James B. Beam Distilling Co.’s newest release could help shape one evolving whiskey category.
Clermont Steep is a new American single malt whiskey from the distillery behind Jim Beam, Booker’s, and Basil Hayden. Eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe developed the new expression, which is Jim Beam’s first venture into the American single malt category, according to a May 16 press release.
Clermont Steep is aged five years in new American oak casks and features aromas of toasted malt, caramel, and toffee. On the palate, drinkers can expect rich vanilla, caramel, whole-grain, and cereal notes, according to the release. The whiskey is bottled at 47 percent ABV and has a suggested retail price of $59.99.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is taking steps toward defining American single malt as an official category with production guidelines and regulations. Currently, the proposed definition for the style includes using a 100 percent malted barley mash, produced entirely in the United States, and bottling with a minimum alcohol content of 40 percent ABV.
Industry standards for the American Single Malt category look set to be formally established in the coming months, according to The New York Times, which could aid in protecting and spreading awareness of the category.
Noe created this whiskey based on his own guidelines and production vision.
“As a new venture, crafting Clermont Steep has been one of the toughest challenges I have ever faced in the distillery, and I am incredibly proud of where we’ve landed,” Freddie Noe says in the release. “This American Single Malt Whiskey is smooth, sweet and incredibly balanced, and it deserves a spot on any whiskey lover’s bar cart, right alongside their bourbons and ryes.”
Clermont Steep is set to release in June 2023 and will be available in 15 states.
