Jim Beam Single Barrel both is and isn’t the same whiskey as Knob Creek Single Barrels. Everything that goes into Knob Creek and Booker’s comes from the centers of the warehouses while all of the rest of Jim Beam products come from the top, bottom and sides of the warehouses. This single barrel comes from stocks that would have be going into Jim Beam White and Black.
In Jim Beam’s Words: Jim Beam Single Barrel
“Our master distiller carefully selects each barrel by hand – less than one percent are chosen for Jim Beam® Single Barrel – ensuring the highest quality. No two barrels are the same, and each is individually bottled, labeled and hand-numbered.
Every bottle of Jim Beam® Single Barrel bourbon represents individuality – not only with the distinct flavor and personality of the liquid itself, but also with its hand-written bottle labels and the distillers’ wisdom that’s printed on the back.”
Single barrels are one of the hottest whiskey categories these days so it’s no surprise Jim Beam jumped all over it and added it alongside their existing Knob Creek SiB release. As always, being a single barrel your experience may differ from mine unless you have the same barrel. Now let’s check out this <1%er Jim Beam Single Barrel bourbon and see what all the fuss is about.
Jim Beam Single Barrel Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam
Mashbill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: NAS
ABV: 47.5%
Barrel: 4-176
Bottled On: 2-23-14
Price: $35
Jim Beam Single Barrel Review
EYE
Copper
NOSE
Caramel corn, candy corn, vanilla frosting, oak, nutmeg, toffee and light bits of citrus potpourri, mint and peanuts. It’s not a complex aroma, but it’s pleasant.
PALATE
Peanuts, corn, vanilla, oak, toffee, nutmeg and biscuity with bits of sourdough bread, waxy citrus peels, mint and fruit.
FINISH
Medium fade of peanut brittle, spice, oak and powdered cocoa.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good sense of balance, round body and soft silken feel.
OVERALL
This particular barrel of Jim Beam Single Barrel is not super complex, but it’s not something I’d complain about having in my glass either. There’s nothing to dislike about the aroma or the palate, but it’s not quite complex enough for me to call it a daily drinker. It’s a solid basic bourbon, but being a single barrel product this is just one tiny aspect of what this whiskey can be. Like all SiB products out there I’m sure there’s some dynamite ones lurking on the shelves.
SCORE: 85/100 (B)
