Five Beams in thine eye, or, 'Beam me up Scotty'

[Mike]

Beam day, its Beam day. I have been planning this for a spell........an all Beam day. Just the Beam, ma'am, nothing but the Beam. Like Rodney Dangerfield, Beam doesn't get much respect. So I decided I will do a Beam on Beam comparison with five representatives.

On the left we have Knob Creek; on the mid left we have Jim Beam 8 YO; in the middle lies Booker's; on the mid right, the contender is Basil Hayden, decked out in his paper coat; and on the right is the venerable Jim Beam standard white label bottle.

ESTEEMED BOURBONS, YOUR NOSES PLEASE!

Knob Creek - vanilla, nuts, leather, caramel, oak, and citrus.....quite bourbony

JB 8 YO - corn, nutmeg, rye, citrus, and oak.....laid back

Booker's - oak, rye, vanilla, caramel........alcohol, I note thy sting

Basil Hayden - apricots, citrus, rye, wild flowers, and oak........very promising

JB white - citrus, rye, fruit, caramer, wild flowers, very mild mannered all.......little brother you need to grow up a bit

ESTEEMED BOURBONS, A SIP IF YOU PLEASE!

Knob Creek - Sweet corn upfront, spice and pepper at mid-palate, sweetness again at the back of the mouth.....balanced and full flavored

JB 8 YO - soft and mild sweetness followed by a timid mid-palate probe of spice.........a sweet bourbon that has good balance and should please many bourbon drinkers, but not quite robust enough for this old man

Booker's - corn sweetmess follwed by some assertive spice and serious alcohol bite......I still like it but find the alcohol a bit much these days

Basil Hayden - corn sweetness, mid-palate mild spice with that welcome rye bite struggling to offset the 80 proof.........the nose overpromised this bourbon

JB White label - watery sweetness mild spice..........neither your parents, your lover, nor you friends will receive a letter from you about this bourbon........nothing to write home about.

ESTEEMED BOURBONS, HAVE YOUR FINAL SAY PLEASE!

Knob Creek - a long finish that is viscous and holds some sweetness.......nice, nice

JB 8 YO - a moderate finish with a bit of sweetness overtaken by the spice

Booker's - long because the alcohol and spice shout at each one another all the way out

Basil Hayden - short, sweet, and unworthy of the nose........or even the taste

Jim Beam White - the short and sweet of it is that it is short and sweet

CONCLUSION

Only one of these bourbon deserves serious consideration. That bourbon would be Knob Creek.

My opinion about Jim Beam bourbons, formed as it is on taste (my own limitations must be allowed for here) is that Beam is much more interested in selling bourbon than in making quality bourbon.

Basil Hayden, in the proper proof (about 100) and aged and selected with care could be a first rate bourbon. As it is, it is aimed at unsophisticated palates who are unwilling to get beyond 80 proof bourbon (the paper coat on BH says 'bottled at a gentle 80 proof'), and are willing to pay a premium price for joining the upscale market. I have no quarrel with these folks, I just have no desire to enter into a discussion about bourbon with them!

Booker's seems to me to be aimed at the 'I can drink super stong whiskey' crowd for whom 'proof' is a sign of manliness. It is not without merit, but that merit, in my opinion, is compromised by the alcohol.

Jim Beam Black is a reasonable attempt at decent bourbon. It is quite drinkable and I can see why it could be someone's everyday pour. Of all the Beam bourbons I am considering here, it gave me the most pause. Maybe it fits its niche best.

Jim Beam White is among that group of inoffensive bourbons that are relatively inexpensive, but not outright nasty. It is not a rotgut product, but anyone who truly cares for bourbon is unlikely to buy a bottle.

My thought on Beam products is that, when it comes to quality bourbon, they are sucking hind teet.

[Brewer]

I'm not a big fan of Jim Beam products. The 2 that I like the most are in line with what you stated Mike: Knob Creek and JB Black. There is just something in the JB flavor profile that doesn't work for me. I did a bourbon tasting a number of years ago, and it was interesting to me that we all gave Basil Hayden's "thumbs down" all around.

