Legent Bourbon Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Legent Bourbon
(Credit: Beam Suntory)

From the moment the Japanese company Suntory acquired Beam Global in a 2014, $16 billion deal, the most toxic kind of croaker began ruminating that Beam would go down the tubes. Nevermind that Four Roses had been revived entirely due to its acquisition by Japanese brewer Kirin; nevermind that Suntory itself was a whisky-maker that had managed to help break Japanese whiskies out of obscurity and propel them into international acclaim at around the same time. Facts don’t really matter to jingoists; nor does the potential for an exchange of ideas and expertise that sometimes (but only sometimes) accompanies these things.

That sort of person will no doubt scoff at Legent, which suits the rest of us just fine: more for us! That is because Legent is a dual creation of Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe and Suntory Master Blender Shinji Fukuyo, using Beam bourbon stock. It’s also the first entirely new brand to emerge from Beam since the heady days of the Beam Small Batch Collection.

The pair combined straight bourbon with bourbon finished in red wine casks and Sherry butts, which was then agitated in tanks after marrying for several weeks, before finally being bottled at 94 proof.

The Bourbon
Looking at Legent, I thought it had a paler appearance than is the norm for most bourbons, but still within the amber spectrum. My swish left a thick coat, with scattered, thin-looking tears.

The nose smacks you with the wine influences straight off, with stone fruits, nutmeg and nuttiness overlaid atop the benchmark of bourbon-style creme-brulee. The palate continues in that vein, with Beam’s staple bourbon characteristics of candy corn sweetness and vanilla balanced just a little with a teaspoon of mild spiciness getting a gloss of berry fruits, nuts and a little extra oak from the cask finishes. The latter show themselves most strongly on the finish, which goes down a bit oaky and a bit wine spicy.

This is by no means a particular richly endowed or overtly sophisticated bourbon. Instead, it’s an easily approached, genuinely enjoyable sipper with wonderful character. If that doesn’t sell you on it, check out the price tag.

The Price
Legent can be had for $35 a bottle. Frankly, if I were writing a Top 5 Bourbons For Under $40 piece any time soon, Legent would definitely be on it. It’s one of the best whiskeys available at that sweet, go-to price point.