Jim Beam Lineage is a premium brand from Jim Beam Distillery. Initially released in 2021 as a global retail travel product, the product could only be purchased by international travelers at duty-free stores and the like. Jim Beam Lineage Batch #2 will only be available to purchase at The James B. Beam Distilling Co. campus in Clermont, Kentucky.

‍‍The Lineage line is in reference to the lineage of the Noe family and their involvement with Jim Beam Distillery. Specifically, this whiskey is a collaboration between seventh-generation Beam Family Master Distiller, Fred Noe, and his son, the eighth-generation Beam Family Master Distiller Freddie Noe. Fred Noe states, “Lineage represents a significant moment in the history of Jim Beam. Not only is it a collaboration between the seventh and eighth generation of distillers in our family, but it’s a blend of the past, the present and the future."

‍‍The bottle in review is number 2,074.

A delicious aroma wafts up out of the glass to greet you, amplified by the bourbon’s 111 proof. Ground nutmeg and baking spices mingle with a warm, creamy vanilla. Toffee and aged oak appear upon deeper inhalation and rest on a bed of cinnamon sticks. The scents are classic and simple, but come together in such an elegant, understated way that you can’t help but continue to go back to enjoy the experience all over again - an exceptional way to start off the sip.

Transitioning to the midpoint pulls in the creaminess from the nose up front, thanks to vanilla and melted caramel. Spiced dried cherry and apple add intrigue and additional depth. Focusing deeper, the backend contains aged oak, leather, and cinnamon powder, along with a pleasing rye spice. Its flavors work great together, providing both depth and intrigue, and making for an all-around fantastic midpoint.

The finish starts with a pop of rye spice. Underneath lies sweet crème brûlée and brown sugar. Spiced aged oak and a dash of leather appear for a beat before transitioning over into a lightly sweet, gentle dry spice that moves in. These flavors eventually settle on a dry spice, along with a dry-roasted peanut note, which lingers for a long time, producing a really satisfying ending to the sip that you soon won’t forget.

Father-son collaborations in any workspace are a special moment for many, and this holds true especially in the world of whiskey. The often discussed Russells from Wild Turkey are known for their long lineage in the world of distilling, and are now on their third generation of family members helping to produce bourbon. The Noe family from Jim Beam, however, has had even more of a head start, as they’ve continued on their family’s legacy at the distillery through the decades and are now on their eighth generation master distiller.  

For the second go around with the Lineage line, Fred and Freddie Noe stayed the course. They didn’t utilize a barrel finish or try to create a proof monster; instead, they stuck with the basics that have made bourbon so great over the centuries: time and patience.

For Batch #2, the Noe’s upped the proof by 1 point. I assume that this is primarily to help distinguish the two different batches more than anything else. The end result is a bourbon that is as classic as it comes, yet also quintessential Beam, too, thanks to its slight peanut profile that appears at the tail end of the finish. Many can blend 15 year old bourbons together, but few will make it taste as good as Fred and Freddie.

When Jim Beam Lineage was first announced at the end of 2020 and hit stores in early 2021, the price was $250. Fast forward 4 years, and the price has gone up exactly $0, a true rarity in today’s market. No matter how you feel about the price, you have to give credit to Beam for not taking advantage of the current marketplace and increasing the price over the years.

In comparison to other major Kentucky distilleries, Jim Beam may price their limited bourbons high, but it’s never astronomical. Since Lineage was introduced, the company released Hardin’s Creek Jacob’s Well, another 15 year bourbon priced at $150, Knob Creek 18 Year at $170, and Old Grand Dad 16 Year was priced at $195. While Lineage is priced higher (and also features a higher proof) than all of these, the sip it delivers is also elevated amongst this group. While the initial Lineage release’s price may have been considered incredibly high at the time, the market has since changed. It may seem weird to say, but $250 for a 15 year Kentucky bourbon that is so incredibly well composed is considered a good value today.

The name Jim Beam often makes many people think of Beam and Coke and cheap bourbon. Bourbon drinkers, however, know that the company is much more than just the years of cheap bourbon used as a mixer, and has come a long way these past two decades. Expanding their core lineups and adding others, such as Little Book and Hardin’s Creek, has done wonders for showing off the depth and breadth of the distillery’s aging barrels.  

Beam has released a number of high aged bourbons in the past, and while all were generally really good, none could ever quite reach the high points that Lineage Batch #2 does. Well balanced from start to finish, its flavors are simple yet defined and play off each other incredibly well, resulting in one of the best classic-style Kentucky bourbons Beam has ever released.