Jim Beam Black is the Gold Medal Winner

[harshest]

I saw this on the Jim Beam Black facebook fan page. I don't know much about the Beverage Testing Institute or whiskey for that matter but I really find this extremely hard to believe.

Jim Beam Black is the Gold Medal Winner for 2010 Beverage Testing Institute's Highest Rated North American Whiskies!

[Enabler]

How much you want to bet they own the beverage testing institute? Or one of their wives does.

[ErichPryde]

How much you want to bet they own the beverage testing institute? Or one of their wives does.

If it was only compared to those whiskeys, It's not unfair to say that it is a pretty good whiskey.

[CorvallisCracker]

I saw this on the Jim Beam Black facebook fan page. I don't know much about the Beverage Testing Institute or whiskey for that matter but I really find this extremely hard to believe.

There's a bunch of points need to be made here.

First, do you have a link to the specific FB page? I went to FB, found the JBBL page, and didn't see any of this.

Of course, they may have already taken it down, because the word "the" in this statement:

"Jim Beam Black is the Gold Medal Winner for 2010 Beverage Testing Institute's Highest Rated North American Whiskies!"

makes it a false one.

If you go to the BTI site (www.tastings.com) and search on bourbons, here is what comes back:

99 PVW 20 - 2008 PLATINUM
97 WTAS - 2008 - PLATINUM
96 JRPS - 2010 - PLATINUM
94 EWSB1999 - 2009 - GOLD
94 JR - 2007 - GOLD
94 Blantons - 2008 - GOLD
94 WTRR - 2008 - GOLD
94 4R MC2009 - 2010 - GOLD
94 WTKS - 2010 - GOLD
93 JBBL - 2010 - GOLD
93 BT - 2008 GOLD
93 ERSB - 2010 - GOLD
93 4RSB - 2010 - GOLD
93 JBBL - 2008 - GOLD
93 WTRB - 2010 - GOLD
93 Bulleit - 2010 - GOLD

(92 and lower not reproduced here)

So,

1. The Beam ad doesn't mention that there's a Platinum level.

2. even among bourbons evaluated in 2010, and earning only Gold, there are two with a higher score - Four Roses 2009 Mariage and WTKS.

3. among bourbons evaluated in 2010, there are four others with the same score.

If that's for real, they left a LOT out.

BTI has a weird rating system. For one thing, it's actually a 21 point system, not 100. Anything deemed "not recommended" gets a 79, and if you closely analyze their rating methodology you'll realize it's not possible for anything to get a 100.

Like all such sites, you should take their score for a particular spirit as a single data point. If it varies wildly with what other critics or forum folks have to say, or with your own experience, then ignore it. I do.

As for JBBL, I think it's okay, but I only recommend it in months (about one in three) when the OR Liquor Control Commission drops the price from $23 to $19.

[harshest]

First, do you have a link to the specific FB page? I went to FB, found the JBBL page, and didn't see any of this.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php...&id=6594216867

Very nice post BTW.

[BBQ+Bourbon]

Looking at the results above, it looks to me that the ratings are highly influenced by the hype of individual bottles. Sorry, but Bulleit isn't a 93 on any legit 100 point scale. JRPS a 96? No.

[nblair]

Sorry, but Bulleit isn't a 93 on any legit 100 point scale.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed that! Not that number based reviews are ever helpful, but based on that score I don't think I'll ever use tastings.com as a reference.

[Res/st-or]

I really don't care for a single one on that list....

[cowdery]

Even though they're here in Chicago, I don't know a lot about BTI. I was asked to be on a tasting panel once many years ago. I declined and never heard from them again. I recently was talking to someone who is very active there, someone I respect, and he said their methodology is good.

You know, Baker's has won Best American Whiskey from WHISKY Magazine at least once, and I think maybe more than once, and I'm one of their judges. Beam Black is essentially the same stuff, a little older, a little lower proof, and a slightly different profile, but very similar. I'm more surprised by some of the others, Crown in particular.

[CorvallisCracker]

One of the BTI "spirits panelists" is Edward Hamilton, moderator of the Ministry of Rum forum. He's a good guy.

Like I said, when I can get JBBL for under $20, it's a good choice.

Back in Florida, where I could get Knob Creek for under $30, I used to buy it frequently. Here it's $38, which is way too high.