The (Unmentionable?) Jim Beam

[Nightcap]

Hi all.

I've been spending quite a few hours hanging around this board lately, reading, learning, occasionally chuckling, and today I noticed that I haven't come across a single mention of Jim Beam White Label bourbon. Is it part of the unspoken code of sophisticated bourbon drinkers to avoid mentioning this label?

I've never even tried it, myself. But will shortly. Isn't it supposed to be one of the top selling bourbons in the country? Maybe even THE top selling bourbon? (Someone who knows should learn me up.) I realize that what sells the most isn't necessarily the best; look at Budweiser for example, the top selling beer. But... Is that what Jim Beam is? The Budweiser of Bourbon?

Is my account going to be deleted by the mods because I mentioned it? Will I draw long, hard stares from across the bar-room by ordering it?

Does anyone here DRINK Jim Beam bourbon?

[TNbourbon]

Well, the white label (either 4- or 7-year-old) is pretty pedestrian, but the Black Label ain't bad (some here call it the 'poor man's Booker's' -- I'm not sure if that's meant to be a slam or a kudo).

[OneCubeOnly]

I think you summed it up quite well with the Budweiser analogy: there really isn't a whole lot to talk about with JB White.

I never have been able to tolerate the stuff straight, but it was my first bourbon. It mixes well, and was my ONLY bourbon throughout college. Once I had a taste of Maker's Mark, I never looked back. (And after using MM as a stepping-stone I never looked back at it either!)

JB White is a non-finesse mass-produced 4yo, which to my tastes is extremely hot, harsh, and boring.

[gr8erdane]

JB white does a good job when I use it to disenfect my hunting socks or as an engine degreaser. Occasionally I use it to remove sink clogs but it tends to eat the pipes. Drink it? When there are so many tasty alternatives?

[boone]

You can mention Jim Beam...nothing wrong with that...but for a newbie reading threads in some of these forums you might think that Jim Beam is bad...They are not...They didn't get to be #1 best seller of Kentucky Straight Bourbon for nothing...

This board is partial to "Premium" bourbon...I might say "partial" is a bit of a under statement...

Bobby Cox, will tell you that his favorite is Stagg...in the same breath he will pat Jim Beam on the back...That insight gets lost sometimes...Lots of newbies have thought that Maker's Mark is bad...It's a fine bourbon...as there are several members that will tell you that right off the bat...

So, Nightcap?...I choose Budweiser, to be in the fridge all the time...and I drink Elijah Craig 18 single barrel...Different opinions different taste...some overlooked some not...

Bettye Jo Boone

Line Mechanic, Heaven Hill Distilleries

7th Generation Jacob Beam

[bobbyc]

BettyeJo is shooting it straight as always. Jim Beam is a wonderful outfit. They have good products, all the small batch and the Distillers Masterpiece.

Saying Jim Beam Black is a poor mans Bookers is a compliment . The profile is similiar to what a Booker's with a quarter to a third of water will yield.

Beam White is a go to Bourbon, one shouldn't get too worked up if someone drinks it with coke. It is a "well "bourbon at many bars. They sell a lot of it.

You likely will not see anyone posting that it tastes much much better than Vanwinkle or some other Premium. That doesn't mean it isn't good on it's own. It does what it's made to do, a workhorse brand. Apparently the most well liked one available today!

<font color="blue"> Good God Give Hank Jr Some </font>

[cowdery]

Jim Beam white label is what it is; a low proof, minimally aged bourbon. It tastes pretty green but it isn't hot or oily like some other young whiskeys. It's a good, baseline bourbon. A new bourbon drinker can get to know it and then say, "okay, I get it, now where do we go from here?"

Jim Beam white gets to claim "#1 bourbon" because its only real competitor, Jack Daniel's, isn't a bourbon, so in that sense Beam wins on a technicality. In fact, those two are always #1 and #2 in the American Straight Whiskey category, though who is #1 varies. It's always close.

If you consider Jim Beam and Jack Daniel's about equal in quality, then Jim Beam should get points for being a much better value.

Some people just don't like the Jim Beam style. The white label product can taste a little foxy, a product of its yeast strain as well as its youth. It's unquestionably distinctive, but some people like it and some don't.

As you've just seen, all you have to do to get people here to talk about just about anything is start the ball rolling.

