Jim Beam Bonded and Old Tub side-by-side tasting

[Cornmuse]

How about a casual side-by-side whiskey tasting for Labor Day fun?  Here's a match-up I think a LOT of folks are wondering about: Old Tub bottled-in-bond and Jim Beam bottled-in-bond!

Old Tub, as you probably know, is a special release in the same vein as Distiller's Cut (and I"m a fan of that release).  Both of these are 100 proof, bottled-in-bond (minimum 4 years old), from the same mashbill. Likely the only difference other than the label and bottle shape is the non-chill-filtered natue of the Old Tub.
For those of you unfamiliar with it, chill filtering is a method in whisky making for removing residue.

In chill filtering, whisky is cooled to between −10 and 4 °C (14 and 39 °F), often roughly 0 °C (32 °F), and passed through a fine adsorption filter. This is done mostly for cosmetic reasons – to remove cloudiness – rather than to improve taste or consistency.  

Some whiskey afficianados believe the filtering process can affect flavor by removing conjoiners and other large molecules that impact our perceptions of flavor.
Starting with appearance - there's no way to tell the difference. These are visually identical.  On a swirl the JBbib has slightly less sheeting and tears - perhaps showing that it's a touch thinner.  Keep in mind, both are identical proof.  

On the palate tasted neat from a glencairn the Old Tub has a slight shot of caramel, a bit of dry peanut shells, some sweet vanilla, and a short, clean ginger/cinnamon finish.  There' just the slightest hint of clove after the swallow and a short peppery tingle.  It's nice, but not serious.  I like it for a lot of casual applications.

The Jim Beam Bottled-in-bond expression has a slightly thinner nose (maybe, not sure I could tell blind) and a slightly thinner, drier, hotter taste profile.  It's like the caramel is toned down a semi-stop and the ginger is brought up.  I've had a lot of this expression.  It's a "go to" for casual on-the-rocks after work sipping. It really works for me in a lot of bourbon cocktails - Manhattans, Boulevardiers, etc..

Tasted with a couple drops of water (literally, drops) brings forward the sweetness in both drams, but the JBbib benefits.  When a drop is introduced into whiskey it pushes oils and alcohol to the surface, sometimes intensifying the flavor.  Adding more water and swirling does the opposite and dilutes the proof.  Adding a drop to either of these brings forward the sweetness added by the oak - and the bottled in bond expression needs that just a bit more.  

I think I could tell these apart in a blind tasting and maybe I'll do that later on.  Right now I'm calling it this way...  

JBbib is $19.99 on sale, $22.99 regular price.  OT is running about $23.99 in the Tampa market. They are both very solid bourbons.
I like the Old Tub a little better, but I won't pay a 20% premium for it.  They are nearly identical save for the chill filtering.  What I've learned here is that chill filtering, as I've suspected, can thin out a drink and make it a bit drier and less sweet and rich.  But it's a pretty subtle effect and one worth tasting for on your own.

The way I rate whiskey is by a 5 point scale where a 1 is a trash drain pour, and a 5 is a perfect dram.  Any competent, average whiskey (or whisky) should place 2.5 at the peak of the bell curve.  Both of these are solid at 2.75, but neither "blows away" the other.  In fact, I think most drinkers won't be able to tell the difference unless there's a side-by-side tasting like this.

[Kyjd75]

Nice review, but for me it is just the opposite.  I prefer the Bonded to the OT, although given a reasonable amount of air time, the OT did get much better, IMHO.  Unfortunately, in central Ky right now, the JBbib is nowhere to be found.

[fosmith]

I can't do this SBS because I don't have a bottle of the JB BiB and don't plan on ever getting another.  I just really didn't care for it.  I found it thin and hot and lacking in flavor.  That said, I am enjoying my first bottle of Old Tub, which is good but not great.  It's sweeter, with more caramel than my open bottle of Distiller's Cut, which has more char and spice.  Both are definitely worth the sub $20 price in my area. 

[geclbxf]

Just purchased my first OT bottle, and was pleasantly surprised for the price point.   I might keep a few bottles bunkered for the cocktail value you guys spoke to.   Perhaps i will use it today to do some NFL cocktails.   I too cannot do a SBS for the same reasons - not around in this neck of the woods.

