This is a bottle I never thought about buying, although I've wanted to give it a taste. I like Beam Bottled in Bond, Old Tub and I enjoyed Distiller's Cut when it was available. I'm not a fan of White Label, it's just a bit too coarse for anything except mixing with cola, imho. That said, I ran into a recent sale of JBBEA at Winn Dixie. $14.99 each if you buy two. I can't resist a liquor sale! New bottle, first pour. Tasted neat from a rocks glass. The whiskey was allowed to rest for about 10 minutes before evaluation. I think my dislike for the White Label is because its just too young, too rough. Here's what Beam says about this bottle: "Our premium 86-proof, double-aged bourbon spends 8 years in new charred, white oak barrels. That's twice as long as original Jim Beam. It's those four extra years of aging that give Jim Beam Black its full bodied flavor with smooth caramel and warm oak notes." In my experience, 8 years is a sweet spot in bourbon aging. The nose is sweet and syrupy with notes of peanut brittle and vanilla. There's not a big note of ethanol, which is quite refreshing at this price point. Undoubtedly that has something to do with the low proof. I typically enjoy BiB and higher proofs. We'll see how this stacks up. On the palate this is immediately identifiable as an easy sipper. No challenges here. What you'll taste is all there is... and frankly it's not half bad! It's not as sweet as the nose will have you believe. The entry is soft caramel, a drop of vanilla, and some caramelized sugar. There's a bit of an ethanol taste that wasn't as present in the nose, but its lacking that acetone note I sometimes get with young whiskey (thankfully). Mouthfeel avoids excessive thinness, but it's not something I'd describe as rich or creamy. Still, this is more than respectable considering the price point (am I supposed to consider price?) There's a bit of cinnamon, ginger and cloves on the short finish. There's a touch of spice in the same way that a Wendy's chicken sandwich is considered spicy. It's certainly not a challenge and is aimed squarely at the mainstream drinker. Yes, this is definitely a step up from JBW. I'm not giving up Knob Creek, or even Old Tub, but this is something I'll certainly enjoy. I rate on a scale where a 1 is a drain-pour and a 5 is a perfect example of the expression. Following a bell curve, most competently created products should place somewhere between 2 and 3. This is right there plus a quarter point for such a great price. This is an easy recommendation if you're looking for an inexpensive bottle. It's also an easy recommendation for those new to the whiskey experience.