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Jim Beam Lineage Batch #2 Review

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Jim Beam Lineage Batch #2 Review

Is Jim Beam's $250 father-son collaboration worth the premium price? This 15-year bourbon brings history and pedigree, but does the taste match the hype?
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
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Tasting Notes:

About:
Jim Beam has unveiled its latest limited-edition bourbon, marking a historic collaboration between two generations of master distillers at America’s oldest continuously operating distillery.

The world’s best-selling bourbon brand announced the release of Lineage Batch #2, a 15-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey crafted by Fred Noe and his son Freddie Noe. The $250 expression represents the first Jim Beam portfolio bourbon to feature eighth-generation distiller Freddie Noe’s name alongside his father’s.

This exclusive release will only be available for purchase at The James B. Beam Distilling Co. campus in Clermont, Kentucky, making it a sought-after collector’s item for bourbon enthusiasts. The limited availability continues Jim Beam’s strategy of creating premium, small-batch offerings alongside its core range.

The new expression underwent extensive aging at the Booker Noe Plant, named after Fred’s father and sixth-generation master distiller. The 15-year maturation in charred white oak barrels resulted in a bourbon bottled at 55.5% ABV.
Appearance:
Dark mahogany almost stained cherry wood.
Nose:
Peanut funk, warm cinnamon sugar, Nella wafer, honey bun, malty, bread dough and oak.
Palate:
On the mouth it starts with some tart pears, dried mango, and aged oak before evolving into bitter chocolate, pipe smoke, and toasted hazelnuts enraptured with some medium oak charring.
Finish:
An unexpected burn with medium to short feel. Mouth feel was oily but tempered. The notes held include chocolate, with an odd superficial plastic poking through.
Comments:
To be transparent, my expectations were high on this one. I like Jim Beam, and I think they’ve crafted some excellent whiskey. To me, and I may have had an off day, this was just a good drink, but not something I would hold back from a crowd. Which, maybe, it’s meant to be that.

The bottling is beautiful, the story is great, and the drink itself is fun with a lot to explore. I don’t believe it will be everyone’s favorite, but I’m sure if you brought it out during a tasting, people would remember it.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Charles Steele

Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.

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