During this Great Hiatus, I have been treating myself (mostly) to mid-and-high end Bourbons – the Woodfords, Elijah Craigs, High West’s, and so forth. But today I noticed a neglected bottle of Jim Beam Black Label Extra Aged Bourbon at the back of the bar, and I decided to give it a shot. What a pleasant experience.The nose has an affect of milk chocolate and gasoline (I mean this, I think, as a good thing), and I was delightfully surprised with the taste: Smooth yet with a nice little attitude, with elements of caramel, pear, and to a lesser degree toffee and black cherry. It goes down creamy, then gets a little snarky as it hits the back of the mouth, and there is a very slightly numbing/Novocain aftertaste, but nothing unpleasant. Now, fifteen or thirty seconds later, there’s a bit of an harsh scratch at the top of the throat, but it’s only there if you gulp too big, or if you are looking for it. Really, this is a pleasant surprise, and a good thing to reach for when you don’t feel like over-thinking your choices or dealing with the often multi-layered, more complex experiences of pricier bourbon.