Is Jim Beam Black going NAS?

[Mr. Bourbon]

More profit certainly as a six year version is less costly to produce than an eight. If we view Bourbon as a commodity lowering production cost while increasing profit makes perfect business sense.

It certainly does. I am assuming the American version will be a 6 year too, But it just won't be on the bottle.

The 6 year is quite good though for the price.

[TunnelTiger]

I would have to drop a sku and go with just one label, NAS or 6yr or 6 star would work.

[Paul W]

This whole thing makes me wonder if the 7-year old Beam is going to be around much longer either.

[amg]

This whole thing makes me wonder if the 7-year old Beam is going to be around much longer either.

I bet it will just silently disappear.

[squire]

Or raise the price. Beam has the stocks to support a brand that sells.

[cowdery]

I was sitting here trying to think if the difference between a four year old and a six year old would be enough to matter. Then it occurred to me the nature of Beam's business and how that factors into this.

Beam has two big distilleries at Clermont and Boston. They make all of their whiskeys there except Maker's Mark. Boston (Booker Noe) pretty much makes white label exclusively while Clermont makes everything else, but white label is the biggest part of its production too. White label is so huge, compared to everything else, that for 50 minutes of every hour, that's what they are making.

Although I'm sure a little bit of older whiskey gets in there to match the profile, white label is basically 4-years-old and a day. The flavored stuff and Devil's Cut comes out of that pool too. What's left? Old Crow is the younger stuff that's also less mature. Although Booker's and Baker's are age-stated, they are very low volume. Knob, at 9-years, is much larger. That gives Beam a lot of whiskey to play with between 4 and 9 years old.

We all know some barrels mature faster, based on their location. These, presumably, are the barrels they'll be using for black. That's where NAS works. They can keep the flavor profile close (which is what they will try to do) by selecting these younger but more mature barrels. That way, they're putting that extra maturity to good use. Dropping the age statement won't hurt sales much if they are successful at maintaining the flavor profile. Regular buyers of black may not notice a label change, but they'll definitely notice a flavor change.

With the immense volume of whiskey they produce, Beam should be able to keep the black label as the rich and flavorful product it is now, and keep it a good value too.

[smokinjoe]

White label is so huge, compared to everything else, that for 50 minutes of every hour, that's what they are making.

I love this. Sometimes, numbers become so large they lose their context. Then, someone puts it into another perspective like this, and your jaw drops. Wow.

[Mr. Bourbon]

Has anyone actually tried a bottle of the NAS stuff yet?

[amg]

Has anyone actually tried a bottle of the NAS stuff yet?

I've still yet to see the NAS stuff. Seems like there's a lot of 8-year in the pipeline still.

[Mr. Bourbon]

Here in Canada we will continue to get the 6 year JBB label.

Cost about $29.00 and it's not bad for a daily drinker.

[Frodo]

Has anyone actually tried a bottle of the NAS stuff yet?

I had a 200ml bottle muled up for me by a friend. Forgettable stuff. I remember liking the 8yr stuff quite a bit...

[chrisg]

I saw it today in OH.; labeled as extra-aged.

[ThomasH]

First load of NAS showed up in my area today. Time to bunker some handles!

Thomas

[ethangsmith]

Tried the new Xtra Aged version today. I've got to say, it's quite good. I found it a tad drier and maybe a tad more oaky, but that could be the effect of my old bottle getting a little air on it. Regardless, the new stuff is just as good, and as sad as I am to see the age statement go away, it still has a place on my shelf.

[Harry in WashDC]

Has anyone actually tried a bottle of the NAS stuff yet?

Saw lots of 750s of the NAS "Extra aged" on the shelf next to a few 750s of, and lots of handles of, the 8 year "Double aged" today. Bought none as I have a backlog of the 8yr (it's marginally in my regular rotation). Frankly, if I were going to bunker a Beam product right now, I'd be loading up on OGD BIB and 114 at MSRP or KC on sale @ $22 a 750. But, that's just me. Next week, I may feel differently . . .

[393foureyedfox]

Saw lots of 750s of the NAS "Extra aged" on the shelf next to a few 750s of, and lots of handles of, the 8 year "Double aged" today. Bought none as I have a backlog of the 8yr (it's marginally in my regular rotation). Frankly, if I were going to bunker a Beam product right now, I'd be loading up on OGD BIB and 114 at MSRP or KC on sale @ $22 a 750. But, that's just me. Next week, I may feel differently . . .

regular ol KC is hard to beat for the price. to me, its a prefect balance of profile and price.Its creeping up to the $30 mark, but the wife found some for $24 the other day and got me one.

[Harry in WashDC]

Agreed. The sale of KC @ $22 at one store I frequent and then the drop in price at other stores I frequent started in late Dec 2014 - I wish the sale would end; getting tired of grabbing bottles every time I go in for something else.:cool:

[Golzee]

I trust Fred Noe won't screw up JBB. In Chicagoland, the old old label (pretty much JBW label, but black) of JBB can still be found at more than a few liquor stores. Also, off subject, but does anybody else laugh when they look at Fred Noes grinning face on the side of JBW label. It is like Fred knows he has the best job in the world.

[squire]

Fred undeniably has a great position but I don't think decision making about what gets bottled is part of his job description.

[flahute]

Fred undeniably has a great position but I don't think decision making about what gets bottled is part of his job description.

Are those decisions made in Japan now? (Not that there's anything wrong with that. They tend to make good decisions regarding whiskey.)

[tanstaafl2]

Are those decisions made in Japan now? (Not that there's anything wrong with that. They tend to make good decisions regarding whiskey.)

My impression from reading about the sale was that most of the management for JB was staying on this side of the Western pond, probably with a few suits from Japan getting involved at upper management levels. The new Beam Suntory management HQ is in Deerfield, IL and run by the former Beam CEO.

But if they start to screw it up...

[CorvallisCracker]

Just saw handles of the 8yo for $44.95 (the 750s were NAS).

[Sijan]

Saw lots of 750s of the NAS "Extra aged" on the shelf next to a few 750s of, and lots of handles of, the 8 year "Double aged" today. Bought none as I have a backlog of the 8yr (it's marginally in my regular rotation). Frankly, if I were going to bunker a Beam product right now, I'd be loading up on OGD BIB and 114 at MSRP or KC on sale @ $22 a 750. But, that's just me. Next week, I may feel differently . . .

Been out of the loop & just heard about this. JB Black is an old friend & regular standby for me from my law school days, so I rushed out to my local ABC Store and fortunately they still had some of the "Double Aged" bottles along with the "Extra Aged" bottles. JB Black handles are on sale this month in Virginia, so I picked up 2 of the 3 remaining "Double Aged" handles.

[BigBoldBully]

Welcome back to the loop, Sijan! Fortunately, there still seems to be a fair amount of age stated JBB around (for purchase even by lawyers).

[Harry in WashDC]

Been out of the loop & just heard about this. JB Black is an old friend & regular standby for me from my law school days, so I rushed out to my local ABC Store and fortunately they still had some of the "Double Aged" bottles along with the "Extra Aged" bottles. JB Black handles are on sale this month in Virginia, so I picked up 2 of the 3 remaining "Double Aged" handles.