Jim Beam 6y Black with Dan, Goran & Ryan

Taking a brief break from the flavoured kids and getting back with a classic, Jim Beam.

The Jim Beam Black is a 6y bourbon.. or 8, depending where and when you buy it, which means you’re getting either triple aged or… uh.. double aged? This is weird – the website calls this a double-aged 8y, and specifically that it’s aged twice as long as the Original Jim Beam, but the bottle I’ve got says triple aged 6y. The back of the bottle explains that it’s aged three times the US legal requirement for straight bourbon. Meaning that the Original is double aged already? And besides, this bottle is conspicuously missing “straight” from between “Kentucky” and “Bourbon” on the label.

Yay inconsistent marketing!

I can’t tell if the 6y is another unsold international relic that’s washed up at the LCBO on bulk purchase (i don’t think so, the label has french on it), or if the 8y is the old one and the 6y is the result of product cheapening. The website says 8y, and you have to assume it’s someone’s job to keep that up to date. But the LCBO’s product picture for Jim Beam Black is of the 8y, and they can be anywhere up to three labels out of date.

So no real hints there, but my cynicism says that going from a double 8 to a triple 6 reeks of marketing. But don’t worry, they’ve manufactured a whisky shortage to justify this type of crap.

Here’s what we thought:

colour
Dan – amber juice
Simon – orange, decent legs
Goran – light amber
Ryan – brownish orange

nose
Dan – soft caramel apple & wood
Simon – lots of wood, maple
Goran – apple, corn, honey
Ryan – spice, popcorn, cherry

neat
Dan – warm, woody, slight floraliness
Simon – tomato paste, burn, sharp wood
Goran – light body bourbon
Ryan – harsh, woody, gross, oatmeal

finish
Dan – soft, warm
Simon – lingering burn, no chest heat
Goran – dry, no butter
Ryan – high throat burn

splash
Dan – honey, wood
Simon – much better, simpler
Goran – n/a
Ryan – n/a

Verdict: this is either a great price for an alright 8y, or a pretty good price for a decent 6y, depending how you look at it.

Jim Beam 6y Black Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey – 43% 750ml – $28.95 – Kentucky

Try it? Sure! Buy it? Yes.