Jim Beam Lineage
In Depth Review
It’s not every day I get to review a rare, expensive, high age Kentucky bourbon from arguably the best-known Kentucky distillery in the world. And it’s even rarer that said whiskey was created for Global Travel Retail. But today, we are going to do exactly that. Launched in 2021 as a Travel Retail exclusive, Jim Beam finally came to their senses last year and started releasing small amounts of Lineage at their newly refurbished distillery gift shop.
Lineage comes with some serious bourbon credentials. It starts off by using 15+ year old whiskies, then boasts a 111 proof, and finishes with an eye watering price of $250. And I will be the first to say, $250 is a lot to spend on whiskey – bourbon especially. So, this has to be good to even consider dropping this amount of coin. And with such a large price tag comes massive expectations (and a large box). Let’s dive in and see if it lives up to its major expectations.
Age: 15 Years
ABV: 55.5%
Cask: New oak
MSRP: $250
Distillery Name: Jim Beam
Review Date: 8/9/23
Color: Dark Mahogany
Nose: After letting this settle in the glass for 10 minutes, it shows off a nutty, fruity character full of peanut shells, sawdust, apple, and antique furniture. There’s a big cherry note underlying that fruitiness, pushing it towards a cherry cough syrup or cordial. It’s sweet and sticky on the nose, and immediately puts you into a sweaty rickhouse in the dead of summer. There’s a thick deep aroma from the nose that only gets better as it sits in the glass.
Palate: The palate it begins with the classic Beam profile, with peanut brittle, deep charred oak, and cherry syrup. Then comes granola, baking spices, warm fudge, and even more cherry. It’s sweet up front with waves of wood crashing into the midpalate and into the finish. This is a dark and brooding whiskey that demands attention. The mouthfeel clings to the tongue, with excellent body and depth befitting such an old bourbon.
Finish: Long finish full of old oak, wood spice, anise, and leather. The oak is so heavy at times that it borders on bitter at times. A few drops of water smooth out the heavy oak on the finish and makes for an all-around more enjoyable experience.
Final Thoughts: While some have heralded this Jim Beam Lineage as the best that Beam has ever produced – I struggle to go that far. This is an excellent bourbon. One that absolutely delivers on the expectations that come with a 15+ year old product from a distillery such as Beam. But at times, the oak is overpowering and spikey, with a cherry cough syrup note that was distracting at times. But with a touch of water this bourbon improved significantly, giving even more life to the nose while smoothing out the finish. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, $250 is a lot to spend on a bourbon. At that price, it should blow you away. And while I am happy to have this bottle in the collection, I would struggle to recommend to anyone but my most dire hard bourbon drinkers to spend $250 on this bottle.
