The second release from James B. Beam’s (Jim Beam) Hardin’s Creek is a 17 year Bourbon titled “The Kentucky Series“. This is a progressive 3 bottle series focusing on the power and flavor influence of AGING LOCATION, or as they have called it – “Kentucky Terroir”.

Terroir is known wine industry term defined as the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate. Essentially, how micro nuisances can effect and create a unique product.

The Kentucky Series (3 Part Release): Clermont, Frankfort, Boston

Beam has used it’s 3 Kentucky based campuses to demonstrate how location effects flavor: Clermont, Boston, and Frankfort.

• Hardin’s Creek Kentucky Series CLERMONT: June 1st Release
• Hardin’s Creek Kentucky Series FRANKFORT: Aug 1st Release
• Hardin’s Creek Kentucky Series BOSTON: Sept 1st Release

Each expression within The Kentucky Series is a 17-year-old Bourbon, aged at one of three James B. Beam Distilling Company campuses: Clermont, Frankfort and Boston.

All three liquids were laid down with the same mash bill at the same time seventeen years ago but aged at different campus locations.

“The Kentucky Series is a testament to the influence of location and how nature plays such a vital role in liquid maturation,” said Freddie Noe, Eighth Generation Master Distiller of the Fred B. Noe Distillery. “While these three bourbons were made with the same mash bill and aged in Kentucky, the micro-climates and environments at each location are distinctly different, which greatly impacts the taste of each product. As my Granddaddy Booker Noe said, ‘Set it and let nature take over.’”

Expressions of the Kentucky Series will be released in limited quantities throughout this year, beginning with Clermont on June 1^st, Frankfort on August 1^st and Boston on September 1^st. 

HARDIN’S CREEK KENTUCKY SERIES, CLERMONT – 55% ABV | Suggested Retail Price: $169.99

The first expression from the Kentucky Series is Hardin’s Creek Clermont, aged at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont and bottled at the grand age of 204 months. The nuanced terroir and microclimates shaped by the rigid and rolling hills, the cool wind against the shelter of the valleys, and the pockets of rack houses placed close together, are aglow year-round beneath the strong Kentucky sunlight, making the unique contours of Clermont discernable in every pour.

“When I think of the terroir of Kentucky, I think of Clermont,” said Freddie Noe, Eighth Generation Master Distiller of the Fred B. Noe Distillery.

TASTING NOTES (Brand Provided): CLERMONT

COLOR     Rich amber with darker tones

NOSE        Burnt sugar tripled with matured toasted oak and sweet vanilla

PALATE     Forward caramelized oak, followed by brown spices and hints of seasoned leather

FINISH      Smooth & sweet with lingering warmth

HARDIN’S CREEK KENTUCKY SERIES, FRANKFORT – 55% ABV | Suggested Retail Price: $169.99

The second expression from the Kentucky Series is Hardin’s Creek Frankfort, aged on the Frankfort campus and bottled at 204 months. The creek bed at the Frankfort campus covers the storied rack houses in a blanket of humidity, making everything age more slowly. Liquid ages at its own pace with little ventilation and a lot of time. More information to come upon Frankfort introduction on August 1.

HARDIN’S CREEK KENTUCKY SERIES, BOSTON – 55% ABV | Suggested Retail Price: $169.99

The Booker Noe campus in Boston, Kentucky is one of a kind. The rack houses are spread out generously in the golden sunshine and clear air, ideal for maturation. These unique conditions mean fast, richer aging. It’s bold and characterful, much like Booker Noe himself. More information to come upon Boston introduction on September 1.

About Hardin’s Creek (Brand Provided)

Hardin’s Creek is a series of ongoing releases featuring some of the James B. Beam Distilling Co.’s rarest and most unique whiskeys, grounded in 227 years of rich experience and distilling expertise. The brand launched in 2022 with its inaugural expressions, Jacob’s Well and Colonel James B. Beam, and released The Kentucky Series in 2023. Each release will showcase the breadth and depth of the James B. Beam Distilling Co’s whiskey-making credentials inclusive of age, blending, mash bill, distillation, barrels, rackhouse locations, and more. Hardin’s Creek celebrates whiskey’s past while charting its future.

For the latest on new releases, visit us at www.thebourbonreview.com.

The post James B. Beam’s Newest Hardin’s Creek “Kentucky Series” Bourbon: 17 Year Experimental 3 Part Release Showcasing Terroir first appeared on The Bourbon Review.