ContemplativeFox
Jim Beam Pre-Prohibition Style Rye
Rye — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
August 4, 2020 (edited August 5, 2020)
Rating: 15/23
Jim Beam Black has always struck me as a better bourbon than it gets credit for, so I'm hopeful that this will be a sleeper hit too.
N: The nose is richer than that of Wild Turkey Straight Rye with a less distinct flavor profile. I get some caramel, cider apples, cinnnamon, barrel must, and mild grain. They're good notes, but difficult to pull apart, in the classic Jim Beam manner.
P: The palate is decently rich and sweet in an almost malty way. It has a nice spiciness that emphasizes cinnamon. If you told me that this was a light malt like Glen Grant aged in bourbon barrels, I'd almost believe you. I feel like there are more flavors here, but I'm having trouble pulling them out. I actually find this fairly enjoyable because of the sort of malty character and pleasant balance. There is a little bit of apple, but it really isn't all that fruity or floral. It's mostly spicy, full, rich, and sweet with a clean, balanced profile. I guess probably some vanilla in here too. There's an herbal element, but absolutely no smoke or brine and there's fairly little tartness and not a ton of oil either.
F: It's an enjoyable finish with the caramel staying as some hints of licorice and chocolate come out, eventually leading into a tiny bit of mint. It's all still quite subtle still, but the flavors are good, the balance is good, and there's a general fullness and richness that lasts.
All told, this is a very well-executed rye. Unlike the Wild Turkey rye, I have no doubt that this is the brand's counterpart to its bourbon. There's a good amount of complexity with a great balance, but it's all very subtle. It's a good product, but you do need to want something that isn't just going to punch you in the face and your palate needs to be up for the subtlety. I would happily buy this again. It lacks the vigor and interest of WhistlePig PiggyBack, but it is fuller, richer flavor. I prefer the WhistlePig because of its vivacity, but for a standard rye that doesn't rock the boat, this is a safer bet. This is more bourbony and also cheaper than the WhistlePig, so it would be safer as a mixer. Rittenhouse is richer and oilier than this is, though it isn't as complex. As a mixer or for blending, Rittenhouse is likely a better choice, but if I were going to sip something I'd probably take the Jim Beam. Pikesville is better than either of them, though it's quite far in the direction of bourbon, which may not be desirable in all situations.
OK, so it isn't as good as Pikesville or Whistlepig PiggyBack, but those cost a fair bit more than twice as much. For $18, this is a steal!! I kind of regret the 3 bottles of Sazerac I just got for my bunker. I mean, Sazerac is great VFM and it's a good choice for both drinking and mixing so I'm always happy to have more bottles, but I think that this is about on par with it. Based on my current tasting, I honestly can't say which I prefer. The sazerac is ligher with more of a nice nutty, orangey flavor. The Jim Beam is is fuller with more spice and herbs. I'm actually leaning slightly toward the Jim Beam, which astonishes me. Without a doubt, the Sazerac is a better sipper than Rittenhouse, but I think that Rittenhouse has plenty of situations in which it is a better mixer than either Sazerac or Jim Beam due to its bolder flavor and higher proof. This suggests to me that maybe what I should be stocking is a bottle of Rittenhouse and a bottle of Jim Beam. Or maybe just all 3 since at the high end the Sazerac is still only $23. Looping back on Jim Beam Black, both have that Jim Beam Licorice presence. I thought I recalled from a brief earlier sampling that Jim Beam Black had a richer flavor, so I was leaning toward giving the nod to it. Now, I'm actually finding the opposite, so I'm going to go one point up from Jim Beam Black here and land on a 15. I actually find it easier to get some of the flavors out here as well, so I think that this is generally a better product (my two long-standing gripes with Jim Beam Black have been the excessive subtlety and lightness that makes it not all that great for mixing or blending). I'd actually say that this is substantially better than Jim Beam Black, but I'll probably need to do another SBS later to compare. For now, this gets a 15.
18.0
USD
per
Bottle
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Thanks, @Ancient33w . I see where you're coming from with JB white label - it definitely has that JB profile and the flavors are a bit muddled.
Interesting review. I never cared for this Rye to me it tasted too much like JB White label. I do like the comparison with the other rye's like Sazerac and Rittenhouse.