Jim Beam Black Extra Aged Shelf Review
Shelf Review
Designed to give you all the quick hit information you need when you’re standing in front of your local liquor store’s whisky shelf.
Jim Beam Black Label has always been one of those bottle I knew I should try, but never mustered the desire to actually buy. It’s marketed as an older, more complex version of Jim Beam white label, all wrapped up in an attractive and very affordable package. While unfortunately Jim Beam dropped the Black Label’s 8 year age statement in 2015, the new bottling it still assumed to contain whiskey older than 6 years – making it older than other bourbons at a similar price point. This particular bottle sits on a lot of shelves here in Los Angeles, and so it never occurred to me that I needed to grab a bottle. But this past weekend, I found myself in a pinch and was looking for interesting bottle under $20. So let’s see what that extra age has achieved…
Age: Non-Age Stated
ABV: 43%
Cask: American White Oak
MSRP: $20
Distillery Name: Jim Beam
Review Date: 3/19/21
Nose: Buttered popcorn, artificial sweet, toasted caramel, ethanol, and a dollop of wood. There’s a hint of peanut shells but the wood is the strongest note and seems to overpower some of the more nuanced parts of this otherwise soft nose.
Palate: This is traditional Beam, with some toasted nuts, mixed with woody char. Overall, it’s a bit thin on mouthfeel and flavors, with the traditional bourbon flavors of vanilla, oak, and caramel coming through, but not leading to much complexity. The sweetness is well balanced with the more savory oak notes. The 86 proof doesn’t provide much of a mouthfeel, and instead falls flat when compared to its similarly priced stablemate Old Tub.
Finish: Short and simple finish of wood spice, vanilla, and toffee. There’s a dash of spice here, but not much burn. Not a complex finish by any means, but enjoyable nonetheless.
