Whiskey Review: Hardin's Creek Jacob's Well Bourbon

Introduction

Today, we’re diving into Hardin's Creek Jacob's Well, the premium expression from Beam’s Hardin's Creek line. This label is the first under Freddie Noe, whom we interviewed a few seasons ago. Freddie is leading this line, which includes Colonel James B. Beam, the younger-stock offering. But today, we're focusing on Jacob's Well, a blend of 15-year-old high-rye bourbon and 16-year-old traditional bourbon, averaging 15 years and 4 months.

It comes in at 108 proof and retails for around $150, putting it near the luxury bourbon threshold. Let's see if it lives up to the price tag.

This review is taken from our episode "Godzilla Minus One (2023) / Hardin's Creek Jacob's Well Bourbon." Click the link to listen to this review in audio format.

Nose

Bob:
The color on this thing is a deep, rich amber—you can tell it's well-aged. I'm picking up some notes I don’t think I’ve ever gotten on a bourbon before. Lavender. It’s super delicate, just dancing above everything else. I love this note. Beyond that, it's a softer nose overall—vanilla, brown sugar. I really like that.
Score: 8.5/10

Brad:
For me, it’s a little deeper and richer—cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, with a beautiful foundation of tobacco, leather, and oak. I didn’t get the floral notes, but this is an impressive example of well-aged bourbon.
Score: 9/10

Taste

Bob:
I’m at a 9/10 on the palate. The tobacco and leather are really prominent up front, which is unusual—they usually show up on the back for me. It’s like a sweetened version of those flavors, and when you swallow, it opens into that nutty Jim Beam profile. Reminds me of those high-proof bourbons we try every September at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

Brad:
I’m at an 8.5/10. It gets into a raisiny vibe for me, with oak and leather working into a rich, creamy rye experience. That spice and richness are what I’m here for.

Finish

Brad:
The finish is the all-star—9.5/10. Leather, tobacco, and it gets minty at the end. That rye turns into a sweet mint, and the cheesecake note becomes a maple syrup richness. Just wonderful.

Bob:
Same here—9/10. Mint takes over for me, but in that nice, sweet spearmint way. Super beautiful.

Balance

Bob:
I think this is just a super complex whiskey. Think of all the notes that we've given on this, and to keep them all in balance is perhaps this whiskey's crowning achievement.
Score: 9.5/10

Brad:
Yeah, I'm with you. 10/10 on the balance for me. This is one of the most well-balanced, rich, and complicated whiskeys we've had in a really long time. And we've had some good bourbons lately.

Value

Brad:
Now, at $150, this isn't quite luxury territory—we set that bar at $200-plus—but it is expensive. I think it's worth just about every penny. That doesn't make it a 10 out of 10 on value, but it does make it an 8.5/10 for me.

Bob:
I'm going to give it a 7.5/10 on value because I think when you just ask the basic question, is the price justified? The answer is yes, and that for me is a baseline of 7.5. I might not run out and spend $150 on this regularly, but given the market and what's in the glass, this is an entirely justified price point.

Final Scores

That brings me out to a very high total of 43.5/50.

Brad:
I'm at a 45.5/50. I think this is right up there with some of the B-TAC bourbons that we've had.

Combined Average:
That brings us to an average of 44.5/50, or 89/100 overall. So, we’re just barely missing that 90 mark where it would be in the firmament of greatest whiskeys we've ever tried. But this is an absolute no-brainer recommendation for me.

Conclusion

With a final combined score of 44.5/50, Hardin's Creek Jacob's Well stands as one of the best bourbons we’ve tried recently. For context, 35/50 is our bar for considering a pour, 40/50 is great, and 45/50 or above is excellent. This pour is just shy of that mark, and for Brad, it even crosses into “must buy” territory. If you see it on the shelf and you're ready to splurge, this is a bourbon that delivers from nose to finish.