[smokinjoe]

I hope this is just an off-palate day for me, but I am finding my first tastes of this Old Tub today to be very disappointing.  Raw, grainy, thin, hot, and very reminiscent of a craft distilled 4 yr, even down to the sharp cinnamon note from mid-palate to finish.  I did not expect this in the least, as I have enjoyed every drop of the Jim Beam Bonded's I’ve had.  I’ll certainly go to some other familiar bourbons today to see if I’m tainted, and I’ll  also give this bottle some additional trials, but man, am I not liking this one at all, so far.  

[flahute]

32 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

I hope this is just an off-palate day for me, but I am finding my first tastes of this Old Tub today to be very disappointing.  Raw, grainy, thin, hot, and very reminiscent of a craft distilled 4 yr, even down to the sharp cinnamon note from mid-palate to finish.  I did not expect this in the least, as I have enjoyed every drop of the Jim Beam Bonded's I’ve had.  I’ll certainly go to some other familiar bourbons today to see if I’m tainted, and I’ll  also give this bottle some additional trials, but man, am I not liking this one at all, so far.  

Every time I have a bad palate day I get the sharp cinnamon you mention. 

[smokinjoe]

On 10/3/2020 at 3:25 PM, smokinjoe said:

I hope this is just an off-palate day for me, but I am finding my first tastes of this Old Tub today to be very disappointing.  Raw, grainy, thin, hot, and very reminiscent of a craft distilled 4 yr, even down to the sharp cinnamon note from mid-palate to finish.  I did not expect this in the least, as I have enjoyed every drop of the Jim Beam Bonded's I’ve had.  I’ll certainly go to some other familiar bourbons today to see if I’m tainted, and I’ll  also give this bottle some additional trials, but man, am I not liking this one at all, so far.  

I picked up a couple of JB BIBs this week in KY.  Haven’t seen in GA for months, as the Old Tubs have seemed to replace them, here.  Cracked one open today to see if my recollection of them being better than Tub was correct.  For my tastes, my recollection is VERY correct.  Juicer, more balanced, less astringent, and all around much more enjoyable.  I’ll do a SBS soon to confirm, if I don’t drain pour the Tub first.  I sure hope that the Bonded’s absence here is just a temporary thing, or I’ll need to head back for more.  Then again, a trip back to the Motherland ain’t a bad thing to consider!  

[PhantomLamb]

11 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

I picked up a couple of JB BIBs this week in KY.  Haven’t seen in GA for months, as the Old Tubs have seemed to replace them, here.  Cracked one open today to see if my recollection of them being better than Tub was correct.  For my tastes, my recollection is VERY correct.  Juicer, more balanced, less astringent, and all around much more enjoyable.  I’ll do a SBS soon to confirm, if I don’t drain pour the Tub first.  I sure hope that the Bonded’s absence here is just a temporary thing, or I’ll need to head back for more.  Then again, a trip back to the Motherland ain’t a bad thing to consider!  

“Juicer”, that’s a new one for me! 
 

Send the Old Tub my way if it’s decided to be a drain pour, I love the peanut-goodness that I get every time.

[smokinjoe]

14 minutes ago, PhantomLamb said:

“Juicer”, that’s a new one for me! 
 

Send the Old Tub my way if it’s decided to be a drain pour, I love the peanut-goodness that I get every time.

Ha! Juicier is how I describe whiskies that are richer, fuller, and with a thicker and more luxurious mouthfeel.  Like, the mouthfeel of biting into a ripe peach is different than biting into an apple.  The peach would be juicier in that comparison.  On wheaters, OWA is juicier than say, Makers.  Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better or more enjoyable for me, but each sets up for what I expect the whiskey to deliver for the remaining part of the drink.  

[fishnbowljoe]

I have a comfort zone, which as most of you know is Weller’s and most other things from BT. I also like BIB’s quite a bit. Sometimes I like to go outside my comfort zone and buy something different. This can be good or bad depending. I bought a 375 of Old Tub years ago at the distillery. I couldn’t remember how it tasted, and when it was released nationwide, I was planning on buying a bottle. My son knew this, and bought one for me. Old Tub is different. Not good, not bad, just different. Joe’s tasting notes weren’t wrong. PhantomLamb mentioned nuttiness. There’s also a very slight hint of sweetness, and because it’s NCF, it’s a bit more viscous. I’m glad my son bought this for me, and that I got to revisit it. That being said, chances are I probably won’t be buying another bottle. Binny’s is open here, and I now have better access to the HH BIB’s. YMMV..........

Bib! Joe

[TehRegion219]

I couldn’t decide, so I got the old tub again. 

[PhantomLamb]

18 hours ago, TehRegion219 said:

I couldn’t decide, so I got the old tub again. 

Both good choices!