[bunghole]

I happen to adore Knob Creek and Jim Beam Black. Booker's is OK, just too damn hot. This is Beam whiskey as it really should be - as it was in the '70's. I remember drinking "120 month old" bottles of either 86 or 90 proof Jim Beam standard white label bourbon and it was just as good as todays black label.

Basil Hayden's doesn't count as it is a dilution of Old Grand Dad and isn't a true Beam whiskey even though Jim Beam Brands owns and distils them today.

ima

[Bourbon Joe]

Well, I guess I gotta chime in here. I am not a big fan of Jim Beam Whiskey. I do like Fred Noe, just not his whiskey. I can tolerate Beam Black. I just can't figure out what all the hoopla is over Knob Creek. It doesn't even make my top 15. Just my 2 cents.
Joe

[EllenJ]

Mike, that was a terrific report! You had something there for everyone. All the nutmeg, vanilla, caramel, parsley, sage, rosemary, rutabagas, and so forth for those who can detect those things, comparative nose and flavor profiles for those of us who pay more attention to that viewpoint, and a pretty wide and balanced range of products within the common parameter. It doesn't hurt that I could hardly agree with you more about the results (including the respect due to good ol' white label for its social importance, despite its lack of any redeeming flavor).

One that you didn't try, but should if you get the chance, is Baker. Booker's forgotten cousin. How forgotten? I remember reading about Elmer T. Lee being one of only two living distillers with a whiskey named for him. Since Booker was obviously the other one it left me wondering whatever happened to poor Baker, who was the distiller at Clermont (Booker distilled at Boston until he got famous). The whiskey named for him is bottled at 107 proof and seven years (kinda like Weller Antique with rye instead of wheat, huh?) and is a very good bourbon indeed. Not good enough for Baker, perhaps, but good. What's Baker's own favorite? Well, when The Goddess and I visited the Clermont distillery a few years ago we spoke with Baker's wife, who works there, and she told us he prefers Beam Black (which was 90 proof at that time), but he drinks his at 80 proof.

I was going to say something in defense of Basil Hayden (since none of the REAL MEN around here will admit to enjoying such a sissy-flavored whiskey), and point out that it's only problem is the low proof; at a decent 100 it would be remarkably similar to Old Grand Dad, as it's designed to be. But Linn not only nailed that one first, he also added the very real fact that Old Grand Dad is "Beam" only by virtue of their legal title to the name and shouldn't count. Actually, there is a relationship, but it's so obscure it doesn't matter. Point taken, Linn.

[bunghole]

Point taken, Linn.

Pointillism is my pleasure, John. Unfortunately that makes me about as cuddly as a porcupine.

ima

[EllenJ]

Uh... that's okay, Linn.
I may not find Basil Hayden as offensive as some folks do, but I'm a long way from feeling cuddly about you, either, fella!

[Mike]

One that you didn't try, but should if you get the chance, is Baker.

It was my intent to include Baker's but I was unwilling to buy a bottle at about $30 just for this occasion and could not find a minature of it. My review of Baker's, done a while back, was positive.

Besides, John if I had included Baker's in this 'throwdown', I might very well have been giggly when the 'Big Boss' arrived home. That would not have increased my standing around here.

[cowdery]

I just saw Baker in September and he had aged quite a bit from the prior time I had seen him, about 18 months earlier, so I suspect his health is not good. The last time I had a chance to really chat with him was in April of 2005 and at that time he was very spry and had a lot going on. He was driving the distillery's corn haulers up to the silos in Indiana, just for fun, was running a little self-storage operation and had a few other irons in the fire. I haven't really inquired after his health, but in September of 2006, he didn't look good.

[LogicalFrank]

Very interesting to see 'em all lined up like that. My view of the Beam products is they're all about thirty to fifty percent overpriced for their level of quality. The white label is in the same category as an inoffensive sub-ten-dollar bottle, the black might be a reasonable deal at fourteen or fifteen, Bookers should be about thirty (but only so expensive due to the high proof) and so on. Of them, I'd say Knob Creek is the most fairly priced but even that's a little more than I'd like to pay for that particular whiskey.

