Review #157: Hardin’s Creek Frankfort

COST: $170 MSRP for 750mL bottle (I’m reviewing a sample)

AGE: 17 yrs 

MASH BILL: 77% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley

PROOF: 110 

I’ve been on a road trip hitting up Joshua Tree National Park, Zion National Park, and Death Valley National Park. In setting off for this trip I brought along a few 2 oz samples to enjoy from fireside or on a hiking trail looking at some of America’s most beautiful landscapes. I originally intended to hold onto this particular sample until I acquired a sample from all 3 editions of Hardin’s Creek from 2024 to try side by side. However, I gave up on this endeavor, therefore decided this would be a nice sample to cap off a great adventure. After enjoying the unique profile of Frey Ranch Uncut Batch 12 after exploring the unique geology of Joshua Tree, sipping a warming Driftless Glen Rye Whiskey after some cold and damp hikes in Zion, and experiencing the decadent Compass Box Transatlanticism in middle of the wildly desolate Death Valley, let’s check out Hardin’s Creek Frankfort while enjoying the sunsetting on Red Rock Canyon State Park for the last night in our camper van!

Reviewed neat in a plastic juice glass (#campervanlife)

NOSE: Crème Brule with an extra dose of caramelized sugar and toasted almond pralines sprinkled with cinnamon. A bright red fruit note shows up late. Charred oak and a spoonful of warm maple syrup round things out. This is pleasant and not overly oaked as I was expecting it to be for 17 years old.

PALATE: The mouthfeel is thin but soft even though it sips a bit hot, though the amount of cinnamon spice could be making this seem hotter than it is. Big candy cinnamon notes such as Red Hots or Hot Tamales show up right away. Candied peanuts add a bit of earthiness and a light sweetness on the front end. At mid-palate this has a traditional Jim Beam profile but a bit sweeter with a hint of cherry. After pairing this with a cigar, that cherry really starts to pop and, not gonna lie, it reminds me of Red Stag but with some cinnamon. While there is a smoky oak note in the background, I’m not getting a ton of oak on the palate for this being 17 years old.

FINISH: This is a long, dry finish. The age and oak show up here with it being very tannic and dry. There’s a light cinnamon stick spice, peanut brittle, and allspice notes that I get at first. But those notes are traded out for a black pepper spice that seems to last for quite a while and builds sip after sip. After pairing this with a cigar, more of that cherry profile from the palate shows up in the finish as well.

RATING: 7.7/10

OVERALL: I have lots of thoughts here… The first is this was not as oak dominant as I expected it to be. When reviews were first coming out from all the 2024 Hardin’s Creek releases last year, I recall seeing a lot of people commenting on how oaky they were. (I honestly can’t remember the differences between each at that point, I just recall generally seeing people were commenting on the oak notes.) I’m just not getting that much oak, which I personally like. Second, I really like the cherry note that I was getting. I know some may not like the Red Stag comparison I made, but I didn’t mean that in a negative way. I just meant that because it was a very prominent cherry note, particularly after pairing with a cigar, but a definite red fruit sweetness throughout. Third, while the oak wasn’t overly dominant on the nose and palate, and even in flavor in the finish, it showed up distinctively in how tannic and dry the finish was. I really enjoyed the nose and palate of this sip but wish it wasn’t quite such a dry finish. Lastly, this wasn’t quite as complex or unique as I was thinking it might be. Don’t get me wrong, it was great whiskey, but it wasn’t necessarily a unique profile from the Beam line or anything like that. (And to be fair, they didn’t claim it was. It’s just a mental thing that I think gets associated with limited releases.) That said, it is a nice high-aged Beam product that clearly differentiates itself from the normal Beam products you’ll find on the shelf, just don’t expect something wildly different.

A final thought is that I have held off on picking up a bottle of OGD 16 year, primarily because I’m worried for the price I’m going to get something too over oaked. However, after trying this 17 year Hardin’s Creek, albeit, a different mash bill, but knowing the OGD 16 is 1 year younger and 10 proof points lower, I’m feeling more optimistic about the OGD 16 year not being too oaky for what you pay for it. Again, I would prefer not having an oak bomb, but I get some people enjoy lots of oak.

1 | Disgusting | ...I've not subjected myself to this level

2 | Poor | Balcones Lineage

3 | Bad | High West Double Rye, Jefferson's Ocean 28

4 | Sub-par | Weller's SR, Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select

5 | Good | Buffalo Trace, Sazerac Rye, Green River Wheated

6 | Very Good | Blanton's, Holladay Bourbons, Eagle Rare

7 | Great | Baker's 7yr SiB, BBCo Origin High Wheat, 1792 BiB

8 | Excellent | Most ECBP batches, JD SiB BiB, High West MWND Act 11

9 | Incredible | Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 121.2, BBC DS #7, Four Roses OESQ

10 | Perfect | Found North Batch 08