The good folks at James B. Beam Distillery are always looking for the best whiskey. Fortunately for them, Jim Beam White Label is so popular worldwide (it’s the world’s second best-selling American whiskey), that it allows them to really dig into special releases from vast warehouses.
To that end, Fred Noe and his son, Freddie Noe (both Master Distillers), decided to take a look at terroir in a real way by releasing three brand-new bourbons that are vastly different but are — at their core — the same juice. Which whiskey is that? 17-year-old Beam bourbon.
2023’s three Hardin’s Creek releases are all the same Jim Beam bourbon, yes. But each release was aged at a different campus warehouse around Kentucky. And while “Kentucky” feels like a singular place to much of America, it’s really quite diverse. Each of the three Hardin’s Creek releases is from different campus warehouses with different terrain, weather patterns, and building styles. These nuances had a pretty amazing effect on the final whiskeys.
And you know what? That’s kind of exciting. The Noes have proven that where whiskey is aged is just as important as mash bill, yeast, water, distilling, and wood.
To celebrate these new bottles, I’m giving you my professional tasting notes and ranking all three Hardin’s Creek releases below. Now, it’s worth noting that these whiskeys are not cheap. I can get them at a liquor store in Kentucky but you might not be as lucky. Plus, $200 or so per bottle is no small ask. Luckily, there’s a way to try all three of these bottles in a handy set of small bottles. Basically, you can try all three expressions for the price of one full-size bottle.
3. Hardin’s Creek ‘Clermont’ Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $174
The Whiskey:
As mentioned above, this is all the same whiskey (17-year-old Beam bourbon) just aged in a different part of Kentucky. In this case, the whiskey is a 17-year-old bourbon that spent its life resting at the Clermont, Kentucky Beam campus, which is the main distillery where tourists can indulge in all things Beam. The Clermont campus is the Kentucky you probably see in your mind. Rolling green hills surrounded by endless forests of deciduous trees (it’s amazingly beautiful right now with all the fall colors). The rickhouse these barrels rested in is surrounded by a thick wild forest that gives a strong winter sun as the trees go fallow for the season. That also means there’s ample shade during the hot summer months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark caramel and old vanilla pods lead on the nose with a fleeting sense of cherry syrup cut with clove and anise before a soft oakiness takes over.
Palate: The oak takes on a dark and almost smoky vibe as cinnamon sticks and clove buds lead to old saddle leather and damp pipe tobacco with a hint of cherry apple lurking beneath it all.
Finish: Singed marshmallow and old firewood bark lingers with some sense of vanilla cream and old dried cherries rolled in tobacco and cedar bark and dipped in dark chocolate with hints of salt.
Bottom Line:
This is just straight-up classic Kentucky bourbon. It’s everything you’re looking for — cherry, vanilla, oak, caramel. This is the sort of whiskey you pour when you want to introduce someone to “the good stuff” from Kentucky.
I’d also argue that since this is so classic tasting, it’s the perfect option for really good whiskey-forward cocktails.
2. Hardin’s Creek ‘Boston’ Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $194
The Whiskey:
This whiskey spent all 17 of its years in rickhouses at the Boston, Kentucky, campus (south of the Bardstown area). Those warehouses are in a flatter area of the state (instead of tucked away in hollers or perched atop hills). So the actual buildings had more access to bathing warm sunlight, wind, rain, and even snow — all of which slightly shifted the aging process of the barrels in those warehouses. There are simply bigger swings in temperature and atmosphere in Boston that allow for more wood and spirit interaction.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a classic medley of wet brown sugar cut with rich vanilla buttercream, cinnamon bark, and dark cherry cola just kissed with dark chocolate and salt.
Palate: The taste leans nutty (more almond shell than marzipan) with a deep sense of salted dark chocolate-covered espresso beans next to sticky toffee pudding, salted caramel sauce cut with orange zest, and a hint of coffee cake dipped in black tea with a fleeting sense of old rickhouses floors and dry tobacco.
Finish: That dry tobacco and earthiness amp up the finish as the spice barks sharpen toward a warming finish full of Kentucky hugs, vanilla beans, and soft spiced brandied cherries dipped in dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This bourbon is all character. It’s quintessential, sure. But it’s also deep and bold. It’s like Christmas dessert in a glass with a warm Kentucky hug that lulls you into a nap after a big meal. I really dig this over a single large rock as a slow sipper or as the base for an amazing Manhattan.
1. Hardin’s Creek ‘Frankfort’ Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $199
The Whiskey:
This is the same 17-year-old Beam bourbon aged at the Frankfort, Kentucky campus. This set of warehouses is more easterly in the state where the humidity gets bold in the summer and the foothills of Appalachia start to roll in. The actual buildings are also tighter with less ventilation, creating a more enclosed hot box vibe for the ricks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft woody notes pop on the nose with a sense of old tobacco in a cedar humidor next to toasted marshmallows over a smoldering campfire with rum raisin, bespoke cherry soda pop, and salted caramel that’s cut with molasses leads to a medley of sugar cookies cut with almond and lemon oils next to spiced nut cakes.
Palate: The caramel gets dark and salted on the tip of the tongue as the palate leans into mincemeat pies and dark mulled wine with a sense of brandy-soaked fruit cake, rich marzipan, and soft pipe tobacco with a sense of floral honey backing everything up.
Finish: The end takes on a woody vanilla pod vibe over soft notes of winter spice barks, soft cedar, and old saddle leather shined with cherry wax and honeycomb before a malty chocolate shake arrives with a lush and silky finish full of holiday spices and dry smudging sage piled up in an old rickhouse on a warm but musty day.
Bottom Line:
This is just good freaking whiskey. It’s so delicate yet deep with seemingly endless sippability. Seriously, take it slow with this one as a sipper and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful nuances and old-school bourbon vibes.
