Old Tub Bottled In Bond Bourbon Review

Old Tub Bottled In Bond Bourbon is essentially a non chill-filtered version of the regular Jim Beam White bottled at 50% ABV. On the surface, the words don’t sound like a lot, but in the glass those extra 10 points in ABV and leaving the oils intact make a world of difference.

And that difference is why I picked up 2 375ml flasks of it when I toured the Jim Beam Distillery back in 2016… and they’ve been sitting the queue ever since. Though now that it’s no longer a gift-shop-only release I guess it’s time to bump it to the front of the queue and dig in.

Old Tub Bottled In Bond Bourbon – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Region: Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Jim Beam
Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 4 Years
ABV: 50%

Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Price: $23*

White background tasting shot with the Old Tub Bottled In Bond Bourbon bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.

“We’re taking bourbon lovers back in time and making a delicious bourbon true to the way my ancestors intended over 140 years ago, when Old Tub was first crafted,” said Fred Noe, seventh generation master distiller in a press release. “I’m excited to share this one-of-a-kind liquid with our fans and provide a bit of authenticity and nostalgia as we head towards another 225 years in the bourbon industry.” – Jim Beam

Tasting Notes

EYE
Ruddy Caramel

NOSE
Dried dark fruit, oak, baking spice, caramel, hazelnuts, vanilla, apple pie, yeasty, musty and a light peanut note.

PALATE
Oak, peanut brittle, dark fruit, spice, apple pie and caramel, honey graham and roasted nuts.

FINISH
Long -> Oak, dark fruit, spice and apple pie.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Great balance, full body and a velvety feel.

Old Tub Bottled In Bond Bourbon – Overall
Aroma is lively and full of interesting darkly sweet and spicy notes that transcend the regular white in leaps and bounds; Palate strolls the same path but picks up some extra oakiness and a pronounced oily peanut brittle note that fits perfectly amongst the spice and baked sweets; Finish is as pleasant as can be and ends with this warm apple pie note that feels homey and inviting.

Simply put, this is good and further proof that Jim Beam is at its best when bottled at 50%+ and NCF.

Old Tub Bottled In Bond Bourbon – Final Thoughts and Score

This joins the ranks of recent Jim Beam releases like the Repeal Batch and the Distiller’s Cut which were all NCF and delivered at higher proof than the regular white. These whiskeys show the beauty of the JB spirit that unfortunately gets dulled or removed with water and its natural oils stripped away.

Tasting these releases is both good and bad. Good because we get to explore the NCF spirit at different proof levels and taste and smell it in a more natural state. Bad because it makes me reticent to pick up anything that isn’t NCF and 50%+ poof with Jim Beam because it seems like so much gets lost. I hope the Old Tub Bottled In Bond Bourbon becomes a readily available core product because this is an awesome whiskey at a fantastic price and we need more great deals like this in the market.

SCORE: 3.5/5

*Disclosure: The bottle for this bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.