Jim Beam Pre-Prohibition Style Rye

Nose: Barrel and spice, along with some dark brown sugar. Thyme, basil, dill. Nutmeg with a small dash of cinnamon. Maybe a little coriander seed. Fennel. It's got some of that classic Beam dusty quality which actually works quite well here. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting pops to mind. There's some vanilla and berry sweetness, but the classic rye spice is the star of the show. Palate: Barrel and tannin, char, the vanilla sweetness has come forward some, but there's plenty of spices coming through. Nutmeg, cinnamon, along with rosemary and thyme. Stonefruit crisp - think peach or apricot. Anise, toasted peppercorns. Mouthfeel is medium-light, though relatively oily. Finish starts with a nice pop of ethanol, solid tannin character, and a growing dill/anise/nutmeg thing. The heat subsides and those baking spices move forward, and then the oak shows up. Everything just sort of slowly fades away to wrap things up. Medium-long finish. Not the most complex, but well executed. Other notes: I don't know how I haven't tried this until now. For what it is, it's pretty well executed. If you're not the type that likes really intense, challenging rye, this might not appeal to you. But it is a solid entryway into the style and one that I'll definitely seek out again.

Jim Beam Rye makes a pleasant Old Fashioned, and is OK for sipping if you enjoy a hunky, spicy rye. The nose is warm if undistinguished. First taste recalls cinnamon toast, though not as sweet as that. There’s not much complexity or length here, just classic rye flavours.

Smooth with a trace of spice. Nose is not the special bit the mouthfeel is rich and thick. Mellow with a slight spice in the finish. The taste would best be described as "dark" but nothing pops.