Jim Beam Devil's Cut

A very woodsy bourbon, a tad bitter and aggressive, but it packs a punch, in a good way. 74%

Jim Beam Devil’s Cut is Beam’s second attempt at an “extra oaky” bourbon, with their Double Oak being the other expression. While I thought the Double Oak fell a little flat in the “extra oak” game for me with frankly too little extra oak flavors, I am hopeful that Devil’s will fulfill that overly oaky bourbon at an attractive price point. I do rather enjoy an extra oaky expression at times, so I’m curious how well Devil’s can accomplish its aspirations here. For those curious about the technical difference in Beam’s Devil’s Cut and Double Oaked, the DO takes standard Beam and ages it a second time in new charred oak barrels, likely less than a year I estimate. Devil’s on the other hand utilizes a rather unique technique in the bourbon world, by extracting the remaining juice from within the barrel wood itself (hence the Devil’s Cut name) and adding it back to what they call “extra aged” bourbon. Does this process really create a uniquely oaky bourbon or just a marketing spin? Let’s find out! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no water added. On the nose, I am immediately greeted with a sweet maple and toasted new wood scent on top of alcohol and a bit of vanilla. Not the most interesting, rich, or complex nose for sure, but the extra wood scent is certainly present and accounted for, so I'll take it! It’s by no means an oak monster or anything though, but I would (or wood) say there is more of a oaky character on the nose here than the Double Oaked expression, so win on the nose to Devil’s. On the palate, I am greeted with more maple and an initial high spicy kick of cinnamon, with a little warmth, followed by a toasty wood backbone, and maybe some light vanilla and caramel trying to get through all the spice and oak. There is also the signature Beam nuttiness in the background. The taste starts pleasantly sweet but actually quickly turns more tart and astringent, likely from the additional oaky tannins released from deep in the wood in their extraction process. The Double Oak, by comparison, offers the more traditional bourbon flavors of sweeter caramel and vanilla than Devil’s, but less of the oaky spicy qualities. Again, I wouldn’t call Devil’s an oak bomb by far, but the process of deep extraction certainly has left a mark on the palate. The palate isn’t very complex or deep and definitely places emphasis on the oak tannins and the extra qualities imparted by it, like the enhanced spiciness and astringency. I’ll call a tie between this and the Double Oaked for flavors. The Devil’s does have more wood presence, but the DO has a little richer slightly sweeter bourbon flavors. They are both aiming to accomplish something fairly similar but the end result is definitely different on the palate. I can’t really say which I’d prefer more, except to say that Beam’s own Distiller’s Cut absolutely kills either of them in flavors for roughly the same price! The finish is fairly short but again it reminds of its wood forward nature, surprise! It's toasted new wood, a little bit of vanilla and maple sweetness, and a very faint tobacco and char note. Hey, I do like the wood flavors in a bourbon, so the slightly wood forward finish is alright by me, even if it isn’t very rich or lasting. Overall, I’d say Devil’s is a worthwhile sip if you are strictly looking for a bit of enhanced woodiness to your drink. Other than the enhanced woody character though, it really doesn’t offer anything outstanding, complex, or different even from other Beam expressions. Honestly, I’d skip the Devil’s and Double Oak and go straight to their Distiller’s Cut, which as far as I’m concerned is the best bourbon Beam makes that actually says Beam on the bottle. I really don’t find a compelling reason to buy Devil's unless you are super keen on trying it from a technical point of view in how they extract the juice from the wood and the effect on the bourbon flavor. Even then though, there are other (non-Beam) bourbons without all the fancy processes that possess just as tasty, or even more so, woody quality while retaining great bourbon flavor in the process. So in the end I have to call Devil’s a bit more marketing than substance, which is also how I felt about their Double Oak. I realize for a low $20 bourbon you’re not going to get a boutique super high quality oak monster with outstanding depth, complexity, and richness. That’s why Knob Creek exists I think. But even in the mid $20 range there are great choices with far greater character or complexity or even more wood presence depending on what you like. In this price class, my favorites are easily Wild Turkey 101, Beam’s Distiller’s Cut, Buffalo Trace, or even Bulleit. Each are very different but offer far greater bang for your bourbon buck! Sure Devil's is better than standard JB White and certainly has a much cooler name and story, but that's a pretty low bar to surpass anyhow in the Beam family. Cheers!

Nose: apples and sweet, bready crust, ethanol, cinnamon and spice Palate: harsh, cinnamon spice, baked apples, ethanol, some marshmallow Not my favorite of the lineup

nice sweetness on the front, lots of oak spice on the finish

The nose is just as subtle as the original Jim Beam, with a hint of cinnamon candy. The palate is more interesting though: all of its flavor is present in the entry, and remains like a viscous mixture,dry and spicy, buoying up the sweeter notes. What are those notes? Choose any bourbon and strip away everything that makes it interesting. There is an obvious overall increase in heat, char, and spice going into the finish, which lasts much longer than the original, and is a lot more drying. Not sure how much of this is from the higher ABV, and how much involves the secret barrel voodoo, but it makes for a marginally better bourbon either way. I used the rest of this in a hot toddy whilst sick, and it's pretty good for that.