Introducing Legent Bourbon: Where East Meets West!
Posted on September 16, 2020 in New Arrivals
An unprecedented collaboration between two whiskey legends, Fred Noe and Shinji Fukuyo.
Introducing Legent, a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey partially finished in wine and sherry casks. This unique bourbon is an unprecedented collaboration between two whiskey legends: Fred Noe, from the founding family of bourbon and Jim Beam’s seventh generation Master Distiller, and Shinji Fukuyo, from the founding house of Japanese whisky and Suntory’s fourth-ever Master Blender.
Fred Noe
Frederick “Fred” Booker Noe III, son of the late great Frederick “Booker” Noe Jr. and great grandson of Jim Beam, is a seventh generation distiller and keeper of a family flame that has burned for more than 200 years. Fred Noe became the Master Distiller for Jim Beam Brands in 2007. Fred Noe was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2013. Fred has over 36 years of experience in the bourbon industry.
Shinji Fukuyo
In 2009, Shinji Fukuyo became only the fourth master blender at the 120-year-old Japanese distiller Suntory. That means he is responsible for every bottle of whisky that is released by Suntory’s three distilleries in Japan. This includes the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013, which was named the Best Whisky in the World in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2015. He has over 35 years of experience in the whisky world and being the Master Blender since 2009. He is only the fourth Master Blender in Suntory a company formed in 1989, a tremendous accolade
Together they have developed a truly unique bourbon that is the perfect example of what they do best. Fred used generations of heritage and his own insightful expertise to take Legent from grain to barrel, while Shinji’s imaginative and meticulous blending techniques took it from barrel to bottle.
Legent starts with a historic bourbon recipe from Fred Noe’s family. Legent Bourbon starts with bourbon mash bill (76% corn, 12% rye, 10% malted barley). Every drop is crafted with high-quality grains and calcium-rich, iron-free, limestone water and is aged for at least four years in newly charred white oak barrels.
It’s here that Legent begins to pick up unique flavors from the different casks. Layers of spice and fruity undertones are imparted from the sherry casks, while the red-wine casks lend Legent a light tartness and help punch up the dried fruit flavors.
Shinji Fukuyo takes these distinct, secondary-finished bourbons and meticulously blends them with Kentucky straight bourbon. Blending allows Shinji to balance the different flavors to consistently hit the flavor profile he and Fred originally envisioned.
Three Barrels, One Unique Taste.
Bourbon Barrel Aging.
From these barrels, Legent absorbs char notes and rich, traditional bourbon cues like layers of caramel, oak and vanilla.
Sherry Cask Finishing.
Sherry casks add complex layers of spice, raisin and heavy dried fruit flavor. These casks also help give Legent its deeper, reddish color.
Red-Wine Cask Aging.
French oak wine casks impart different oak notes than traditional white oak bourbon barrels. These red-wine casks also give Legent mild, fruity undertones and a light acidity.
Neat or On The Rocks.
As you drink Legent neat or on the rocks you’ll notice it change quickly as it sits on your tongue. It starts like a bourbon – rich, warm and oaky. Then, like a Japanese whisky, it features both complex layers of dried fruits and spice. Adding an ice cube or two accentuates Legent’s already bright, smooth and unexpectedly long finish.