Legent Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) (Previously $45)

Generally "innovative" in the bourbon industry is a shield word for an experiment gone wrong. Not so in this case! Beam Suntory - one of the world's most important drinks companies is in a unique position through ownership of two of the most important brands in two of the hottest categories in the spirits world - bourbon and Japanese whisky. A quick coating of your glass with Legent and you'll fill the room (or cubicle in my case) with robust cinnamon, sweet dried fruits, caramel, candied popcorn, vanilla, and a smooth sense of calm. The 47% ABV is just perfection for sipping neat. The judicious use of sherry and red wine casks on only a fraction of the whisky adds complexity without overpowering the inherent bourboness of the spirit. Just as you'd expect from Beam and Suntory bringing their great whisky heads together - Incredible Kentucky bourbon in the elegant and sophisticated Japanese profile. A home-run hit with a cool concept and perfect execution.

Bourbon by way of Japan. It may sound gimmicky or something unnecessarily dreamed up by an advertising team, but the results prove that there's real quality and substance to this bottle. The juice is from Kentucky, but then it gets finished in the Land of the Rising Sun by a Japanese master blender. The whiskey turned out like you might expect: full Bourbon flavors you're familiar with, but with a restraint and elegance that Japanese whiskey has a reputation for. Caramel and clove bats at the nose, yet it's lighter than many typical Bourbons with beautiful floral notes that grow spicier with each sniff. The palate maintains the caramel, but is quite fruity. Overall the whiskey is rich yet restrained, ending with woody toasty notes.

The power of suggestion can be extremely influential, so when I heard about this new Beam/Suntory project, I of course had a predetermined thought on what it might taste like. A bourbon blended by a Japanese blender; like a beautiful Venn Diagram combining the flavors of bourbon with the preferences of a Japanese palate. It’s two worlds I thought would never cross but they did. And it works. On the nose, you get the big expressionistic aspects of bourbon with red cherries, candy corn, and dried plums but then there’s a sherry and marzipan note that kicks in and is reminiscent of an older scotch. The palate has a silky smooth texture with wood tannins drying out at the end. Notes of dried orchard fruits mingle with cocoa powder and orange blossom honey. There’s a soft elegance throughout the dram that captures (in my mind) what people want and look for in a good Japanese whiskey. As a huge fan of both Japanese and American whiskies, I can say this one absolutely did not disappoint.