Hardin’s Creek 8 Year High Distillation Profile Straight Bourbon: One Variable, Three Bourbons, and the Brightest of the Set
What happens if you change only one thing? Hardin’s Creek 8 Year High Distillation Profile Straight Bourbon is Jim Beam’s answer. It’s one of three limited releases in the Distillation Profile Series, made at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky, and every one is 8 years old and bottled at 109 proof (54.5% ABV). The experiment is the proof the whiskey comes off the still: the High profile is distilled at the highest proof in the set (120, per retailers), which strips out more of the heavy grain compounds before the barrel. The distillate goes into the oak clean and lean, so the wood and fruit do the talking.
You can taste the difference. Retailers describe bright orchard fruit, crisp apple or citrus, light floral honey, and a cleaner wood spice, with some tasters finding pear, seasoned oak, and honeysuckle, instead of the heavy, dense sweetness of the Low profile. It’s a bottle for people who like to understand how bourbon works: buy it with the Low and Middle and compare. It’s also simply a bright, fruit-forward 8-year-old bourbon at 109 proof, good neat or with a few drops of water. Hardin’s Creek is Beam’s series for experiments and rare releases, named for the creek tied to Jacob Beam’s early distilling in 1795, and this one is a limited release.
About the Bottle
- Kentucky straight bourbon, aged 8 years
- High distillation profile; 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 High profile.
Nose: Bright orchard fruit, apple, and citrus, with light floral honey.
Palate: Crisp apple and citrus with honey, pear, and a clean wood spice.
Finish: Seasoned oak, with honeysuckle and a light, clean sweetness.
Food Pairings
The orchard fruit and honey pair well with brie, roasted chicken, and apple tart. It also goes with grilled pork, almonds, and light desserts.
Serving Suggestions
Sip it neat or with a few drops of water in a Glencairn glass. To explore the series, pour the High next to the Low and Middle.
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 proof is the High bottled at? 109 proof (54.5% ABV), like the others in the series.
How does the High taste different? Brighter and more fruit-forward than the Low, with less heavy grain sweetness.
Who makes it? The James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky.
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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