Jim Beam Double Oak

Jim Beam Double Oak

Cost: $20 at local Total Wine (South Carolina)

Age: 4 years

Proof: 86

Mash Bill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

Appearance: Dark amber in color with fat, fast legs.

Nose: Caramel, a hint of vanilla, and a heavy earthy mix of nuttiness, wood, and some char. The sweetness really dominates this nose though.

Palate: There’s a pepper spiciness that hits me first followed by lots of sweet vanilla, oak, and a sort of toffee/peanut brittle thing. This has a soft mouthfeel and coats the palate very nicely. It also leaves a cooling sensation on the palate, kinda like peppermint does, but without the minty flavor. Lots of flavor for 86 proof. I’m a bit impressed, honestly, at how pronounced the different notes are for this being only 86 proof. There is a little more of an alcohol sting than I would have expected for 86 proof though (but to be fair, about 6 hours ago I started to get the onset of a cough…so that could be jacking with the “burn” aspect).

Finish: A sweet, charred oak profile lingers the longest, but there’s also a bitter note that hangs around. I’m not a big fan of bitterness, but it is subtle. The “double barrel” character stands out the most in the finish versus the other phases of this sip, with noticeable amounts of char and oak.

Rating: 5.0/10

Overall: So…this is basically Jim Beam white label that has been finished “to taste” (i.e. not long. I’m going to guess less than 3 months) in a new, charred white oak barrels. I do think it is noticeably better than the normal Jim Beam white label with more pronounced flavor. Now, regular white label is about $14 a bottle whereas this is 42% more expensive at $20 a bottle. However…IT’S A $20 BOTTLE! Just ignore the markup as a percentage. I mean, I really don’t care about $14 vs $20. So, to even get marginally more flavor for $20, I think it’s worth paying the extra for. This is an excellent value for an everyday go-to! It’s not very complex, but if you’re a fan of Jim Beam, I would recommend considering this as a new staple in the bar:

• Throw it on an ice cube and the bitter note I was getting disappears as well as the “mintiness” feel on the palate (but at 86 proof, a lot of other flavor is dulled as well).
• I tried it in an Old Fashioned and it actually performed pretty well! I think the spiciness/pepperiness I mentioned allowed it to balance out the other sweetness in an Old Fashioned.
• Or, you can always just sip it straight. It’s not real complex, but it’s not offensive in any way.

At $20, it’s really hard to hate it.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect