New Beam 12y/o?

[clingman71]

Century Bar here in Dayton posted today:

Jim Beam announced today they are releasing a 12 year old small batch in August.

Anyone know anything about this? Seems odd in this age of lowering proofs and NAS.

[Gillman]

Great catch on this if true! This is long overdue. Maybe the Beam signature yeasty-earthy-like taste will mature out beautifully at that proof.

Gary

Edited February 13, 2013 by Gillman

[Lazer]

hmmm.... wasn't the KC shortage about 3 years ago? Isn't KC supposed to be 9yrs? Hmmm... If I was better at math I might be able to solve this one. :cool:

[Josh]

Bourbon Review posted a pic. Jim Beam Signature Craft. 86 proof. Yes, 86. At least it's not 84.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151468993775325&set=a.10150234622235325.363763.116416630324&type=1&theater

[MyOldKyDram]

The bourbon gods giveth the age and taketh the proof.

[HighHorse]

It's true and I was able to share in some back in October with a Beam rep. It's finished in Brandy casks. The Brandy finish is noticeable. I had forgotten until the rep reminded me when I asked concerning your post, Clingman. There was just sooo much good whiskey on the counter then .. that I can't recall specifics. But, the good news is that a bottle will be wandering in to town when the rep visits again!

[Josh]

It's true and I was able to share in some back in October with a Beam rep. It's finished in Brandy casks. The Brandy finish is noticeable. I had forgotten until the rep reminded me when I asked concerning your post, Clingman. There was just sooo much good whiskey on the counter then .. that I can't recall specifics. But, the good news is that a bottle will be wandering in to town when the rep visits again!

[Yeti]

there outta be a law against bourbons under 100 proof.

[MyOldKyDram]

39.99 according to same post Josh was talking about. May give it a go.

[WAINWRIGHT]

Great catch on this if true! This is long overdue. Maybe the Beam signature yeasty-earthy-like taste will mature out beautifully at that proof.

Gary

It's true and I was able to share in some back in October with a Beam rep. It's finished in Brandy casks. The Brandy finish is noticeable. I had forgotten until the rep reminded me when I asked concerning your post, Clingman. There was just sooo much good whiskey on the counter then .. that I can't recall specifics. But, the good news is that a bottle will be wandering in to town when the rep visits again!

I will be curious to try this and would like to see what the age and finishing truly does to the profile.I kind of see this as a poor man's revival of the Distiller's Masterpiece bottlings from years ago.

[ErichPryde]

Great catch on this if true! This is long overdue. Maybe the Beam signature yeasty-earthy-like taste will mature out beautifully at that proof.

Gary

God, I hope the same damn thing.

[White Dog]

39.99 according to same post Josh was talking about. May give it a go.

$40 for a 12yr at 86, or $25 for a 12yr at 94? Thank you, Heaven Hill!

[MyOldKyDram]

Very true, but the finish does make it somewhat unique at least. How much so, well that's up to your wallet I reckon.

[JPBoston]

$40 for a 12yr at 86, or $25 for a 12yr at 94? Thank you, Heaven Hill!

100% Agreed.

Or to keep it in the family --- I'll take $25 for 100 proof KC at 9yrs old.

[White Dog]

Very true, but the finish does make it somewhat unique at least. How much so, well that's up to your wallet I reckon.

I hear ya, man. I'll end up buying a bottle, and probably end up regretting it as I do with most Beam products. But I'll still try it.

[Gillman]

The Distiller's Masterpiece was 20 years when bottled IIRC, i.e., after the port cask or other finishing it got. With the 12 year, I'd have though the brandy wasn't necessary but it can't hurt it. This is a must buy IMO.

Gary

[WAINWRIGHT]

The Distiller's Masterpiece was released as both an 18yr Cognac finish and a 20yr. Port finish.It may be hard to believe but I have still seen quite a few gracing shelves from time to time,at over $250 mind you they may soon settle into the dust.BTW sorry for the thread drift.

[Josh]

Fixed that for you. :grin:

Ha! Excellent fix.

$40 for a 12yr at 86, or $25 for a 12yr at 94? Thank you, Heaven Hill!

Word.

Apparently some who got samples didn't get brandy finished ones or weren't told they were brandy finished, or something.

Fred Minnick, for one:

http://fredminnick.com/jim-beam-launches-new-premium-whiskey-line-with-12-yr-bourbon/

Also, whoever runs Beam's Twitter account seemed surprised by this information leaking out, and told me they didn't have information on price yet, even though Fred and The BR clearly had the MSRP.

Edited February 14, 2013 by Josh

[squire]

12 year old watered down brandy finished Grand Dad. I may as well drink Canadian at half the price.

[smokinjoe]

12 year old watered down brandy finished Grand Dad. I may as well drink Canadian at half the price.

Is it the OGD mashbill? If so, that could be very interesting brandy-finished. I was assuming it was the regular Beam mashbill.

[squire]

For some reason that popped into my mind Joe but I don't know from whence it came.

[ethangsmith]

I can't wait until this wine barrel thing blows over. Wine and whiskey culture should never meet in my opinion.

[Gillman]

Looking at the bottle pictured in Fred Minnick's blog, it seems to be a bourbon plain and simple, not finished in brandy cask. He says a second expression may come out in September which has the brandy cask finish. Certainly the price mentioned ($40.00) seems very fair either way considering that aged bourbon is at a premium these days.

I think the thinking chez Beam has been that very aged bourbons can benefit from a finish in a wine or non-whiskey spirits cask, but many bourbon fans like the taste of older tannic bourbon and find that brandy or port doesn't add to the experience and may take away.

In the 70's, Beam regularly issued bourbons 12 years and older, describing them by months of age (110 months, 120 months, etc.). These were the famous decanter series of that time. The age in fact was all over the map, anything from 7 years to 15 IIRC.

It has taken Beam some time to catch up to the very-aged segment of the market, so long that the category has started to recede due to penury of supply, but it is good to see this move finally being made and the pricing again (if it stays to what Fred Minnick indicated) is very fair.

Gary

[Josh]

I'm keeping an open mind, but 86 proof is a major disappointment. They really should have tried to do better than that.

[Gillman]

I agree fully viz. the proof. It should have been 90 at a minimum.

Gary