Beverage Industry reported on Thursday that Jim Beam dropped a summery bourbon, Jim Beam Sunshine Blend, with “sessionable” sipping in mind. The modestly priced whiskey costs $16.99 and clocks in at 80 proof, making it the quintessential daytime drinking spirit.
The lighter bourbon’s splashy release made headlines at outlets like Fred Minnick, which reported that Beam’s Sunshine Blend featured a “flowery, fruity flavor profile.”
“With bourbon drinkers expanding and GenZ/Millennials leading a shift toward lighter, sessionable, spirits, Sunshine Blend enters at a perfect moment,” a news release from the company read, according to Fred Minnick.
The bourbon blends Jim Beam’s classic Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and what the brand refers to as a “new bourbon,” which features a mashbill composed of brown rice that spent four years aging to perfection.
From Summery to Serious: Jim Beam Releases in 2025
In mid-July, Jim Beam dropped a whiskey that might just be the polar opposite of this light and easy-going sipper. Jim Beam’s father/son whiskey, Lineage Batch #2, was a cerebral limited release that honored the relationship between Fred and Freddie Noe. The 111-proof offering was the second whiskey to drop from within the brand’s Lineage series, and the inaugural release featured a milder proof of 110.
Unlike Sunshine Blend, Lineage hosts a higher pricetag of $250 and is only available at James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky. The whiskey features a significantly higher age statement, and both Fred and Freddie Noe picked out barrels that were 15 years of age. The whiskey marked a significant milestone for the younger Noe, because it featured his name on the bottle for the first time in his career.
“Lineage represents a significant moment in the history of Jim Beam,” Fred Noe said in a statement involving the first release. “Not only is it a collaboration between the seventh and eighth generation distillers in our family, but it’s a blend of the past, present and future.”
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