Jim Beam Lineage (Batch #1)

The aroma is rich and complex, beginning with a blend of butterscotch caramel-covered pecan sticky buns, anise, and aged, leather-bound books. It continues with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans and sweet pipe tobacco, followed by caramelized peaches over vanilla gelato, cherry pie filling, and flambéed orange. This transitions to mild spearmint, cloves, and antique polished mahogany, with a medium ethanol burn. The taste has a rich, syrupy mouthfeel, starting with butterscotch pudding, cinnamon sugar-dusted churros, and spicy dark chocolate ganache. It then presents a note of weathered catcher's mitt before a moderate rye spice that quickly fades to freshly lit pipe tobacco. This is followed by cherries jubilee, caramelized peaches over vanilla gelato, and flambéed orange, transitioning to moderate baking spices, spearmint, and lacquered antique mahogany furniture, with a medium ethanol burn. The finish is long, commencing with weathered catcher's mitt and moderate rye spice, which slowly fades to butterscotch crème brûlée, caramelized peaches, dark chocolate-covered pretzels, candied ginger, and antique polished mahogany. Wow, I'm truly impressed with this collaboration; the Beam family certainly didn't hold back in creating a complex and stunning bourbon. It's a rich and decadent drink that delights from the aroma to the finish. It's likely best suited for those who appreciate aged, dusty oak notes with a moderate rye spice that prevents excessive sweetness, allowing the flavors to linger for minutes after each sip. At a price point of around $250+, it's a significant purchase, but I personally believe it justifies its premium cost, as it's one of the finest bourbons I've had the pleasure of trying.

NOSE: Deep, complex, sticky dark fruit, oak, roasted nuts, cinnamon-heavy baking spice, creamy vanilla, rich caramel, peanut brittle, with hints of citrus peels and leather. This is one of the deepest, most complex aromas I’ve encountered from a Jim Beam product that wasn’t a Booker’s release. It’s intense! PALATE: Same heavy, sticky, dark fruit character with even more oak competing for dominance, roasted peanut-peanut brittle, cinnamon-heavy baking spice, hazelnuts, leather, vanilla custard, pepper, some citrus peel, anise, and a warm herbal undertone. Good grief, this is an intensely flavorful and compelling dram to sit and sip. The palate of the Jim Beam Lineage Bourbon is even more complex than the aroma, with deep, new notes arriving one after another as it opens. I LOVE it. FINISH: Long; oak and dark fruit fade out to baking spice, nuts, and leather.

It's exceptionally smooth. I had to mention that first. The nose is heavy with caramel, sweet, almost like candy corn. The front palate is a bit mild but has some well-balanced bitter notes. I detect chocolate, cherry, leather, and peanuts. The finish is fantastic. It starts with heavy oak but shifts to many enjoyable sweet flavors, including caramel, vanilla, sugar cane, and even some mint.

The packaging and bottle look fantastic, and fortunately, the bourbon is just as good. Caramel, oak, vanilla, and baking spice on the nose, which carries through to the palate with some graham crackers added. It coats the mouth with each sip and has a long, spicy oak finish. The best Beam product I've had so far.

Good nose, typical of a fine Jim Beam product. The palate drops off and becomes a bit oaky, maybe some tart green apple? It's one-dimensional but still has good flavor. A decent finish, but not worth the price.

Lingering finish with cherry and oak.