Jim Beam Single Barrel Bourbon 108 Proof

Jim Beam Single Barrel 108 has delicious, chewy aromas of caramel, pipe tobacco, vanilla, baking spices, and oak. The entry is warm with a palate of caramel and red-hot cinnamon. The finish ends with baking spices and vanilla. It is good but needs a little more aging to make it great.

Barrel # JB000763932 Color: Medium Copper-Amber (First pour in a Glencarin, neat) Nose: Spicy, slight alcohol whiff that tickles my nasal passages. Definitely getting some Barrel char and oak, followed by doughiness — like Play-Doh (Weird, I know). Since this is Beam, I'm supposed to be getting "nutty". Not sure about that — at least not on this initial neat pour. Maybe on the next one....? Palate: The palate follows the nose's lead, almost to a "T". "Spicy" is the first thing to make it's presence known, followed by some heat — but nothing overwhelming. Chest hug comes in at you sloooowly. Moderately creamy mouthfeel that coats the tongue nicely. As I was saying, since this is a Beam, I was expecting the roasted nut profile. I'm not sure if that's what I'm getting. But it's a "roasted something". Smoky, roasted something! I grew up in the North East, not far from New York City, and spent quite a bit of time there, visiting museums, Rockefeller Center, etc. In the Winter time, the street vendors' carts emitted all kinds of smells — one being roasted chestnuts. That aroma is fairly etched in my brain, and I am pretty sure that's what I'm getting — what I am recalling mentally... if a smell can be "tasted". I think that's one of the most abstract things I've ever said here since joining Distiller. LOL! Finish: Ever-so-slightly bitter finish with lots of oak and spice, and more of that roasted something. Funny, I've not once mentioned "sweet". It hasn't been a prominent feature. But I can say there's some "sweetness" on the finish. Just a bit around the sides of the tongue. Final thoughts: This is good. Not exactly, "Oh my God"-good... but good. Solid sipper that doesn't really drink per its proof. This Beam SiB was fairly hard to track down. No stores around here ever have it in-stock, which seems odd to me. I'd think a Beam bottle would be more widely available. But I had to buy this online from a liquor app — which I never have done until now (shipping is ridiculous, and makes affordable bottles unaffordable). But I had a free shipping promo, and so it was now or never. So, what am I getting at?: Would I buy this again? Maybe. If I could find it in a store for around the same price or less, sure. But I won't go out of my way again for it. Just as I was finishing up this review, I took a sip and BAM! There's the Beam "nuttiness" at the back of my tongue. Added 7/13/24: Getting some "oatmeal raisin" on the palate tonight... as the large ice ball melts. As a result, I am upping my rating from 3.0 to 3.5.