Jim Beam

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Jim Beam

Unread postby Gayle Hack » Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:16 pm

I found an unopened decanter of 1979 Jim Beam here in Louisville. Can anyone tell me the proof?

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Unread postby gillmang » Wed Feb 01, 2006 9:14 pm

Normally the proof, and age, would be marked on a small strip label affixed near the bottom.

Assuming as I do that there is no such label, I would think the proof is 86 (quite common for decanters of the era) or 80.

If you are minded to open this it would make an interesting comparison to the current Beam Black or White Label.

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Unread postby bourbonv » Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:19 am

Gary,
I have had some of the "Beam's Choice" from decanters of this era (I have some at home now) and it is suprising how close it does taste to modern Beam. In my opinion, it is the same flavor profile as Beam Black. The only big danger from buying these old Beam decanters is that you can not see the whiskey and sometimes it has spoiled due to a loose cork, making it very cloudy and undrinkable.

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Unread postby gillmang » Thu Feb 02, 2006 3:59 pm

I agree with you that the profile of the decanters of the era is closer to Beam Black than White Label. That is why I suggested comparing her bottle to current samples of both Black and White label because depending on the age it might resemble one more than the other. Still, I reckoned the decanter whiskey would be more like Black label than White and I almost was going to suggest comparing the decanter whiskey ONLY to the Black Label. That said, I find we disagree again because the decanters of the era I have sampled (at Gazebos) are better than Beam Black today in my opinion. I can see that Black today "wants" to be like those, but it isn't. The Beam "Black" of the era had a richness and integration of flavor I do not find in Beam Black today. Even White label up to at least 1980 (because I sampled a bottle from 1980 not long ago) was in my humble view quite a bit better than White label today.

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Unread postby bourbonv » Thu Feb 02, 2006 4:20 pm

Gary,
I am not sure that we really do disagree. I have only had a few of the Beam from the decanters and I am not sure that I drank the best that ever came out of the decanters, thus I might very well agree with you about the Beam Black being not quite as good. I think the whiskey does deteriorate quicker in the decanters than in bottles.

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Unread postby gillmang » Fri Feb 03, 2006 8:54 am

Mike, I think that's right, some of the decanters at Gazebo tastings were evidently somewhat spoiled due to leaky containers. There is a typical "metallic" oxidation I found in these including some Michter's decanters. However some were not affected by this. I found a brown sugar-like richness in the best Beam decanters from the 60's/70's and the "rye" notes of the current range seemed absent, clearly there was rye in there but it manifested differently. I wish I still had that quart of 1980 Jim Beam that I found in a Florida relation's house last year, it was really good, one could tell it was a bit younger than the Choice of the era (or whatever the next older up was) but it had a natural, rich bourbon flavour that was tops. The bourbon today that most reminds me of the best Beams of 1980 and before is Elmer T. Lee. And that is no surprise because Elmer Lee is in his mid-80's and his tastes in bourbon would go back to when he started in the industry (around 1950). In my view the top of the range then must have been what he chooses today to bear his name. Of course it wasn't the only type of premium whiskey but it was I think one of the main, most admired types. Old Grandad was similar in that time. Today Beam makes as the closest that reaches this type, Knob Creek. Booker's too although it is a more "elegant" whiskey than what I am talking about. Knob Creek is good but not as good in my view as the best Beam whiskey of the 1970's. Recently our physician contributor from the South, Dave, reported that in a tasting a bottle of a 70's Beam BIB showed up and it was sampled next to Knob Creek and rather trumped KC. Dave I don't know if you have any further thoughts on it.

Gary

N.B. I should add that I can't rule out that 30 years of bottle age improved those 70's Beams (where the containers were sound). Is it possible 1980 Beam White tasted on release exactly like Beam White of today but prolonged, slow oxidation in the bottle turned it into the rich smooth article I found in Florida last year? It is something we'll never know for sure but my sense is the products just tasted better back then.
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