Jim Beam Single Barrel Bourbon (95 Proof)

BACKGROUND: Jim Beam Single Barrel, Beam’s initial release in the single barrel category, was first unveiled by Master Distiller Fred Noe in late 2013 and began appearing on store shelves in March of the following year. Though the bottle carries no age statement, Noe mentioned at the time of its unveiling that the bourbon would be aged between four to seven years and selected from the barrels used to produce Jim Beam’s white label and black label expressions. According to Beam/Suntory, less than 1% of Beam barrels qualify for single barrel bottling, and each is “strictly hand-selected…with care to ensure a unique profile and premium quality that make for a perfectly crafted bourbon.” While the single barrels chosen for Booker’s, Knob Creek, and, most recently, Baker’s come from the choice center cut positions of the warehouse, the Beam SiB barrels are selected from the top, bottom, and sides. Visitors to Beam’s gift shop at the American Stillhouse distillery in Clermont, Kentucky could purchase and hand-bottle their own Single Barrel bottle, but I am unsure as to whether this option is still available. Jim Beam Single Barrel is bottled at 95 proof and made from a mashbill of 77% corn, 13% rye, and 10% malted barley. Though many single barrel offerings from other companies are non-chill filtered, this one does go through that process. Each bottle carries a hand-written label denoting the barrel from which it was bottled. My bottle came from barrel JB7244. A 750ml bottle of Jim Beam Single Barrel retails for $34.99. AROMA: The aroma presents the undeniable scent of fresh peanut brittle along with navel orange, oak, and a dose of good, ol’ Jim Beam musty funk, which is one of my guilty pleasures. TASTE: The taste largely mirrors the aroma with oak, orange citrus, peanuts, caramel, and, believe it or not, a bit of buttermilk biscuit. It seems to be a very front-forward taste on the tongue. CONCLUSION: The conclusion is long and offers a surprisingly big Kentucky hug for a 95 proof bourbon. The orange citrus on the taste becomes lemon citrus on the conclusion, perhaps because of some oak tannins. Big, booming notes of black pepper are also dominant in the conclusion. FINAL ASSESSMENT: As noted in my previous reviews, I am a big fan of Beam’s premium, higher-end, and more limited bourbons, so I had big hopes for Jim Beam Single Barrel. While it is much better than the regular 80 proof white label Jim Beam, it is also not quite as good as the Distiller’s Cut or Beam Bonded. Jim Beam Single Barrel is all-at-once enjoyable and unremarkable. It is a flavorful bourbon, but not one that prompts me to rush out to purchase more bottles.

There appears to be some uncertainty regarding the Jim Beam Single Barrel. It is gradually disappearing from shelves in its original form. The Beam website displays a new, improved bottle with a sloped shoulder and a fancy cork closure, still at the traditional 95 proof. However, bottles are appearing on shelves in some regions in the standard square-shouldered Jim Beam bottle with a screw cap. That's not the most significant news, though. It's now 108 proof and priced between $17 and $25. There has been no official announcement or launch for either new product, leaving it a mystery. I've had this on my 'to try' list for a while, but each time I considered it, I thought, 'Yeah, a non-age-statement Beam? I think I'll skip.' But with this being the last bottle on the shelf and unsure of what the replacement would be, I finally decided to buy it. Let's see what Barrel #JB7214 has to offer... AROMA: There's considerable alcohol burn on the nose for a 95 proof, even after letting it breathe for 10 minutes. Moving past that, you detect notes of Nutter Butter Cookies, Dry Roast Peanuts, Caramel, and Vanilla. There's also an unpleasant 'oily' or 'plasticky' scent accompanying the burn. NEAT: The signature Beam Peanut Funk is prominent. After a few sips to adjust, you get notes of Oak, Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, and Flat Cola. There's a Bitter Oak presence mid-palate. It's not truly astringent, just oddly bitter. The finish is a bit hot with a decent, building Kentucky Hug. It leaves a thick residue of Bitter Oak and Peanut Funk. Let's add a little water and hope for improvement. SPLASH: Not a significant change to the aroma, but the chemical/oily note is somewhat reduced, and a Sweet Baked Pastry vibe emerges. However, the stinging alcohol heat remains distracting from the positive elements. It does improve the palate, though. The Bitter Oak is significantly toned down, as is some of the heat. The aftertaste is now Sweet Oak and Sugar Cookie with only a small hint of that bitterness. Water is essential for this one. VERDICT: A small splash of spring water rescued this from the '2' range. I'll give it a 3, but just barely. Beam has been impressing me lately with the new age-stated Knob Creek versions. Hopefully, this was just an off barrel. If it improves with more time open, I will gladly report back. I'm curious to see what the replacement will be. Will it be the same old thing in a new bottle, or a 108 proof 'Young Baker's'? Either way, I won't be sad to see this particular barrel/bottle disappear.

