What Do You Get When You Mingle a Jim Beam Master Distiller from Kentucky and Chief Blender from Japan? Legent.

Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky and its family of bourbons became a part of Beam Suntory in 2014. Now, the Beam Suntory company has announced the launch of Legent™ a new blended bourbon from the Legent Distilling Co.

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged in Three Barrels Per Blend

The company says that Legent (pronounced ‘lee-jent’) bourbon whiskey is a unique innovation that starts as Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon with the Beam classic family recipe and is aged in a wine casks and a sherry casks for at least one summer before being blended with more Kentucky Straight Bourbon. In other words, this bourbon has been in contact with at least three oak barrels. Really more if you count the final blending.

It all starts with the bourbon made using the Beam classic family recipe with a mashbill of…wait for it…we don’t know. Of all the colorful words that freely flow out of Fred’s mouth, that’s one family secret that he keeps inside the family. We do know it’s a mash bill of at least 51% corn, rye and barley.

Barrel No. 1: Bourbon Barrel – A traditional new charred American White Oak barrel provides the caramel, oak and vanilla.
Barrel No. 2: Sherry Cask – A sherry soaked cask is used for finishing and adds layers of spice, raisin and dried fruit and add a reddish color.
Barrel No. 3: Red-Wine Cask – And finally a French oak wine cask adds mild fruity undertones and a light acidity.

And it’s still not done. The company says Chief Blender with the House of Suntory Shinji Fukuyo then blends this with other Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey to come up with the final blend before bottling.

“I have always been fascinated by the flavor profiles that can be achieved through innovation,” said Shinji Fukuyo, Chief Blender with the House of Suntory. “Using the historic bourbon recipe of Fred’s family as a solid foundation, I was able to explore new taste profiles and reach a final product that reimagines what the future of bourbon can be.”

Stay Informed: Sign up here for the Distillery Trail free email newsletter and be the first to get all the latest news, trends, job listings and events in your inbox.

“Legent is really something special. As a bourbon distiller, I enjoy breaking rules and creating new traditions,” noted Fred Noe, seventh generation Beam Family Master Distiller. “It was a real honor collaborating with Shinji on what I think is different from anything out there in the bourbon world.”

That is Shinji Fukuyo on the right side of the featured image with Fred Noe on the left. And, if you look close at the full size bottle image below, you’ll see both their silhouettes on the label.

“Legent is the perfect articulation of the amazing things that can be achieved when two great cultures come together as one, sharing a unified vision to bring true innovation and best-in-class spirits to the world,” said Takeshi Niinami, Chief Executive Officer of Suntory Holdings. “This bourbon honors Fred and the Beam family’s proud traditions while showcasing Shinji’s award-winning blending capabilities. Quite simply, it’s a bourbon no one else could create.”

Legent is available in 750mL at 94° proof (47% ABV) in select markets throughout the United States with a suggested retail price of $34.99 USD.

View all Kentucky Distilleries.

Legent Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Please help to support Distillery Trail. Sign up for our Newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.