour 🍹: Shake Me Down

This cocktail? It’s citrusy, minty, and downright playful—like a whiskey smash with a New York swagger.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen

• 0.5 oz grapefruit liqueur

• 1 oz lemon juice

• 0.75 oz simple syrup

• 2 dashes citrus bitters

• 2 sprigs fresh mint

How to Make It:

1. Muddle one sprig of mint with simple syrup

2. Add bourbon, liqueur, juice, bitters

3. Shake hard with ice

4. Double strain into a rocks glass

5. Garnish with the second mint sprig

The lemon and grapefruit light it up, while the Lucky Thirteen keeps it grounded. It's one of those drinks that makes people go, “Wait—what’s in this?!”

Flavor Pairing Picks 🍗🍫💨

Here’s what pairs perfectly with Lucky Thirteen and your Shake Me Down:

• Food: Grilled lamb chops with rosemary crust

• Dessert: Dark chocolate bark with sea salt and orange peel

• Cigar: Medium-bodied with a cocoa-coffee backbone (like an Oliva Serie V)

Let those flavors roll around like old friends catching up.

What’s the Big Lesson? 🎓

Special batches aren’t just about rarity.
They’re about personality. They speak of barrels chosen by hand, aged with care, and bottled when the time feels right—not just when the calendar says so.

If regular bourbon is a paperback novel, then special batches are first editions—meant to be savored, remembered, and maybe even shared (with someone you really like).

A Pour Worth Repeating 🍂

“Some bottles you drink. Others, you remember.”

Now it’s your turn:

• 💬 Have a special batch story? Drop it in the comments

• 📌 Save this article to remember what to pour next

• 🥃 Send this to a buddy who appreciates the good stuff

And don’t forget, if you want to taste what started my Lucky obsession…

👉 Grab your bottle of Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen for $129.99

—

Cheers to the chase,
Ethan “Neat” Whitmore

P.S. In the next pour: I’ll show you three high-end bourbons under $100 that drink like they cost twice that. You’re gonna want to sip slow for that one. 🍂