Jim Beam Signature Craft: Triticale

May 25, 2017 Eric Burke

Over the course of the past month, I've been taking a look at the Jim Beam Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection. Tonight we reach the final review in the bunch. Triticale. But before we get into what I thought of it, let's recap where we've been.

Even though each of these typically retail for about $50 per 375 mL bottle, a local retailer had them for sale at $20 each or the full set of six for $100. I'm not sure if they were sitting on too many or if the distributor was, but in any case, that is a screaming deal. Basically, one-third of the suggested retail price. So when I got the email, I like a lot of other people decided that the time was right to pounce on it. And after sitting on them for a few weeks, I found room in the editorial calendar to slot in six reviews.

The first one we tried was the Six Row Barley. It didn't impress while tasting it in a Glencairn, but was really quite good in a rocks glass under normal drinking conditions. So good that I immediately ran back to the store and picked up another set of six.

Next was the Wheat. The wheat was less impressive than the Barley, and I was surprised by that. I had expected to like the Wheat more than the Barley.

Brown Rice was the only real dud of the bunch. Even though it was an 11-year-old bourbon, I had a hard time finding much to say about it. That I compared it to Bud Light should tell you something about it.

The Rolled Oat was the surprise of the group for me. Fruity, nutty, and very minty and I really enjoyed that.

The High Rye was one that I just assumed I would like. And I did, though it was for different reasons than I would have expected. This is made by the same folks who produce Old Grand-Dad another High-Rye Bourbon. It, however, doesn't use the OGD mash bill or yeast. So it is an entirely different product. And it shows. It was herbal and delicious. So much Anise that I tried it in a Sazerac riff.

Which brings us to the Triticale, my favorite of the bunch. It, though, suffers from the same flaw that the rest of these do. It typically retails for about twice as much as I feel it should. Most of these would be good at $50 for a 750 mL (not the Rice one...that's a dud) but are crazily overpriced at $50 for a 375 mL bottle.

Bottom line: if you find any of these for a good sale (Ace still has them and does ship*), I'd recommend giving them a shot. If you can only find them for retail though, I'd pass on all of them. None are $100 bottles of whiskey.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Triticale

Purchase info: $16.67 for a 375 mL bottle (on sale) at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 11 years old, 45% ABV, Triticale used as flavoring grain.

Nose: Vanilla, fruit, rose petals and oak.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy with a delicate floral note dominating.

Finish: Dry with a decent length. Lingering grain and oak.

Thoughts: This is a fantastic bourbon. To be honest, it reminds me of Old Grand-Dad with more age (even though it's made with a different flavoring grain and yeast). It has a nice spice, and the floral notes are delicious. I'm really, really impressed by this one.

*This isn't sponsored by Ace, I just like passing along a good deal.

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Jim Beam Signature Craft: High Rye

May 23, 2017 Eric Burke

I've been on a bit of a cocktail kick lately. The thing I like about cocktails is the same thing I like about cooking, the interplay of flavors. Really, it's one of the things I like about whiskey too. But unlike whiskey where someone else has determined what works together, with a cocktail you are the one who decides what to put together. And it may be amazing or it might not.

As I was doing the tasting for tonight's bourbon, I was struck by the distinct anise notes that presented themselves. Now anise is a fairly major flavor component in my favorite cocktail, the Sazerac. I know a traditional Sazerac uses Rye Whiskey. But since the Rye was a replacement for the original Cognac, I didn't feel too bad about substituting a High Rye Bourbon. Especially since the difference between a High Rye Bourbon and the barely legal Rye whiskey that's often called for is a few percentage points of Rye at most.

And it was good! It had a nice thick mouthfeel; the spice was a bit more nutmeg and cinnamon than in the Rye version I normally make. Speaking of that, I made another Sazerac cocktail using Sazerac Rye to compare to it. And by way of comparison, the Rye-based one fell a bit flat. Of course, by a weird turn of events, the Sazerac Rye is one of my least favorite Ryes to use in a Sazerac so who knows what would have happened with a better Rye. But that's the point, keep experimenting. You never really know how things are going to turn out until you do.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: High Rye Bourbon

Purchase info: $16.67 for a 375 mL bottle (on sale) at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 11 years old, 45% ABV, more Rye than usual used as flavoring grain.

Nose: Floral, Anise, and Oak.

