Beam officially launches Hardin's Creek with 15- and two-year-old bourbons

It's been a year since we first got a look at what Beam was working on, but the distillery has finally taken the wraps off of Hardin's Creek.

The new brand will be launching with two expressions, Jacob’s Well Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Colonel James B. Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, although we know that at least three more are on the way as an ongoing series of annual releases. 

The Hardin's Creek brand name comes from the creek where Johannes Jacob Beam built a grain mill in 1795, kickstarting a family legacy measured in centuries, writes the company. 

Hardin's Creek Jacob's Well

This bourbon pays tribute to the well that Jacob Beam built as the first water source for the family's first bourbon. Jacob's Well is a blend of a 16-year-old traditional bourbon (75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley, the same as used in Jim Beam, Knob Creek, and Booker's releases, among others) and a 15-year-old high-rye bourbon (63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley, used by Basil Hayden and Old Grand Dad). These two bourbons were originally distilled by Freddie Noe, then these barrels were hand-selected by him a decade and a half later. It's bottled at 108 proof and will cost $150.

• Nose: Sweet vanilla and caramel with hints of rich oak
• Palate: Forward oak and char married with stone fruits
• Finish: Smooth with lingering notes of vanilla and brown sweets

Hardin's Creek Colonel James B. Beam

Colonel James B. Beam is a tribute to the challenge faced by its namesake to restart the Clermont Distillery after the repeal of prohibition. It took only 120 days to get the distillery up and running again, and Freddie Noe was inspired by the style of bourbon that was being made at the time of the restart. This bourbon used a longer fermentation process and came off the still at a lower distillation proof, and is intentionally aged for a very short two years, "proof that quality isn't solely defined by time." It's bottled at the same 108 proof as Jacob's Well, and will cost $80.

• Nose: Robust vanilla and caramel notes
• Palate: Deep and complex flavors of vanilla, nuts and oak
• Finish: Long and full finish

Both releases will be available starting on July 1, and pre-orders will be accepted through Reserve Bar starting on May 31. Both bottles will also be available as a part of Beam's Barreled and Boxed subscription service this summer.

We also know of at least three other Hardin's Creek bourbons that will be making their way to market in the future, so their releases will look like this:

• Hardin's Creek Colonel James B. Beam (2 years old, 108 proof)
• Hardin's Creek Jacob's Well (15.33 years old, 108 proof)
• Hardin's Creek Kentucky Series Frankfort (17 years old, 110 proof)
• Hardin's Creek Kentucky Series Clermont (17 years old, 110 proof)
• Hardin's Creek Kentucky Series Boston (17 years old, 110 proof)