Jim Beam Black Label Extra-Aged

It's okay, but more oak than anything else.

Not much of an improvement on white label

Best mixed with coke.

Nice

3.5 stars - Very Good; many bottles, many years ago. Sometimes it is best to leave a memory as a memory. One of my favorite memories as a child is going on a hike in Colorado with my dad to Hanging Lake. We saw it marked on an old map thought it sounded fun. Just the two of us navigated to this out of way place, parked off to the side of a gravel road, hiked to to top. We saw a grand total of five people and ate our lunch on a fallen tree jutting out into the lake. Fast forward many years and we happened to be in Colorado and I asked if we could go back. This time there was a giant parking lot, a trail packed with hundreds of people, and a boardwalk keeping everyone a safe and sanitary distance from the lake and waterfall. My memory was shattered and I left frustrated and discouraged. In my late 20’s, Jim Beam Black was my go to bourbon. I was just starting out. My whiskey palate was new, and my budget tiny. I could enjoy this neat, on the rocks or mixed. It was a huge step up from entry level bourbons. The grocery store by my house frequently had it on sale. I do not plan to buy or try this whiskey again. I have no idea how I would judge it now or if it has changed. I plan to leave it as an undisturbed, cherished memory.