What’s more popular than bourbon right now? Among the diehard whiskey nerds, and spilling over into the general public, it's Japanese whisky (they spell it without the “e,” like the Scots). When you find a classic age-statement bottle, which is getting increasingly difficult, it’s usually very expensive. The most common explanation for this is that no one was prepared for the Japanese whisky boom. Japanese distilleries had to cut back on 12, 17, and 21-year-old product, instead blending together various younger whiskies to create new expressions to satisfy demand. It also happened to be a great marketing device: The harder a whisky is to get, the more people are willing to shell out for it.

Beam Suntory, the mega-company that was created when Kentucky’s Jim Beam and Japan’s Suntory joined forces in 2014, was surely thinking about all of this when coming up with its new product, Legent. This is not a Japanese whisky, but it is a unique collaboration between Kentucky and Japan. Jim Beam master distiller and industry legend Fred Noe partnered with House of Suntory chief blender Shinji Fukuyo for the first time to come up with the bourbon. "Shinji and I have known each other for a few years," said Noe. "It was just a real honor collaborating with Shinji on what I think is different from anything out there in the bourbon world."

Suntory chief blender Shinji Fukuyo and Jim Beam master distiller Fred Noe. Courtesy/Dawn Bowery

Legent begins with straight bourbon distilled at Beam and aged for at least four years before being finished in a variety of wine and sherry casks. That’s when Fukuyo steps in to blend the liquid with other Beam bourbon at the Beam distillery in Kentucky, creating the final product. Fukuyo said that while the basic production process is similar for both bourbon and Japanese whisky, there are significant differences.

"My approach to blending bourbon was identical to how I would blend a Japanese whisky."

"Japanese whisky does not have the mash bill concept, while bourbon generally does not have blending concept,” he explained. “Bourbon mandates the use of brand-new American oak barrels, but Japanese whisky does not have such a regulation, and used barrels [are often utilized]."

The role of master blender is revered in Japan, as distilleries like Suntory's Yamazaki literally blend dozens of different whiskies together to create each expression. "I have always been fascinated by the flavor profiles that can be achieved through innovation," said Fukuyo. "My approach to blending bourbon was identical to how I would blend a Japanese whisky."

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Legent seems to be an attempt to combine the skill of the Japanese master blender with the craft of the Kentucky master distiller into one affordable bourbon ($35) that will be much easier to get your hands on than a bottle of Hakushu 18. "Legent was a brand-new experience for both of us," said Noe. "Each step of the way we learned more from one another, pushing bourbon's boundaries as well as our own."

And according to Noe, this may not be the last time these two worlds collide: "This is the beginning of many more future collaborations… Just wait and see."

Jonah Flicker Jonah Flicker is a freelance writer who covers booze, food, travel, and lifestyle for a variety of publications.

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