Again in 2023, Beam launched a trilogy of bourbons designed to point out the influence of location on getting old. The Kentucky Collection of Hardin’s Creek checked out warehouse terroir by presenting similar distillate aged at one in every of three completely different Beam campuses: Clermont, Frankfort, and Boston. The outcomes had been eye-opening, and I had some distinct preferences among the many trio.
Now Beam is again at it once more with a brand new Hardin’s Creek trilogy, this one much more hyperspecific. For the Warehouse Collection, the variable remains to be location, however it’s now all the way down to the warehouse stage. Every of those three whiskeys had been pulled from a special warehouse on the Clermont campus: Warehouse R (“Mushroom”), Warehouse W (“Beaver”), and Warehouse G (“Owl”). These warehouses range in peak, age, and building — so how does all of that play into what results in the bottle?
“The Warehouse Collection embodies the spirit of exploration that defines Hardin’s Creek – experimentation, discovery, and storytelling,” mentioned Freddie Noe, Eighth Technology Grasp Distiller, James B. Beam Distilling Co. “By holding each variable fixed besides the warehouse itself, we’re in a position to reveal the distinctive influence maturation environments have on the spirit.”
To inform the story and spark curiosity amongst Hardin’s Creek followers, the whiskey home partnered with internationally famend surrealist artist Max Loeffler to create a brand new model id. Every bottle depicts a symbolic character tied to its warehouse setting – Mushroom, Beaver and Owl. The designs assist inform the story behind the whiskey with symbols illustrated all through, providing hints of warehouse location, campus, proof and age assertion. Hardin’s Creek Warehouse Collection invitations whiskey fanatics to analyze all design parts to find the story behind every bottle.
All three of those whiskeys carry an 11 yr outdated age assertion and hit the bottle at 110 proof.
We tasted all three. Let’s dig in.
Hardin’s Creek The Warehouse Collection 2025 – Mushroom Evaluate
From Warehouse R, a novel one-story warehouse with no home windows, one of many coldest Beam operates. Whereas this whiskey noses with some charry, turned earth parts which may properly evoke the considered shrooms and dried black tea leaves, the palate tells one other story. Right here the whiskey is revealed to be fairly candy, these tea leaves backed up by notes of sunshine brown sugar, spearmint, and a candied licorice high quality. After a half hour or so in glass these earthy, mushroomy notes come again into view, resulting in a fairly savory and anise-laden end. The nickname is apt! The journey from earth to sugar and again is attention-grabbing and distinctive, making this one of the uncommon bourbons I’ve tasted all yr. In the event you style one whiskey from this assortment, this needs to be it.
Hardin’s Creek The Warehouse Collection 2025 – Beaver Evaluate
This five-story warehouse (Warehouse W) is sort of a century outdated and is located close to a creek, giving it an inner dampness. There’s extra spice all through with the Beaver launch, which contains a nostril of cherry, punctuated by floor cloves. Oak is reasonable however well-integrated, giving the aromatics a woodsy, verdant really feel. The palate has numerous comparable traits as Mushroom, fairly candy up high with a daring brown sugar observe that belies flavors of almond extract, then a extra natural character, showcasing rosemary and sage, then fading notes of dried flowers. Toasty and calmly smoky on the end, the whiskey finally ends up recalling a night by the hearth, with some inexperienced branches thrown over it. Nearly pretty much as good because the Mushroom launch.
Hardin’s Creek The Warehouse Collection 2025 – Owl Evaluate
Warehouse G is a huge nine-story warehouse, which I don’t suppose is legally allowed any extra as a consequence of security considerations. This expression has a big spice to it and is smokier than the opposite two, generally by a wholesome margin. Lots oaky on the nostril but in addition fairly nutty, with hazelnut and toasted almond parts. On the palate, it’s probably the most savory and austere whiskey of the bunch, and whereas notes of tea leaf are vibrant, they aren’t overly candy, and numerous these mushroomy notes seen within the Mushroom expression are equally on show right here. Extra nuts and a few anise infuse the end, once more fairly drying, although a pinch of brown sugar provides a pleasant contact to the proceedings, pairing apparently with some recent thyme. Positively a enjoyable counterpart to spherical out the trio.
$150 every (700ml)
Hardin’s Creek The Warehouse Collection 2025 – Mushroom
USD150
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