The Wild Prohibition History Behind Jacob’s Pardon Bourbon
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"This is not an old-fashioned bourbon. This is not Old Crow or Jim Beam white label. This is much more contemporary."
So claims F. Paul Pacult, a veteran spirits educator and writer, who serves as the master blender behind Jacob's Pardon Bourbon . Pacult introduced the bourbon at a private event earlier this week in New York at the offices of Palm Bay International, a family-run wine and spirits company that launched Jacob's Pardon in 2019.
The brand is overseen by Palm Bay's Marc and Jake Taub, who began Jacob's with a few relatively niche offerings, including a nearly 143-proof, 18-year-old "light whiskey" that was one of my favorite whiskeys of 2024 . But yes, very insider stuff.
"We did three different recipes of American whiskey to launch the brand," says Marc Taub. "But the American whiskey business centers around bourbon and we needed to get involved and participate in that to get to a bigger stage."
Interestingly, the Taubs hail from a long and colorful line of whiskey makers. Marc Taub's grandfather had gone into business with two brothers Abner and Jacob right after Prohibition, but it was those siblings who really started the family journey into whiskey, albeit in a more colorful and illicit way.
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See, Jacob and Abner had made whiskey during Prohibition, but were caught up in a sting in 1929 that shut them down and landed the brothers behind bars. Six years laster, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pardoned the duo. The story remained a family secret for years, but the current generation of Taubs wanted to "pay homage to that history."
History aside, Jacob's Pardon feels very of the moment. It's a four-grain whiskey blend, a popular trend that I often find makes for a confused, directionless spirit (spoiler alert: that's not a problem here). "It's the ultimate heartland whiskey," says Pacult, who went through 73 trials to find the right blend. "It has four grains, but the mash bill is corn-heavy. The whiskey is from three states: Indiana for the MGP , Kentucky for Jackson Purchase , and the ringer from the whole thing, Middle West Spirits from Ohio."
The bottles for Jacob's Pardon Bourbon are quite different than the brand's other expressionsCourtesy Brand
The blender credits Middle West and its wheated contribution for the whiskey's "silkiness," Jackson Purchase for the fruitiness and hints of black cherry, and the seven-year MGP liquid for the buttery and tannic notes. Coming in at a modest 45% ABV, the dominant element here is certainly corn—it has a lovely movie theater popcorn element on the nose. The palate offers rye spice and notes of vanilla, raspberry, black pepper, orange zest, wood spice, cloves, and dark chocolate. It is, as Pacult notes, all very buttery and tannic, and a nice mix of sweet, spicy, and fruity.
So how do you release a new bourbon in 2026, in an oversaturated market and with the initial conception of Jacob's Pardon as more of a boutique single barrel and small-batch blender? To start, the brand redesigned the formerly squat bottles from scratch, creating a tall, slender vessel with a series of raised ridges and a handsome dark blue and gold label.
But Jacob's Pardon should easily find a home with bourbon enthusiasts looking for something a little bolder. This is a burly bourbon, and proudly so. "Bourbon's a funny animal," Pacult admits. "It's truly American. And it can be disappointing at times. I've tasted hundreds and hundreds of bourbons, and often with American whiskey, I've been disappointed by the lack of character." Not a problem here.
You can find Jacob's Pardon Bourbon in nationwide and online for an MSRP of $60.
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This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Oct 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Drink section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