Mouth: Sweet with Anise, Spice, and Oak.

Finish: Warm and long with lingering sweet Anise.

Thoughts: This one is delicious. Top two or three of the six for sure. I'm a big fan. Reaffirms my decision to snag another batch of six at the sale price.

This is the fifth of six posts looking at the Jim Beam Signature Craft, Harvest Bourbon Collection. Previous posts can be found here: Six Row Barley, Soft Red Wheat, Brown Rice, Whole Rolled Oats.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Whole Rolled Oat

May 11, 2017 Eric Burke

WOW! Has it ever been a busy time in the BourbonGuy household. This week, my major client has been on vacation so, since the weather is nice, I am busy trying to get caught up with all the projects I want to build for the Etsy store (BourbonGuyGifts.com should you want to check it out).

I love working with wood and I have some new things coming up that I am really proud of and hope everyone likes them as much as I do. Probably won't show up until next week though.

So why am I talking about that instead of the bourbon I'm reviewing tonight? Well, how much more can I say? I've already reviewed three of the six in the lineup (Brown Rice, Red Wheat, and Barley), and honestly, there isn't much more to say. Beam did a little experimenting. They changed the flavoring grain and/or flavoring grain ratio in their bourbon and then let it age for 11 years. They then released it at an absurdly high price, but I got a screaming good deal on the pack of six, so much so that I went back to get another six-pack.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Whole Rolled Oat

Purchase info: $16.67 for a 375 mL bottle (on sale) at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 11 years old, 45% ABV, Whole Rolled Oats used as flavoring grain.

Nose: Tropical fruit, caramel and oak.

Mouth: Peppery heat with spearmint and fruit along with a nice sweetness and nuttiness.

Finish: Long and peppery with oak and a hint of smokiness.

Thoughts: As you can see from the fill level above, I liked this one. I really liked it. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from the oat version of this. But man, the fruit and the strong spearmint are fun and fantastic. And though I get nutty notes from this, I wouldn't have ever guessed that it was a Jim Beam product if I had been served it blind. Very, very nice.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Brown Rice

May 9, 2017 Eric Burke

Rice. It provides more than one-fifth of the calories consumed by humans worldwide*. It's a bit of an understatement to say that it's a pretty important crop to humanity. And yet, for a long time, Americans drank more rice than they ate**.

That rice was not, however, consumed in the form of bourbon. Instead, Americans consumed their rice in the form of Budweiser beer. Up to four pounds of rice per person per year.

So, as I am of an age where I started drinking beer before the current iteration of the craft beer revolution, it is safe to say that I've consumed plenty of fermented rice in my life. I can honestly say though, that I've never had fermented and distilled rice before the bottle of bourbon I'm reviewing tonight.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Brown Rice

Purchase info: $16.67 for a 375 mL bottle (on sale) at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 11 years old, 45% ABV, Brown Rice used as flavoring grain.

Nose: Strong brown sugar, bubble gum, and oak.

Mouth: Peppery heat with peanut, mint, vanilla, and oak.

Finish: Peppery heat that fades fast and is replaced by a general lingering sweetness.

Thoughts: While this is by no means a bad whiskey, it is my least favorite of the bunch so far. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say I like it, but I don't dislike it either. It's just kind of meh. Kind of how I feel about Bud Light.

*According to the Wikipedia article on Rice. Accessed 5/9/17.
**New York Times Food section, December 17, 1997. Accessed 5/9/17.

This is the third of six reviews in the Jim Beam Signature Craft, Harvest Bourbon Collection Series. I've previously reviewed the Six Row Barley and the Soft Red Wheat.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Soft Red Wheat

May 4, 2017 Eric Burke

I am in heaven right now. I have Maddy, my little American Eskimo dog in my lap. I have Whiskey, my Border Collie mix at my feet and I have Niku, the Siberian Husky I'm dog sitting sleeping behind my chair. There are dogs everywhere, and I couldn't be happier.

Another thing that is helping the general sense of well-being is that I have a glass of bourbon close at hand. I like to have a touch of whatever bourbon I'm reviewing as I write the review just to double check my impressions from the tasting we did earlier in the week.

And it really is a good thing I do this. When I first started the blog, I did tastings, photos and articles all on the night that the article posted. But since that lead to a few too many spelling errors and typos, I decided to start doing the week's tastings on the weekend before to allow myself the luxury of ummm...well...writing sober? Which is why the posts are written with a touch of whiskey and not a full pour. I have enough typos as it is, I don't need help from our friend, beverage ethanol.

