Jim Gaffigan’s Fathertime Is Back With The Caboose

Just in time for Father's Day, it’s time to welcome the newest member of the Fathertime family, The Caboose, the latest release from comedian turned bourbon enthusiast Jim Gaffigan. If you missed our interview with Jim on this week’s Weekly Review, click the thumbnail to watch that after you order The Caboose, of course.

At this point, Jim’s bourbon journey has moved well past casual curiosity. What started as a shared appreciation for a good pour has turned into a full family of releases, each one built around the same simple idea: Jim and Stu taste through barrels, blend until they find something smooth, balanced, and delicious, then Jim signs every bottle himself. Which, by his own admission, is a pain in the ass, but ultimately worth it.

Much like fatherhood.

The youngest child in a large family holds a unique position. They receive a distinctive kind of focus from both parents and siblings. Some of that attention is positive. Some of it is, well, annoying. But just like the last car of a train painted bright red, they stick out.

And much like a caboose, a large family is increasingly rare these days. Both are worth celebrating, ideally with a good bourbon.

The Caboose continues the Fathertime story with the same balance and approachability that made the previous batches so easy to enjoy, while continuing to grow a little older and a little deeper.

Like every Fathertime release, The Caboose is small, carefully selected, and personally signed by Jim. It is a bourbon built for sharing, laughing, and maybe reflecting for just a second before the next kid asks for a ride somewhere.

While the Precious Batch maintains that rich-drinking 92.4 proof, any dad will attest that some nights call for a stronger bourbon, and this round’s Empty Nester Strength comes in at 121 proof.

To those who humbly accept the paternal responsibility, we raise a glass to you.

Fathertime Bourbon "The Caboose"

Rich, cherry syrup-driven nose moving into vanilla custard, freshly baked apple pie, wildflower honey, whipped chocolate mousse, and sweet praline.

The palate also drinks with an initial rich cherry sweetness. It’s creamy and silky to start, continuing into vanilla bean, raspberry danish, and plenty of sweet-leaning mature oak facets. What is most impressive is the mouthfeel here, remaining decadent and coating even at 92 proof.

Perhaps the sweetest-leaning batch of the bunch, the finish continues with trails of sweet cherry syrup and cane sugar, ultimately carrying into gentle vanilla-wrapped pepper, and continually developing fragrant sweet oak.

Fathertime Bourbon Empty Nester Strength “The Caboose”

Dense, buttery caramel leads on the nose. There’s a rich, heavy fruitiness that continues to grow more sugary in the glass, clean, articulate, and slightly melon-like, while slightly damp oak sits underneath it all.

The palate is chess pie, spiced vanilla custard, and slightly perfumed leather, familiar to this latest batch of 92.4 proof, but more intense and concentrated. It’s easy for its proof, not nearly as spiced as some past batches, and there’s a growing candied dark cherry fruitiness and vanilla cream that lasts beyond all else.

The finish is coating, creamy, and layered, leading with charred oak and nuanced layers of milk chocolate, spiced vanilla, and mint-kissed Luxardo cherry syrup.