Red Stag by Jim Beam.

[ThomasH]

I bought a bottle of it a week or so ago. Not bad in a mixed drink but have heard it compared to cough syrup when consumed straight!

Thomas

[gr8erdane]

I picked up a bottle last week and don't find it objectionable at all. It is what it is. When is the Yellow Monkey by Beam coming out? I love bananas...

[kickert]

I tried a 50ml of this last night. Because of the the semi-favorable reviews you all were giving it (and since I take a guilty pleasure in WT American Honey), I thought I would give it a try.

Oh goodness is this stuff sweet. Like syrup sweet but without the viscosity. I could not have told you this was 80 proof, nor could I have told you it was an infused bourbon. The cherry flavor is pronounced and I could see this being good mixed in a coke, but there is no real bourbon flavor to it.

I would not buy a bottle, but I would take a glass of mixed drink made with this.

[AVB]

My emails with Beam on this:

State: PA
Email: the_avb@yahoo.com

Site: Red Stag

Type of Inquiry: Product Information
Inquiry: Suggestions/Comments

Message: Bourbon, by law cannot be artificially flavored. It is terrible
that you would consider calling this bourbon (which it isn't) and putting
the fine name of Jim Beam on it. Call it "Cherry flavored American Whiskey"
but not bourbon.

Reply:

Thanks for your inquiry about Jim Beam’s newest product Red Stag! We always make sure our Brotherhood of Bourbon members are the first to know about what’s new at Jim Beam. At Jim Beam, we value the spirit of bourbon and we have since 1795.

Great question - You are correct that bourbon has to follow certain defined guidelines in order to qualify as “bourbon”. We classify Red Stag as Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that has been INFUSED With Natural Flavors.

The process of infusing natural flavors into the bourbon and its corresponding verbiage is in compliance with all regulations. As you know, we would never treat fine bourbon with anything but respect. Just as we take the craft of making our whiskey seriously, so have we taken the charge of creating a unique, artisanal and flavorful product that our ancestors would be proud of. Once you taste Red Stag, we hope you will feel the same way.

Please let us know if you have other questions. Be sure to check out www.theRedStag.com for more information and for upcoming news about Red Stag.

In case you haven’t heard the news, Jim Beam® has introduced A Different Breed of Bourbon, Red Stag by Jim Beam™. Learn more about our unique, cherry-infused bourbon at TheRedStag.com. You'll find recipes and tasting notes, and you can Join The Herd to stay informed about promotions and cool events in your neck of the woods! Remember, you must be 21 or older to visit. And don’t forget, you can also gather at the Red Stag watering hole and connect with other Red Stag fans by becoming a friend of Red Stag by Jim Beam on Facebook.

We like hearing from our consumers, so thanks again for contacting us. Have a great day.

Eric
Jim Beam® Customer Care Representative

Reply

Dear Eric,

My whole point is right in the reply you sent.
"In case you haven’t heard the news, Jim Beam® has introduced A Different Breed of Bourbon, Red Stag by Jim Beam™."

It isn't bourbon, different breed or otherwise and you should stop calling it that. I've reviewed over 180 whiskies and I know what bourbon is and as soon as you "infuse" add flavor or otherwise change it from the way it came out of the barrel it isn't bourbon. The same way that the Distiller's Masterpiece, both the Port and Cognac finish, were not considered bourbon. I expect better from Jim Beam unless Fortune Brands is driving the advertising train and then I wouldn't put it past them calling it ambrosia to sell a product.

Regards,

XXXXXXX


No reply to this so far in over a week.

[ILLfarmboy]

I tried a 50ml of this last night....

The first time I saw this in my area was a 50ml atached to he neck of fifths of Beam White. Then, Red Stag showd up in 750's. At about 17 dollars I passed it up. If the cherry flavor is that pronounced, I'm glad I did. I may look for 50ml's not sold with Beam White. But I have a feeling I will be disapointed.

Still, the idea of a black cherry infusion used for an old fashioned is intriguing. But if the cherry flavor overpowers the bourbon, I just may try to flavor some Weller Antique for such an experiment.

[Josh]

If only the reviews of the bacon-infused Old Fitz I brought to the Sampler were as good as these!

[gr8erdane]

Good enough Brad but think of it this way: why use up good Weller Antique for infusion experiments when Beam has already used product you or I probably wouldn't otherwise purchase to get the same results? If black cherry is the taste you're looking for it's got that. And you've still got Weller in the bottle for enjoyment.

[ILLfarmboy]

Good enough Brad but think of it this way: why use up good Weller Antique for infusion experiments when Beam has already used product you or I probably wouldn't otherwise purchase to get the same results? If black cherry is the taste you're looking for it's got that. And you've still got Weller in the bottle for enjoyment.

I suppose I could always add some Red Stag to some straight bourbon, say, beam black, just to keep everything in the same distillery character, and use that, perhaps one to three, Red Stag to Beam Black. I think I would eliminate the orange slice. Too different from black cherry. I would need to get some cherry bitters. I think someone has mentioned cherry bitters before, not black cherry but cherry. I'm not sure Fee Brothers Old fashioned bitters, which is my favorite, and has a pronounced Christmas spice character, would work well in such a drink.

[Jono]

Does it share any flavor similarity with cherry cough syrup? Cherry Nyquil?
Or less harsh and mostly sweet?

[gothbat]

This stuff is definitely too sweet for me, I had some this weekend and I could not taste any whiskey at all! Glad I tried this at a bar and didn't actually buy a bottle because I really didn't like it, not that I was planning on doing so... I pretty much knew what I was getting in to but still had to try it anyway.