I've also found that spending a little more time with a bourbon gives more perspective into how I really feel about it. I've had things I really disliked and really loved in a Glencairn soften to meh or like in a rocks glass with more exposure. And honestly, since both glassware and circumstances affect your enjoyment of a whiskey (which of course is all I'm actually measuring since I refuse to use numerical scores...don't get me started on that topic) I like to gain as many exposures as I can to kind of average out the results.

Which brings me to tonight's bourbon. This is the second post on one of the Jim Beam Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection. I'm working my way through the six pack I found on sale at a local store for $100 (and if you want to play along, it looks like it still is on sale as I write this...don't worry, I made sure to pick up a second full set for myself already so have at it. No, they aren't sponsoring the post, I just thought it was a really good deal). On Tuesday I reviewed the Six Row Barley which I was pleasantly surprised by. Tonight I'm looking at the Soft Red Wheat bottle. I picked these two first since barley* and wheat are fairly typical ingredients in a standard bourbon. I was unimpressed by the Barley in a Glencairn and very impressed with it in a rock glass. I was impressed with the Wheat in a Glencairn and...well, let's find out, shall we?

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Soft Red Wheat

Purchase info: $16.67 for a 375 mL bottle (on sale) at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 11 years old, 45% ABV, Soft Red Wheat as flavoring grain.

Nose: Oak, caramel and dried wheat grains (think uncooked hot cereal)

Mouth: Tingly spice and brown sugar sweetness along with mint and oak.

Finish: Medium to long with more mint, spice sweetness, and oak.

Thoughts: I had a suspicion that this would be one of my top two out of the six. I like some wheated bourbons and I am pretty confident that I will really like the high rye (I've yet to open it). Turns out, not so much. I mean I like this, it's good. But I much prefer the Barley over it. Once again, my hang-up comes with the price. I got it for $16.67 for a half bottle which is about $33 for a full bottle. That seems about right for this. But, they want $50 for a half bottle. There is no way anyone should pay that for this. It simply isn't that good. Sure it's interesting, but interesting can only take you so far.

*Yes, I know bourbon typically uses malted barley and that this probably uses a combination of malted and unmalted barley, but whatever. Close enough.

Jim Beam Signature Craft Six Row Barley

May 2, 2017 Eric Burke

Jim Beam Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection: Six Row Barley

I'm dog sitting this week. It's a 9-month old Huskey puppy that belongs to the adult daughter of one of my neighbors. Interestingly enough his litter-mate lives at my neighbor's and so they get to play with each other whenever the daughter comes to visit her folks.

Having had a pair of Huskies for a decade and a half before my current pups, I know some of their quirks. Like their tendency to find a way to get above, around or under any obstacle in between them and where they want to be. Tonight the boys played with each other through the fence. Until the one who lives next door decided that it would be much more fun if he was in our yard and jumped the four-foot fence separating our yards.

To be honest, that's something I have been expecting since he really likes playing with my pups too. And I found it hilarious...my neighbor? Not so much. And truthfully, it is one of the things I love about Huskies. They are smart and they love to learn new things.

Which brings me to tonight's bourbon. I've recently had a lot of Jim Beam products on the shelf. I used to say I didn't care for things with Jim Beam on the label. But somewhere over the last couple years, I realized that I didn't really mind it. In fact some of them I actually liked quite a bit. So when I saw the entire line of the six Jim Beam Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection on sale for a third of the suggested price, I knew I needed to give it a much closer look. See if I could learn something from it.

Jim Beam Signature Craft Six Row Barley

Purchase Info: $16.67 for a 375 mL bottle (on sale) at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 11 years old, 45% ABV, Six Row Barley as flavoring grain.

Nose: Caramel, nutmeg, and oak.

Mouth: Spicy ginger, vanilla, caramel, a toasty/nutty note and oak.

Finish: Spicy with a medium length. Oak and hints of brown sugar.

Thoughts: I went into this one not expecting much. The brief taste of it I had at a whiskey festival a couple years ago didn't leave me wanting more. Especially for the suggested price of $50 for a half bottle. When I saw the entire line of six on sale for $100 though, I figured I better take the plunge and give it another chance. If nothing else, I'd get a few blog posts out of it. But guess what? I really like this. And though I probably still wouldn't pay the suggested price, I'd happily pay $50 for a full bottle, but twice that? Nah. It's too bad Beam priced this out of the range of sane shoppers.

