The James B. Beam Distilling Company (JBBDCo) has launched Hardin’s Creek, a new, ongoing series of annual whiskey releases.
Each set of expressions is meant to showcase the depth of James B. Beam Distilling Co.’s whiskey-making, through age, blending, mash bill, distillation, barrels, rickhouse locations and more.
This year’s inaugural Hardin’s Creek launches with Jacob’s Well Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Colonel James B. Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Jacob’s Well is a blend of two aged expressions: one 16-year-old traditional bourbon and one 15-year-old high-rye bourbon. This edition pays tribute to the first family distiller, Jacob Beam, and the well he built in 1795. On the nose is sweet vanilla and caramel paired with hints of oak, the company says. The palate is oak and char married with stone fruits, before a finish of vanilla and brown sweets. The suggested retail price is $149.99 per 750-ml. bottle.
Colonel James B. Beam is a two-year-old whiskey that “achieves a depth of flavor usually reserved for more mature bourbons by taking it off the still at a lower distillation proof, imparting more flavor from the fermentation process and letting the barrel’s characteristics shine through at a younger age,” the company says.
After the repeal of Prohibition, it took 120 days for Colonel James B. Beam, also known as Jim Beam, to get Clermont Distillery up and running again. In making Colonel James B. Beam whiskey, Freddie Noe was inspired by the style of bourbon the Colonel made on day 121: low distillation proof for a fuller flavor. The result is a nose of vanilla and caramel notes. The palate contains vanilla, nuts and oak. The suggested retail price is $79.99 per 750-ml. bottle.
Both bottles are 108 proof.
“We couldn’t be more excited to launch Hardin’s Creek, particularly after the refresh of the James B. Beam Distillery and the opening of the Fred B. Noe Distillery,” says Freddie Noe, the newly appointed master distiller of the Fred B. Noe Distillery. “This has been a long time in the making, and I can’t wait to share it with the world. Every detail, from the blending techniques to the labels, draws inspiration from centuries of our family’s history, paying homage to our heritage while looking towards our future.”