[brendaj]

OCO,

I agree 100% with all that's been said here, I just want to point out to NightCap that the Beams are rye, while MM is wheat.

I believe they are both good entry level Bourbons. (Although, if I had my druthers...I'd chose Beam Black.)

I really think MM's appeal to the consumer is (marketing genius and) the mashbill. Wheat presents a smoothness that can grab a new Bourbon drinker. Rye is more rambunctious. What was that L. Spencer said? "A Party in your mouth!"

That's the wonderful thing about Bourbon. Your mood can choose your Bourbon. You might want to sit quietly and sip or, you might want to turn the stereo up until it rattles the windows, call to the neighbors and look stupid while you dance...

I'm kidding, but ya'll know what I mean...

Bj

[Black85L98]

It's been a long time but if you pour me one I will drink it. There is nothing wrong with JB White but there Bourbon at about the same price point that has a lot more going for it. In the end it's all about what you like. Twist the cap, pour a glass and tell us what you think.

[jimbo]

javascript:void(0)

So, Nightcap?...I choose Budweiser, to be in the fridge all the time...and I drink Elijah Craig 18 single barrel...Different opinions different taste...some overlooked some not...

Betty Joe, you are kidding me, right? Budweiser and Elijah Craig 18 yr SB? I haven't tried the 18 yr SB yet but the 12 yr is one of the best I have tried. I have a bottle of the 18 yr SB waiting for tasting. (New bourbon drinker.) But Budweiser? with so many other beers with character, not for me.

By the way, are you married?

Regards, jimbo

[Nightcap]

By the way, are you married?

Regards, jimbo

And what are YOU drinking tonight, Jimbo?

[boone]

Jimbo,

Yes, Bud is my choice and I get "hammered" for it all the time ...

If you are a guest in my home...I will offer you something to drink...Pepsi (not Coke), Budweiser, or Bourbon...Your bourbon selection is limited...Heaven Hill only ...

AND...for your second question...Yes, I am married...to the same man ( Pat Boone ) for 28 years...

For those of you calculating...

I married when I was 10

Ohhhhhhhhh Yeahhhhhhh

Bettye Jo

[ratcheer]

Bettye Jo, when I was in my 20's, 30's, and 40's, I tried to impress myself with all the fancy brews from all over the world. While I still love a Bass Pale Ale, Bud is again my "go to" beer.

Tim

[jimbo]

Jimbo,

Yes, Bud is my choice and I get "hammered" for it all the time ...

If you are a guest in my home...I will offer you something to drink...Pepsi (not Coke), Budweiser, or Bourbon...Your bourbon selection is limited...Heaven Hill only ...

AND...for your second question...Yes, I am married...to the same man ( Pat Boone ) for 28 years...

Betty Jo,

Well, everyone has their own taste preferrences. I have never liked Budweiser for two reasons, first it has the same bland character as Miller, Pabst, Coors, etc. Second, Budweiser uses rice in the mash bill, and I think it gives the beer an odd flavor. But I would never "hammer" anyone for liking Budweiser. But with so many tasty alternatives it is not for me. (Unless I was a guest in your home.)

Pat Boone is a lucky man and I will bet that he knows it.

Regards, jimbo

[jeff]

While I don't enjoy Bud products at all, I frequently enjoy an MGD or a Miller light when out and about. So I guess I'm about the same. The nice thing about beer, as opposed to bourbon, is that there are so many breweries and varieties available, if you didn't want to, you wouldn't have to have the same thing twice

[gr8erdane]

Hey Jimbo,

Have you ever toured an Anheuser Busch brewery? Living in St Louis area for 40 odd years, I finally broke down and visited this last summer. The one thing they kept stressing during the whole trip is the FRESH concept. Now I had figured this to be a marketing scheme with little or no basis until I tasted a fresh sample. Talk about a world of difference. In the hospitality room they only allow you two cups, (I didn't try for a third so who knows) one was Bud and the other my go to, Michelob Amber Bock. Both samples were vastly different from those I buy at the neighborhood bar. According to the guide, the beer we were tasting was one week old. Imagine the difference between that and a bottle of bud that sat it the warehouse, then the distributor's warehouse, then the store, and finally your refridgerator.

Anyway, sorry to leave the subject of Jim Beam behind, but as a loyal St Louisan, had to plug the local economy.