If You've Had... the Jim Beam Edition

April 11, 2017 Eric Burke

A seven bourbon line-up of Jim Beam labeled products

I've always envisioned this site as a place where people can come to learn. Learn a little history. Learn a little about what they like. Learn what they should check out (whether it is bourbon or not). And ultimately learn enough to make informed decisions about where they put their money.

Of course, I write tasting notes. And tasting notes are a great way for you to get an idea of my feelings on a particular whiskey. Or at least, an impression of how I felt about something on a particular day. And cumulatively, they can certainly tell you a lot about the types of things that I'm reminded of. But they aren't always a great way to compare whiskeys one to another unless I happen to be reviewing a couple at a time.

To that end, for the last year and a half or so, I've been running a series on the blog that I call "If you've had...". The setup is like this: "If you've had Whiskey A then Whiskey B is..." hotter, spicier, sweeter, more floral, etc. Each section is written as compared to one of the whiskeys in the lineup. So if you've had that one, but not the others, then that section will be of the most use to you. Remember there are no value judgments here. You get to decide based on what you know of Whiskey A if Whiskey B sounds like something you'd want to try.

This is the sixth entry in the series and it is by far the biggest. We did this over the course of four nights and the spit cup was our best friend (seriously, each night used 4-8 ounces of whiskey, we'd be dead otherwise). Tonight we are discussing a large portion of the Jim Beam line of products. I chose seven bourbons that are labeled with the Jim Beam name. Jim Beam White Label, Jim Beam Black, Jim Beam Double Oak, Jim Beam Devil's Cut, Jim Beam Bonded, a local store pick of Jim Beam Single Barrel and Jim Beam Choice. Normal caveats with the Single Barrel, your mileage may vary. Especially since this is a store pick. I included the Choice even though it has been discontinued because maybe that was your only exposure to Jim Beam and you've been wondering if you were missing anything. I'm ordering these by proof. Please remember these are notes as compared to one another

If you've had Jim Beam White Label then...

Jim Beam Choice is: a little fruitier on the nose. The mouth shows less dried grain, more bubblegum, and a touch more oak. The finish is a little longer and has a touch more baking spice.

Jim Beam Black is: very similar on the nose, maybe a touch sweeter. The mouth shows fewer cereal grains, but more spice. The finish shows more oak tannins.

Jim Beam Double Oak is: sweeter on the nose showing less dried grain. The mouth shows more cocoa, oak, and cinnamon. The finish shows more cinnamon and oak.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut: shows less grain and more spice on the nose. The mouth is fruitier with more baking spice. The finish shows less grain.

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal on the nose. Similar, but with less pronounced grain and more cinnamon and oak. The mouthfeel is more viscous and the finish is warmer and longer.

Jim Beam Bonded is: fuller on the nose showing more pronounced fruit gum and spice. The mouth is more viscous and sweeter, showing less grain and more spice. the finish is warmer with more spice.

If you've had Jim Beam Choice then...

Jim Beam White Label: shows more grain on the nose, mouth, and finish.

Jim Beam Black is: sweeter on the nose, showing more caramel. The mouth shows more baking spice and oak tannins. The finish features more oak and spice.

Jim Beam Double Oak is: a little fruitier on the nose and shows more oak. The mouth shows less dried grain and more almond and oak. The finish is warmer, longer and has more oak.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut is: very similar on the nose, maybe showing it's proof with a little more alcohol. The mouth is more peppery and shows more baking spice. The finish is warmer and longer.

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal on the nose, showing less grain. The mouth shows more cinnamon and clove. The finish is hotter with more intense flavor.

Jim Beam Bonded: shows more caramel and spice on the nose. The mouthfeel is more viscous and the mouth showcases more intense flavors of spice, chocolate, and leather. The finish is warmer with more spice and oak flavors.

If you've had Jim Beam Black then...

Jim Beam White Label is: very similar on the nose. The mouth shows more grain and fruit. The finish shows less oak and more grain.

Jim Beam Choice is: showing more cereal on the nose. The mouth shows more mint and grain, but less oak. The finish is more grain-forward.

