Jim Beam Bonded Bourbon

My dad was Jim Beam guy; used to buy White Label by the handle. He'd fix himself a bourbon and water (or two, or three...) every evening, and on hot country Texas afternoons, he and my Mema would sit out on her porch and enjoy a cool-me-down iced bourbon and water. Since I couldn't partake, I usually got put on drink-runner duty, which by middle school really meant I was refreshing their glasses and sneaking a few sips of my own...so suffice it to say the Jim Beam flavor profile is one I've got in my bones, and for years I just assumed was what all bourbon tastes like - sweet caramel and vanilla, with some spice and that je ne sais quiois earthy funk. That said, the basic bottling is also thin, young, and a little uninspiring to the more developed palate...but Bonded solves those problems with extra aging and being bottled at a higher proof. This is what Beam can be - a sweet-earthy nose of vanilla, caramel, and forest floor in autumn, with a sparky, punchy palate that conjures up Red Hots candy, a milk chocolate-and-caramel covered vanilla cookie, yeasty bread, and a bit of petrichor and old leaves. At $20 a bottle, this is a great value find and a versatile workhorse bourbon that sips fine on its own, but has enough backbone to work well on ice or in a cocktail.

great everyday drinker, ok neat, but little ice or mixed extra punch is nice. reasonable price

Review number 1: Hot. And pepper. Has a long draw off the tongue. Oakey (stupid way to say tastes like dirt and roots). Under $20!buy

100 proof or not, it hits your tongue like brimstone. The papery oak spice might be an enjoyable characteristic if the overwhelming corn sweetness wasn't there. It literally does taste like a higher proof beam. Something about it feels more bearable than white label, but this should only be used for shots if you're tryna get crunk. To which, it succeeds.