And by the way, anyone who is ever in St Louis and wants to take the tour, let me know. I'd love to go back again. I'll even trade hospitality for an AB tour for a KY distillery tour.

Dane

[Nightcap]

I like beer. Budweiser is beer, therefore I like Budweiser. However, there are other beers I like more. Bud is not BAD, just a little bland for my tastes.

So too with bourbon. I haven't met one yet I didn't like. But already, even with limited exposure, there are some I like better than others. The ultimate test for me is a simple one: Would I buy this product again? Just because I answer the question "No," doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the bottle. Just means I think I could get more enjoyment if the dollars were spent elsewhere next time.

I don't ever want to become a snob. I'm going to buy a bottle of Jim Beam White this weekend, just find out for myself what's in it. I'll enjoy it, no matter what, because it's bourbon.

Thank you all for the responses. This is a neat little community. (No pun intended.)

[jimbo]

Hey Jimbo,

Have you ever toured an Anheuser Busch brewery? Living in St Louis area for 40 odd years, I finally broke down and visited this last summer. The one thing they kept stressing during the whole trip is the FRESH concept. Now I had figured this to be a marketing scheme with little or no basis until I tasted a fresh sample. Talk about a world of difference.

Yes, many years ago. I think Coors started the fresh thing back when they didn't have a national distribution system. I used to brew beer many years ago, about the time micro breweries were becoming popular. And not bland imitations of what was available at the time, but full flavored, robust brews. And fresh does make a difference. Beer (at least my home brew) reaches a peak in flavor. Too young or too old and the flavor is not as good.

Bud is not BAD, just a little bland for my tastes.

So too with bourbon. I haven't met one yet I didn't like. But already, even with limited exposure, there are some I like better than others.

Well stated. That is how I feel.

Regards, jimbo

[boone]

When guests come to your home to visit...You offer something to drink...What is in your bar and fridge?

I'm not asking to list each and every item in your bar (or bunker)...Just curious, if their choice was "Bourbon" and they didn't specifically say what brand...What would you serve them?

If they wanted a beer...What's brand of beer is in your fridge right now?

Bettye Jo

[Nightcap]

Well, I cracked open a bottle of Jim Beam White last night, purely for research purposes. Everything that has been said in this thread came into focus quite clearly. The whiskey is certainly not BAD. I can enjoy it. But it is indeed a little bland, as several of you pointed out. Like cafeteria food; nothing offensive, but nothing to shout about. It's light, and drinkable, but not enough flavor to draw me into the experience.

Now and then as I was sipping I picked up a musky sort of taste. Is this due to the wild yeast, as Cowdery was talking about? It didn't dominate the taste, or bother me, but I noticed it. Kinda like a silty, dusty type of taste that was there for a moment in the finish, then gone.

Bottom line: If I had to choose between Jim Beam and nothing, I'd certainly choose the Jim Beam.

[bobbyc]

Well Nightcap, it's just uphill now. JimBeam Black is a good pour as is Knob Creek. Then of course the Pour De Force , Booker's. I know some folks who have a die hard preference for 7 year White Label.

Dig in, Friend! It's the journey and not the destination.

<font color="brown"> Good God Give Robin Trower Some </font>

[ratcheer]

But, you know, Bobby, some people just seem to prefer bland over flavorful. I can't understand it, but they probably can't understand why we want our taste buds blown open.

I love Tabasco sauce. I will put two or three drops on a single bite of steak. But I know people for whom a very light sprinkling of black pepper is "too spicy". And of course, we have discussed many times the high-end vodka lovers, whose supreme compliment seems to be, "I can't taste it at all".

As they say, it takes all kinds.

[Theron Volkman]

If you asked for a beer today you would get Hazed and Infused from the Rockies Brewing Company, a wonderfully hoppy beer with a deep amber color. Sorry no Bud.

Bourbon drinkers would get either Ezra B. 15yo single barrel or WT Kentucky Spirit.

Theron

[gr8erdane]

I get so few visitors that I can afford to be somewhat lavish depending upon just how thirsty they look. In my fridge is Red Stripe, Michelob Amber Bock, Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Bud Lite, and a few Guinness.

As for bourbon, I usually try to convert the unknowing by asking if they would like to sample a few. But if they wish to stay unenlightened, and want to mix, I serve WT101. It's the most 'replacable' bourbon I have and still much better than the well bourbon they'd get at the local bar.

Dane