This is a surprising bottle from Beam. I enjoy a lot of their products. I've been a Knob Creek fan since its introduction in 1992. I've had Black. Black Extra Aged, Beam Single Barrel, Beam Bottled-in-Bond and more than a few "limited" releases. Among my favorite was the now gone Distiller's Cut 100 proof release that was ultimately replaced by Old Tub. When I started hearing rumblings about this "new" 7 year age statement Black I just jumped right in... Let's go. Not really new, Black now has a 7 year age statement and that is an upgrade. I purchased this bottle on sale for $21 with a free 4 pack of Fever Tree ($6) mixer, so this is hitting the stack-outs and promotions. Let's start with a side-by-side comparison between the JBB7 and Elijah Craig Small Batch (ECSB), both of which are under 100 proof (90 and 94 respectively) and under $30. The ECSB I sells for $26.99 in my market, about 15 - 20% more expensive than the JBB7. On the nose this is a contest of near equals. I did this comparo in a NEAT glass after a few minutes rest and both pours are from freshly opened bottles. Judging just the aroma, the Beam is sweet but the EC is sweeter and a bit richer. I get vanilla, caramel, barrel char, and ethanol from both. The JBB7 leans towards root beer, the ECSB towards white cake frosting. The Beam goes down easy on the palate with a near syrupy mouthfeel, nicely balanced sweetness, definite wood and cask notes, and builds to a medium black pepper spice on the mid palate. The finish is moderate, sweet and with just the slightest hint of oak tannins and bitterness at the end of the fade. It's very impressive for a $22 bottle and reminiscent of that discontinued budget favorite - Distiller's Cut. I have one bottle of that limited 100 proof release left and coincidently just polished off my next-to-last bottle last week. The ECSB is a bit less syrupy with a slightly thinner mouthfeel. It comes on stronger with a bit more spice and it has a little longer finish. It's not quite as rich as the JBB7. Its higher proof is not easily found and neither of these presents a "cheap whiskey" alcohol note, thankfully. The ECSB is definitely spicier, but not necessarily a spicy bourbon, if that make sense. I really like ECSB. Its one of those bottles I almost always have hanging around. It is inexpensive and its sins are those of omission compared to its more elevated relatives. The JBB7 has a lot more barrel character, is a more complex and is equally easy to drink. I hate to say it, but JBB7 may have kicked the ECSB out of my regular rotation. An obvious comparison is to the Jim Beam Old Tub. JBOT is a bottled-in-bond, non-chill filtered bargain bottle that I've used quite a bit for mixing and enjoy on a big rock from time to time. It's a nice whiskey for an Old Fashioned Compared side-by-side the JBB7 has a richer and more pleasant nose than the JBOT. It's simply more complex, more interesting with less of a 'young whiskey' ethanol note. In terms of flavor on the palate there isn't much of a contest here. The JBOT is drier, hotter and less rich. The JBB7 is simply a better product. Considering the JBOT retails for $24.99 in my market, that makes the JBB7 an easy buy for 10% less. When I was getting JBOT for $16.99 I might have stayed the course, but it seems like Beam is making some significant changes and I expect to see something happen with the JBOT in the not so distant future. Compared to my workhorse Wild Turkey 101 (WT101), its more of a toss-up. The WT101 is more fruity and brighter on both the nose and the palate. It's a battle of budget titans and neither is vanquished. I can see keeping both in stock; the WT101 for its mixability in a bourbon Manhattan and the JBB7 for its love of bitters and demerara sugar in a properly made Bourbon Old Fashioned. Comparing this whiskey with more upmarket competitors like Widow Jane, Barrel or Stagg Jr, the competition heats up. Each of the later three offers a richer, more nuanced experience albeit at triple the selling price. The Barrel and Stagg in particular are both over 110 proof and therefore really aren't in competition. The Widow Jane 10 year is more complex and is just better tasting, IMHO. Wow! This is a real bargain and an outstanding bourbon by any measure. At less than $25 this is a raging steal that kicks Buffalo Trace to the curb and sets a real benchmark (yes, it's better than Benchmark) for its price point. Highly recommended!