I've had all the Jim Beam small batch bottlings and really like them. Now I'm checking out the Jim Beam main line with this single barrel release. I haven't found a "Jim Beam" labeled spirit I've liked yet. Let's hope this one changes that. Barrel No. JB 8375 Nose: Typical Beam aromas of peanut brittle, orange zest, brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla. Hints of candy corn, toffee, and gala apple. Bitter chocolate and wood. Clove, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon spice. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, milk chocolate, and brownie. Gala apple and peach. A hint of cocoa and brown sugar. The middle of the taste is filled with clove, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and oak. It's not the most intricate, but it's smooth and quite enjoyable. Finish: Plenty of bitter chocolate. Peanut brittle, orange zest, and some dehydrated apricot. A finish of moderate duration. A very good bourbon. Not as stunning as most of the Small Batch Series, but still decent on its own. I've tasted a couple other Jim Beam Single Barrels. This is the best one. Your experience might differ. This specific cask wasn't outstanding in any particular aspect. However, it is impressively consistent and a fantastic representation of the standard Jim Beam character. And it's a fantastic value. For $30, I can only recall one other spirit I've enjoyed this much that cost less (that would be Buffalo Trace.) Remember, spirits are pricey in this state. Nevertheless, this one delivers. I believe I've discovered the first Jim Beam labeled product I can endorse.

This has a lot of buzz online. Knob Creek bourbon and some Beam products are favorites, so this was the logical next choice. Served neat, the aroma is subtle and elegant, with a noticeable ethanol presence that confirms its authenticity. It presents notes of aged wood, black tea, mild sweet fruit, and gentle caramel. The texture is somewhat light but doesn't detract from the abundant flavors. The taste begins with a powerful oak presence sweetened by a candy apple coating. There's significant char, milk chocolate with almond, hints of varnish, tea, and caramel. The finish offers drying wood and char, with lingering nutty caramel undertones. This is an excellent bourbon. I suspect it's a Knob Creek single barrel with reduced aging and proof. The profile appears identical, just less complex and intense (the early signs of the deeper notes found in KCSB are present). This isn't a criticism; it delivers fantastic richness and value for its price (around $30), making it an easy repeat purchase……88/100……. If you appreciate this, you absolutely should try the Knob Creek single barrel…. Update: The flavor profile improves as the bottle has been open longer!! At under $35, it's a highly recommended try.

Aroma: Classic. You can tell this is Beam, but a little more swagger. Vanilla, oak, char - it's all here. There's an almost floral citrus thing going on - orange blossoms spring to mind. Dusty corn, cheerios. Vegetal and herbaceous - probably the rye in the mash bill poking its head out. Earth, slight leather. Taste: Again, that Beam white label heritage comes through, though a little more refined and stately. That classic dusty corn character comes through. White sugar and charred oak. Mint, thyme, oregano. Cucumber. Citrus. Very mellow sip. Conclusion is medium-short with that slight rye spice showing up again, along with more dusty corn and not much else. Other notes: This is a BevMo barrel pick. Proofed at 95 so it's not going to slap you, but there's enough there to keep things interesting. Definitely an interesting experience - really allows you to see and understand what's going on in a given barrel - great to compare to standard Beam white label and maybe even Knob Creek single barrel (proofed down, of course). I might not get this again, but I'm glad I picked this one up.

This is a bottle I recently opened. It uses the standard mash bill of 77% corn, 13% rye, and 10% malted barley. At 95 proof, this particular bottle had a bit more ethanol on the nose which mellowed out after about 5 minutes of sitting in a glass. Additionally, the aroma has red apples, vanilla, and honey sweetness. The taste is where this bottle stands out from the standard version. You get cinnamon brown sugar, a bit of caramel apple, some charred oak, and then a strong hit of cayenne pepper spice that lasts for at least several minutes. The finish has some charred oak and brown sugar but it's almost entirely dominated by the persistent hot pepper spice. I personally enjoyed the cayenne pepper in the finish and its long-lasting nature because it was different from the typical black pepper spice I usually detect in most bourbons.