Jim Beam Black Label?

[Alden]

My local LS has it on sale, $19.95.

What does the hive mind think of this one?

I have heard it is quite a bit better than the standard white label product. I believe it is aged longer.

[TheNovaMan]

Squire likes it pretty well, but I'm not a big fan. There are way better bourbons for $20.

[HP12]

It's a respectable pour. Good intro to the non-Bourbon initiated yet decent enough for a cheap pour that has some reasonable flavor. For $20...what the hell. Plus, it's good to have for company and mixers rather than use your premium pours.

[Alden]

Hmmm... sounds pretty pedestrian.

[Rutherford]

I like this bourbon. I kept a bottle of this around until I determined that a liter of OGD was a better use of $20 than a 750 of JB Black. It's a good bourbon of Jim Beam character (more pronounced than in Knob Creek). It performs very well with water.

[BigBoldBully]

It has become one of my go to bourbons for when I have no desire to meditate unduly upon what I'm drinking. It offers several very nice flavors (vanilla, touch of fruit including plum, light spice), a relatively lush mouthfeel, and a high degree of versatility. Far less barrel char than the KCSB I have, and not as "funky," so you don't have to be in that funky char mood to enjoy it. I also appreciate that this stuff still has an age statement, and that I can buy it for under $33/handle.

Undue meditation is actually becoming less frequent in my house as a result of JBB.

[MauiSon]

It's good bourbon, but only worth $15/750ml to me. Put me in the lukewarm camp.

[T Comp]

Its relative lightness, cereal flavors and green fruit always have me thinking I could mistake it as an Irish blended in a blind tasting. A small liquor store near me has the 50ml plastics for 99 cents and I sometimes pick up a few, mainly for highball purposes if going to other peoples houses.

Now the dusty late '70s first release of a Beam Black label, labeled "Beam's Sour Mash", 90 proof and 101 months...that there is a whole different animal and one delicious whiskey. I've got one tax stripped pint bottle left and yeah I've thought about opening it but so far...:bigeyes: :grin:.

[TheNovaMan]

It has become one of my go to bourbons for when I have no desire to meditate unduly upon what I'm drinking.

That's why there's Ten High straight, Ezra Brooks, and Evan Williams.

[Grain Belt]

I enjoy JBB very much. I hit a Twin Cities store once in awhile that has 1.75's for $25. Great on the rocks, great in a Manhattan, great in an old fashioned. Those three things spell out a good time to me.

[squire]

It's quite versatile but I have to catch it on sale, otherwise it's a bit overpriced.

[Flyfish]

It's quite versatile but I have to catch it on sale, otherwise it's a bit overpriced.

I'm with the Squire. I used to buy JBB by the handle for about $25 as a regular pour. Now that it is almost that much for a 750, there are more attractive options.

[higgins]

This one is fun to experiment with adding water to. To my tastes, it changes more than many other bourbons with water.

I would pick it up if you've never had it before and it's on sale. It's on my list to get this month for $15 around here.

[JPBoston]

Not worth the money. EWB is much better and half the price (in AZ, anyway).

For $20 and under, I'd rather take OWA, Fighting Cock, BT, OGD BiB, or a handle of EWB, among others.

[zillah]

I enjoy it, but prefer KB100 instead. After you get past the beam oak that you either like or don't, it has a simple caramel, chocolate and graham cracker taste to it that makes it a real treat to drink, and an easy one at 86 proof. Definitely worth $20. I find it is underrated and skipped on quite a bit.

[Gentleman Racer]

I also like JBB quite a bit. When I want a straight-forward non-complex table bourbon, it's a go-to bottle for me. I concur with the strongly positive flavor characteristics already noted above. I'd add to those that it has no weaknesses. Nose, flavor, finish all nicely balanced.

[Alden]

I enjoy it, but prefer KB100 instead. After you get past the beam oak that you either like or don't, it has a simple caramel, chocolate and graham cracker taste to it that makes it a real treat to drink, and an easy one at 86 proof. Definitely worth $20. I find it is underrated and skipped on quite a bit.

KB stands for... Kentucky... ?

[JPBoston]

KB stands for... Kentucky... ?

I believe he's talking about Kirkland Brand (which is Beam juice, sold at Costco)... I've seen many agree that the quality/flavor is right between JBB and KC, haven't tried it yet myself.

[Bmac]

I have bought several bottles of this over the course of three years and each bottle has been a bit different. If you can find the version that specifically states 8 years, i'd get it for 20 bux.

Over all, it seemed like JB was trying to get the flavor profile to match that of JD. Just my taste buds...

[boneuphtoner]

When I really started becoming a bourbon enthusiast, I didn't especially care for the one and only bottle I tried. Seemed somewhat medicinal, and not nearly as good as KC. They had a sale last month and I bought myself another bottle. What a difference. Whereas I would have rated the older bottle dead last in comparison to all the 86 proofers I had on hand (against EWB, OGD, Old Forester, etc.) , I'd now rate it as perhaps the best in that range. With this bottle at least, it seems like a slightly tamer, softer, KC. Thumbs up, for this bottle at least!

[smokinjoe]

The Black Label is a solid, whiskey by all measures. Good neat, with a cube or two, or mixed with ginger ale. I do prefer the Beam White 7 yr to it, though. A little more sweetness, oilier, not as dry, and more of the Beam house style, AKA "Beam yeasty funk" (of which I am one of 3 people on the planet who likes that aspect of Beam bourbons. )

[zillah]

KB stands for... Kentucky... ?

Oops, I meant to say KC100 as in Knob Creek 100 also known as the Small Batch.

[Grain Belt]

Joe, You might have a fourth to join your small group of Beam yeast funk lovers. The JBB has always impressed me. Taste is always first and foremost with me but sometimes dinner parties and the like have some superficial types that want to impress others. I'm not above playing this game. I grew up going to dinner parties where the classy guys drove Caddies, drank Michelob, and wore spiffy white Alan Edmonds loafers because that way it was in the 70's. In the average non-bourbon loving world, JBB is "the good stuff" in 2013 where I live. Even though anyone reading this knows it is a mid-shelfer (where most my bread is buttered FWIW) When I bring Jim Beam Black to a party I know I am going to enjoy it on the rocks but I have no problem pouring a little coke or ginger ale or water on it for those that want it. That is the beauty of the JBB pour. And my Twin Cities source has it for 25.99 a handle. Everybody wins!

[squire]

Good price for a handle, here they want almost that much for a 750.

[Eggman]

Howdy,

For the last several years, JBB was my nightcap choice with cola and two ice cubes. JBB strikes a reasonable balance between economy and quality, with it's char and raisin tones. Recently I've discovered Old Forester Signature for the same price and it's my new favorite, although I keep JBB in the bullpen.