Jim Beam Double Oak is: sweeter on the nose showing more maple. The mouth is sweeter, with more vanilla and caramel. the finish has less oak and is sweeter.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut is: similar on the nose, though it shows a few more herbal notes. The mouth has more "burn" as it shows off it's higher proof. It also shows more fruit and grain. The finish has more baking spice, but less heat.

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal on the nose. The mouth has more ripe fruit and caramel. The finish has more concentrated flavors.

Jim Beam Bonded is: sweeter on the nose showing more vanilla and less oak. The mouth is less fruity and nuttier with more cinnamon. The finish follows the mouth.

If you've had Jim Beam Double Oak then...

Jim Beam White Label is: more grain forward on the nose mouth and finish.

Jim Beam Choice: shows less caramel and almond on the nose. The mouth shows more grain and less oak and almond. the finish is less spicy with less oak.

Jim Beam Black is: less sweet and oakier on the nose. the mouth is drier with more oak. The finish shows more oak.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut is: drier with more grain on the nose. The mouth shows more baking spices and oak. The finish is drier, showing more dark chocolate.

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal and sweeter on the nose. The mouth is sweeter, showing more baking spice and caramel. It has a fuller finish with more concentrated flavors.

Jim Beam Bonded is: shows more fruit gum and spice on the nose. The mouth shows more grain and less chocolate. The finish is spicier with more grain and peanut.

If you've had Jim Beam Devil's Cut then...

Jim Beam White Label is: more grain-forward on the nose. The mouth is softer and more grain-forward. The finish is gentler with more grain and less oak.

Jim Beam Choice is: very similar on the nose. The mouth is more gentle showing more grain. The finish also shows more grain and is more bitter.

Jim Beam Black is: fruitier on the nose. The mouth shows more oak and the finish is warmer, oakier and a bit more bitter.

Jim Beam Double Oak is: sweeter on the nose, showing more caramel and vanilla. The mouth is sweeter with more grain notes. The finish is sweeter showing more grain and less heat. .

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal and sweeter on the nose. The mouth is hotter, spicier and sweeter on the mouth. the finish is longer, warmer and more herbal.

Jim Beam Bonded is: fruitier and sweeter on the nose. The mouth is spicier and hotter with more peanut. The finish is hotter showing more peanut.

If you've had Jim Beam Single Barrel then...

Jim Beam White Label is: less complex with less sweetness on the nose. The mouth is less sweet and shows much more dried grain. The mouthfeel is thinner and the finish shows more grain and mint.

Jim Beam Choice is: drier, showing more oak and (strangely) more grain on the nose. The mouth has more mint and grain. The finish is gentler.

Jim Beam Black is: similar on the nose, though showing some green apple and more oak. The mouth has more baking spice, peanut, and oak. The finish shows more peanut and oak.

Jim Beam Double Oak: shows more chocolate on the nose. the mouth shows more peanut and oak. The finish follows the mouth.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut is: a touch oakier on the nose. The mouth shows more green apple and oak. The finish has more baking spice.

Jim Beam Bonded is: showing less oak and more bubblegum. the mouth is hotter with more baking spice. The finish is warmer with more cinnamon red hot candies.

If you've had Jim Beam Bonded then...

Jim Beam White Label is: grassier on the nose with some more mint and grain. The mouthfeel is thinner, showing more grain. The finish is shorter with more bitter grain flavors.

Jim Beam Choice is: drier on the nose. The mouthfeel is thinner and the flavors more delicate. The finish is gentler and shows more grain.

Jim Beam Black is: drier on the nose, showing more oak. The mouthfeel is thinner and less sweetness and more oak. The finish shows more oak and less peanut.

Jim Beam Double Oak is: sweeter on the nose, showing more maple. The mouth is sweeter, showing chocolate notes. The finish is sweeter and has less peanut.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut is: drier on the nose. The mouth is drier with less spice and peanut. The finish is drier with less peanut.

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal and sweeter. The mouth is sweeter, with a thinner mouthfeel. The finish is sweeter with more herbal notes.

Bottom-Shelf Bourbon Brackets: The Championship Rounds

March 30, 2017 Eric Burke

Wild Turkey 101, Jim Beam Bonded, Jim Beam Devil's Cut, and Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond

Well, it's finally here. The championship rounds. This year was an interesting one for me on a couple of levels. For one, it featured two of my favorite value bourbons. Ones that I try to keep on my shelf at all times. I was extremely curious to see if they were toppled in a blind bracket or if my favorites won on their own merits. I was also interested to see how the various Jim Beam products would compare to one another. With this many by the same producer, I was curious how much difference there would really be between them.

