Well well well, it appears I’ve reached the 200 review milestone here on Distiller. I wonder what perks I’ve unlocked. Nothing,
@Distiller? Fair enough.
So, I keep looking through Jim Beam’s product line for variations to my bourbon and Coke cocktails that I enjoy when I’m not sipping on single malt scotches. I normally just buy a half gallon of the standard White Label, but I’ve recently been experimenting a bit with the Bonded (100 proof) and now this Double Oak. I need to give the Distiller’s Cut a go soon before I truly decide if a change from the standard is in order.
The Double Oak is 86 proof and advertises being normally aged in charred, white oak barrels and then being transferred to freshly charred oak for a second maturation. I’m not sure of the lengths of time for either maturation and I’m actually not all that interested in doing the work to try to find out. Needless to say, this bottle doesn’t work for me as a cocktail. It’s too “woody” to play well with Coca Cola. I went ahead and did a dram neat so I can see what’s what. This is a review of that dram.
The nose is wood and char with quite a bit of spiced vanilla. The palate is smooth enough but there’s just too much oak to even make it enjoyable as a sipper. The finish is still kind of short and, dare I say, boring. I wouldn’t want to drink this on a regular basis and I even poured the last couple of drams down the drain. For the record- I wasn’t a fan of the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked whiskey, either. I guess it’s just too too much.
It doesn’t play well with Coke. The heavy oak presence feels artificial and the only way to calm it is to add more cola. I normally like to add a splash just to enhance the bourbon but this can’t be accomplished without turning this into a overly sweet mess of a drink.
So, in conclusion, it’s a no as a neat sipper and a no as a mixer. I think I have to get a bottle of Distiller’s Cut and give it a go or just declare the Bonded as the winner. This is one I would avoid. I hate giving it a bad score because I love Jim Beam, but this one isn’t worth the price to play. 2 stars, if I must. Cheers.