cazolman Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Has anyone compared it to the Old Tub BIB they sell at the gift shop? I bought a bottle last time I visited the distillery. I like it, but too expensive at $16.99 for a 375mL and only sold at gift shop. Guess I need to buy a bottle and see for myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hop Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Has anyone compared it to the Old Tub BIB they sell at the gift shop? I bought a bottle last time I visited the distillery. I like it, but too expensive at $16.99 for a 375mL and only sold at gift shop. Guess I need to buy a bottle and see for myself.I did a comparison a while back and as I recall the OT didn't hold a candle to the BIB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zillah Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 (edited) I am not sure if this the appropriate place to post this or if I should just make a seperate post as my thoughts meander a bit, but considering I bought this two weeks ago and finished my bottle - something I don't usually do, I figured I'd give you my fully thought out notes on this. If you are from reddit, you already know what you are in for.Beam doesn't get much talk around here or in other whiskey circles. In fact, I do believe the distillery is taken for granted. Even when you include the small batch collection, which receives its due respect from us, no one really gets excited about it anyway. Everyone clamors for the hot mid shelf daily drinkers...Wellers, ETLs and Four Roses - and deservedly so, but I think a lot of people don't give Jim Beam the credit where credit is due. They make quality bourbon.We have had several major releases from Jim Beam over the past few years that have tried to bring quite a bit of variety to the Jim Beam lineup. While solid whiskies, none of them were ever really perfect. I'd say Jim Beam single barrel came really close to that line but its price point, and 5 proof less than a hundred, really gets in the way of making it more than just a curiosity buy rather than a shelf standard. Either way, Jim Beam has been trying their darnedest to find a niche into the new, ever evolving enthusiast market and trying to capture the daily drinkers. So far, I'd say they have failed. 12 years is nice, but not at a pretty penny and low proof. (Can't compete with Weller 12 or Elijah 12!) A good, rich single barrel is nice too, but not in comparison to ETL or Four Roses at a similar price point.What Jim Beam needed was a tasty bourbon that wasn't an up-market sell, but something that could contend with true, blue-blooded daily drinkers: WT101, OF100, OGDBIB, OWA107, HHBIB. Old school. Where is Jim Beam in all of this?Jim Beam Bonded (100 proof)Nose: cherry and mango, fruit stripe gum, sprite and rye effervescence, confectionery sugar, cola syrup, necco wafers, chicory root, peanut brittle and vanillaTaste: tropical and sour fruits on the tip of the tounge, followed by cinnamon, caramel, peanut butter, bit of cocoa, wood and root beer; semi-thick and juicy mouthfeelFinish: medium length of cocoa nibs, marble rye, grilled watermelon, and chalkOverall: Quintessential Beam. Sweet and sour fruit nose with just a touch of wood and rye spice to keep things interesting. The beam funk (which I usually associate with peanut butter) lies underneath, making this pour extremely well-rounded. The mouth-feel is juicy and the finish is lasting. It is young and it doesn't say much for complexities sake, but its price point, higher proof and wider distribution makes this the one Jim Beam to get. In fact, I believe this bottle is a new comer to the pantheon of must haves on any shelf. Just a fantastic buy and I applaud Beam for putting this stuff out. If there is one Beam you will ever need to buy (not including the small batch collection), this is it.I may be eating my words on this, but I am going to pull a Ralfy, not in measuring the actual juice, but what the move Jim Beam made represents for the distillery and the bourbon world itself: this is the best release, so far, of 2015. I think it represents exactly what makes Bourbon, at least in my mind, one of the best whiskies in the world and has as of late, been losing sight of, due to the new enthusiast craze. Bonded expressions were the cornerstone of a true bourbon drinkers diet because bonded was a government grade for assurance of quality, they were always affordable and most importantly, until recently, easily available. You didn't choose based upon age or proof point back then. You chose your distillery first, and then invariably it would be a bonded expression. I think this bonded expression is exactly that.Whether or not Jim Beam will be successful with this, I don't know. This is how I read it though. I may just have a romanticism with the old bonded bourbons that none of the new expressions these days bother to evoke, but it is what I fell in love with in regards to bourbon. In a way, I really feel that it is what bourbon was all about.Not chasing proof points and age. Not scrambling for some limited edition bourbon you never even tasted yet. Drinking 20 different bourbons in one night and forcing one self to have to compare them all in some scale of quality - as if claiming a particular bourbon to be the "best," and having others agree, will give you street cred. Lambasting new expressions that obviously are all trying to just patronize our wallets.I know I, and most of all of us, participate in this. I never really wanted it though. I just wanted something good to drink. We lost sight of that when we started asking what was best rather than what was good. I think we all just want something good to drink. Something that is an easy decision and not filled with regret when it is finished. (other than the hangover) There are some bourbons still on the shelf where that still is the case (fingers crossed) and that still makes bourbon great but I am thankful and delighted to welcome Jim Beam Bonded as that new expression. At least in my eyes that is.I suppose this became more than just about Jim Beam really being that good and more a dumping ground for my thoughts on the bourbon world. Either way, thanks for reading. Edited June 3, 2015 by zillah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffrey r Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Really well done there, Zillah. I've been on the sidelines with the Beam BIB up until now, if for no other reason than I have several 1L bottles in the bunker of the Kirkland 7/103 at $19.99 (Beam juice). So more age, more proof, and lower price in favor of the Kirkland over the Beam BIB. Upshot for me is, have you by any chance had the Kirkland bourbon to compare to the Beam BIB? Regardless, it is sounding more and more like the Beam BIB is one to pick up. Thanks again for the solid write-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zillah Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Have never even seen a Kirkland in the flesh but heard good things. 7 year old beam at 103 proof does sound tasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mosugoji64 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I've had both and lean toward JBBIB even at current prices. JBBIB is more balanced to me while Kirkland is heavier on the sweet, peanut butter candy flavor. Both are good, but BIB gets the repeat purchase from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 To be fair, every major distiller in KY has a couple products I like and can recommend, and other products that don't interest me for one reason or the other. From Beam, I really like OGD 114 and KCSB. Eventually I plan on trying the Beam BIB and Kirkland. We are getting a Costco here on the South side. I have heard that a person does not have to be a member to buy alcoholic beverages (due to state law). Can anyone confirm or deny this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amg Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 To be fair, every major distiller in KY has a couple products I like and can recommend, and other products that don't interest me for one reason or the other. From Beam, I really like OGD 114 and KCSB. Eventually I plan on trying the Beam BIB and Kirkland. We are getting a Costco here on the South side. I have heard that a person does not have to be a member to buy alcoholic beverages (due to state law). Can anyone confirm or deny this?That's correct. You can also use the pharmacy without being a member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyfish Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Have never even seen a Kirkland in the flesh but heard good things. 7 year old beam at 103 proof does sound tasty.I can recommend it on its own merits. At about $20 a liter (equivalent to $15/750) it also represent good value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggman Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 (edited) Howdy, I cut my teeth on JB White and JB Black and was excited upon seeing this offering from Beam. Available at my local grocery for just $17.99 (Same price as JB black or Extra-Aged, btw) I couldn't wait to give 'er a try. I want to like this new offering from Beam, I really do... There's something about this Bourbon that disappoints, even at it's modest price. For me, it's a mixer as the taste just doesn't float my boat. When Winter arrives and money's tight, I'd probably pick up a bottle, though. Edited August 28, 2017 by Eggman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebo Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 (edited) I'm a fan of this bourbon. I've had one bottle that I thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it again. I suppose Ohio isn't allowed to have it anymore...... like most bourbon that I'd like to be able to get. Edited September 1, 2017 by ebo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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