The last thing that made this year a little more exciting for me was that there were very few that I would truly call "bottom-shelf" this year (value yes, bottom-shelf no). Many years, I wonder what the heck I am going to do with the very large bottles of very meh bourbon I have left over. This year I had to pop some of the contestants back in the closet so I wouldn't finish them before the contest was over. I mean, yes, the number four seeds were ones that would have been at home in previous years of the competition, but the other six I enjoyed quite a bit. Some more than I anticipated.

To make sure there were no flukes sneaking through on an off-day, I did each of these blind and as best two out of three. Two were done in Glencairn with the final done in a rocks glass. Why a rocks glass? Because when I'm not doing a tasting, that is how I drink my bourbon and I thought it made a fitting variable.

Division 1, Round 2: Jim Beam Bonded (A) vs Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond (B)

Nose: The nose on these are very similar. No winner based on nose.

Mouth: Winner is B sweeter and a little less "harsh" than A

Finish: Winner is B. Less grain and more "Bourbon" flavors.

Thoughts: In a show of how your tastes can be off sometimes, this came down to a tie-breaker in best of three. One time Bourbon A won, one time Bourbon B one and the tiebreaker came down to the rocks glass. In this case, Bourbon B was Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond. A respectable showing by both, though. (The impressions above are from the Glencairn tasting that reflected the final outcome.)

Division 2, Round 2: Wild Turkey 101 (A) vs Jim Beam Devil's Cut (B)

Nose: A has a richer nose than B. Winner A.

Mouth: A shows more wood, but also more tannins. B is sweeter and "smoother." No clear winner as I liked both.

Finish: A is warmer and longer. B is sweeter and a bit more grainy. Winner A.

Thoughts: This one was very tough. It really did come down to the nose and finish as I like both of them in the mouth. The impressions above are from the Glencairn tasting that reflected the winner. The interesting thing was that the winner was much more apparent in the rocks glass. I really liked A that way, but in the Glencairn they were much closer. The winner was A, Wild Turkey 101.

Championship Round: Wild Turkey 101 vs Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond

Thoughts: I like both of these bourbons. A lot. And, even tasted blind and with two out of three, it was a hard choice. In the end, it seems there is a reason I keep a handle of Wild Turkey 101 on my shelf at almost all times. It was the unanimous winner in all three of the blind tastings.

Lessons learned

I was really shocked by a few of the results this year. I fully expected an upset in both of the Jim Beam competitions. I've gone on record stating that Double Oak was the first Beam product I actually liked. Yet it lost to a product I reviewed as a "meh" in the past. Is proof really that big of a factor? Do my preconceptions color the reviews? Or has my palate changed to the point where I need to give more Beam products another chance? I'd say that last one will happen for sure. I'll know more about how I feel as I spend time with the rest of these bottles. How often I reach for them when I don't "have" to should provide a good idea if I like them outside of a blind tasting.

The one thing that didn't shock me was the final matchup. When I decided on the final eight I was hesitant to include those two because I knew they were two of my favorites. What if they won? Would it be because they were truly better or because I've become accustomed to them? Even after the results were in, I still can't answer that question. The good news is that this whole thing is just a bit of fun and really only does reflect my tastes. And that is the reason I eventually landed on for including them in the competition. Besides, I've had upsets happen, and it would have been interesting to see if it happened here.

Blog

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Triticale

Jim Beam Signature Craft: High Rye Bourbon

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Whole Rolled Oat

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Brown Rice

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Soft Red Wheat

Jim Beam Signature Craft Six Row Barley

If you've had Jim Beam White Label then...

If you've had Jim Beam Choice then...

If you've had Jim Beam Black then...

If you've had Jim Beam Double Oak then...

If you've had Jim Beam Devil's Cut then...

If you've had Jim Beam Single Barrel then...

If you've had Jim Beam Bonded then...

Division 1, Round 2: Jim Beam Bonded (A) vs Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond (B)

Division 2, Round 2: Wild Turkey 101 (A) vs Jim Beam Devil's Cut (B)

Championship Round: Wild Turkey 101 vs Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond

Lessons learned