Jim Beam Devil's Cut

One of my wife's two picks on a recent flight, so I got to try it. The marketing hype for this bourbon, which included ads with Mila Kunis, instantly made me skeptical it could be any good in the glass. But, what do I know, it's actually a pretty great whiskey and a powerful oak monster. Firewood, kindling, bark, new-made furniture -- starting to get the picture? -- dominate the nose and palate. In the background I detect only a bit of corn, some syrup, and maybe some capers providing a little seasoning. The finish is sweet and mellow, right? Of course not, it's oak again, like the third act of the trilogy. I loved the clear expression of woody flavor, but the drink is a little unbalanced as a result, as there isn't enough of a complement to those notes, particularly on the tongue. The tannic bitterness also can be a bit much on some sips. But if you'd given this to me blind, you easily could have convinced me I was tasting an old-in-the-tooth bourbon that had just tipped over a bit into the overoaked realm. Very unique profile at its price point.

When this expression first hit I loved it and consumed lots of it with cola as the strong barrel notes held up well. Anymore I tend to avoid this dram. Neat the whiskey is interesting but not something I enjoy.

Small taste. Very smooth.

I enjoyed this!!