Old Tub Straight Bourbon 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.
Who said that all limited editions had to be expensive? Jim Beam bucks the trend by offering a limited run bourbon that retails for around $20. Originally found only in the Jim Beam Distillery shop as a 375ml, 2020 sees this whisky going nationwide. It has great specs with it clocking in at 100 proof, and featuring Non-Chill Filtration. This whiskey had a lot of people very excited when it launched. Has someone been rolling back the clocks at Jim Beam? Cracking this bottle feels like 2011 all over again.
Age: At least 4 years
ABV: 50%
Cask: Virgin Oak
MSRP: $20
Distillery Name: Jim Beam (Beam/Suntory)
Review Date: 12/1/20
Color: Caramel
Nose: Sweet, woody, and nutty. Typical Jim Beam nose with a strong peanut aroma. The longer it sits the more the nutty notes come through. There’s a bit of Crème brûlée and toffee.
Palate: First impression - spicy carnival nuts. It hits with a burst of cinnamon on the front end that moves into sweet sugar-coated salted peanuts. It’s reminiscent of the peanuts you’d find on the floor of your local sports bar. Peanut brittle and butterscotch leave you with a good depth of flavor. The mouthfeel is good, with medium weight and viscosity. It seems to have really been helped by the higher proof and the non-chill filtration.
Finish: Medium in length with lingering spice and more nuts.
Final Thoughts: For the $20 price point, this is a great value. This limited edition offering from Jim Beam provides a very different execution than something like an Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond and provides just complex enough of a pour for me to grab another bottle when this one runs out. The price point makes this accessible to almost everyone but isn’t your typical entry-level bourbon. If you only plan to have one bourbon on your bar cart, not sure this would be my choice.
