Jim Beam Single Barrel Bourbon (95 Proof)

Dry, oaky, orange notes, deep burn but good finish

Char, oak, vanilla. Midrange spice level. Midrange complexity. Well balanced. Nothing negative to say really. Nice bang for the buck.

Neat, Room temperature, no water added in subsequent tastes, from a Glencairn. Barrel JB6177. The nose is vanilla with a bit of spice... cinnamon. I do get a bite of alcohol in there too. It is a full nose and can really get the olfactory glands working. The palate is initially warm from the very first second. You've got to swirl this one around the entire tongue to let all of the taste buds fire. Surprisingly, I got very little flavor off the tip, where I was expecting sweetness to dominate. Hold it in your mouth for a bit. You will be rewarded. As it settled in, I got a nice warm "classic bourbon" tingle... lots of caramel and oak. More layered than I expected, a very satisfying initial sip. The finish is not short, but certainly not long either... and a little spicy, but not overwhelming. I'm getting that cinnamon again near the back of my throat, and vanilla / caramel warmth remaining on the tongue. The oak is still certainly there too. Overall this is a smooth, classic bourbon. Easy to sip, simple, but just complex enough to be interesting. I could see a lot of folks settling in on this one as a daily sipper.