Jim Beam Black Label

Jim Beam Black 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 86 proof, Square bottle, 750 ml, about $18.



The biggest name in Bourbon, Jim Beam, has recently changed the makeup of Jim
Beam Black whiskey, making it older by one year (7 to 8 years old) than previously and lowering the alcohol content from 90 proof to 86 proof. The result is an improved Black that should become a bar staple.

Jim Beam Black has a nice honey/amber hue that is darker then the regular White label version. Nosing seems to have notes of light caramel, toffee, tobacco and some fruit in the background. The first taste is that of old oak and soon becomes the semisweet classic charred oak/fruit/grain mixture Beam is known for. This bourbon has a short to medium finish with a slight drying and flavors of toasted grain and oak.

Black is the classic Beam taken up a notch. This makes me wonder what they could do with this at 12 or 15 years. We could go back to using whiskey as currency if they did

For about $18 I have to rate this as one of the better buys in Bourbon. :thumbs:

If it ain't ol' Jim or his counterpart home Knob Creek it ain't bourbon to me. :thumbs:

I don't think I understand. If it isn't ORIGINAL Jim Beam (which is really young in age but old in style) or Knob Creek you don't like it?

Thanks for these reviews. Bourbon is preferred over other whiskeys in my circle. I used to think of Beam as a bourbon of last resort. How would you compare it with David Nicholson 1843 for instance?

Agreed! I love this stuff. I don't understand how people can drink that Tennessee swill when they could have this tasty nectar instead.

Thanks for the review :thumbs:

golfgar said:

Thanks for these reviews. Bourbon is preferred over other whiskeys in my circle. I used to think of Beam as a bourbon of last resort. How would you compare it with David Nicholson 1843 for instance?

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I don't own the David Nicholson 1843 (a Sazerac product) myself but I have had it. Hard to give an accurate account without having them side by side but from what I remember the Beam is a little sweeter and has a bit more depth to it. The Nicholson has a little more bite being 100 proof and some will prefere that but I like the Beam between the two.

If I had them here I may have a different opinion but you got what I remembered.

Just wanted to bring up a big favorite of mine from your reviews. Although I drink this with cola, this is one of my favorite bourbons and I plan to keep this in stock at all times. It's much more flavorful than a jack daniels and has a bit more kick. If most bars carried this I would order it...otherwise I stick to Crown Royal.

Nice to see that people are still getting some use from the older reviews.

I brought a bottle of this to a camp out once don't remember much but supposedly there is a video. I just hope it never falls into the wrong hands have never seen it but apparently the German shooting club enjoy watching it every once in awhile.