Hardin’s Creek 8 Year Low Distillation Profile Straight Bourbon: The Heaviest, Richest Bourbon in Jim Beam’s Distillation Experiment
Slow down the still, and the whiskey gets heavier. Hardin’s Creek 8 Year Low Distillation Profile Straight Bourbon is the deepest of the three limited releases in Jim Beam’s Distillation Profile Series, made at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky. All three are 8 years old, made from identical mash bills and fermentation, and bottled at 109 proof (54.5% ABV). The only variable is the proof the whiskey comes off the still, and the Low is taken off at the lowest, 105 proof. That keeps more of the heavy grain character, oils, and fermentation flavor in the distillate before it ever touches a barrel.
The result is bold, robust bourbon. Retailers describe a nose of rich caramel, toasted nuts, and earthy oak, a palate of concentrated caramel, dark baking chocolate, roasted nuts, and pronounced barrel char, and a long, warming finish of lingering cocoa, toasted nuts, and charred oak. It’s the bottle for people who like their bourbon dense and dark, the counterpoint to the bright, fruit-forward High, and it’s best tasted next to the Middle and the High to see what one change at the still can do. Pour it neat or with a few drops of water. Hardin’s Creek is Beam’s series for experiments and rare releases, and this one is a limited release.
About the Bottle
- Kentucky straight bourbon, aged 8 years
- Low distillation profile (105-proof target); one of three in the Distillation Profile Series
- 109 proof (54.5% ABV); mash bill undisclosed
- James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, Kentucky; 700ml
Tasting Notes
From retailer descriptions of the Low profile.
Nose: Rich caramel, toasted nuts, and earthy oak.
Palate: Concentrated caramel and dark baking chocolate, with roasted nuts and pronounced barrel char.
Finish: Long and warming, with lingering cocoa, toasted nuts, and charred oak.
Food Pairings
The chocolate and char pair well with smoked brisket, ribs, and dark chocolate. It also goes with roasted nuts, aged gouda, and a cigar.
Serving Suggestions
Sip it neat or with a few drops of water in a Glencairn glass. To explore the series, pour the Low next to the Middle and the High.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Distillation Profile Series? Three 8-year-old bourbons that differ only in the proof they were distilled at: Low, Middle, and High.
What’s special about the Low? It’s distilled at the lowest proof of the three, so it keeps more grain character and tastes heavier and richer.
What proof is it bottled at? 109 proof (54.5% ABV), like the others in the series.
How does it taste? Caramel, dark chocolate, roasted nuts, and charred oak.
What size is it? 700ml.
Is it limited? Yes, a limited release.
Explore More
Browse our Hardin’s Creek collection or Bourbon collection, or see the Hardin’s Creek Kentucky Series Trio.
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