Really, they are going on brand image more so that quality whiskey. Most people simply aren't interested in the search (though I do feel most people can spot a good whiskey if they try it) so Beam can capitalize on that by making sure their brands are well known.

[Eggman]

Howdy,

Mike: I took up drinking last Summer at age 43! Most people (especially LSU alums!) are trying to quit drinking; Me? I just started
My choice is for Jim Beam White & Black label. It's just about all I know.
I've tried WT101, which is good btw. Recently I bought a bottle of Knob Creek, which tastes so different from JBB and JBW, I just don't know what to make of KC. My limit is 2 oz. per evening, regardless of brand.
I use Bourbon as a Diet Coke additive for my nightcap; Occasionally i'll try it neat, but it's so strong for me. I tried KC neat and there was alot of burn and I didn't like it any better than JBB. I'll rank the Bourbons I know.

1. Jim Beam Black: Smooth, sweet and affordable.
2. WT101: Tasty, affordable ; a great "sleeping pill"
3. Jim Beam White: My git-er-done choice. Affordable!
4. Knob Creek: Such a different flavor profile. Dunno yet.

Bourbon's health benefits were the reason I took it up last Summer. Reduced risk of stroke and heart disease is the main reason. I'm only just now starting to acquire a bit of a taste for Bourbon. I'm learning to use less Diet Coke with it, but it does make for a good nightcap; makes me sleepy. WT101 seems to be the best at making me sleepy.
Just the observations of a Bourbon tenderfoot. Go LSU!
Eggman

[bourbonv]

Eggman,
I take it you like Jim Beam products, especially the White Label. That is interesting. In a way you represent most bourbon drinkers since Jim Beam White is the best selling bourbon in the world. I see from your posts that you drink it with diet cola and that again represents what most people who drink bourbon mix with their bourbon. Have you tried some of the other standard bourbons for your nightcap? I would recommend Old Forester 86 proof and Weller Special Reserve 90 proof as well. The Weller actually makes and excellent bourbon and cola cocktail for a nightcap. The wheat recipe bourbon does not conflict as much with the cola flavors.

[Eggman]

Howdy,

Bourbonov: I forgot to mention one product I consume a bit: Dickels 12. I've read good things about it (taste test winner and all), but it doesn't do much for me-in Diet Coke. We have a friend who comes over and she looks forward to nip often.
I suppose in time I might adapt to Knob Creek, it's just that my palate has calibrated itself to the Beam flavor profile and KC just isn't it. I wonder what other small batch offerings from Beam are similar to JB White and Black? BTW: Sipping Knob Creek neat is sort of like biting into an charred Oak tree that's been soaked in JB Black! Not bad, but different.
I think JB Black is good in my Diet Coke and I'm starting to reduce the amount of Diet Coke and appreciate the Bourbon flavor more;Sort of an incremental thing.

Eggman

PS: Bourbonov: I'll try one of your recommendations; thanks!

[Eggman]

Howdy,

Bourbonov: I forgot to mention one product I consume a bit: Dickels 12. I've read good things about it (taste test winner and all), but it doesn't do much for me-in Diet Coke. We have a friend who comes over and she looks forward to nip often.
I suppose in time I might adapt to Knob Creek, it's just that my palate has calibrated itself to the Beam flavor profile and KC just isn't it. I wonder what other small batch offerings from Beam are similar to JB White and Black? BTW: Sipping Knob Creek neat is sort of like biting into a charred Oak tree that's been soaked in JB Black! Not bad, but different.
I think JB Black is good in my Diet Coke and I'm starting to reduce the amount of Diet Coke and appreciate the Bourbon flavor more;Sort of an incremental thing.

Eggman

PS: Bourbonov: I'll try one of your recommendations; thanks!

[Bucc58]

Hi all! I have to put in a positive vote for Jim Beam products. I drink the white and black labels all the time. At first I didn't like the Bakers and put it away for a while then revisited it later and found it was very good. This did not happen with Knob Creek. I didn't like it when I first tried it and also put it away then revisited it much later to no liking. It is too much like a canadian blended to me. I have a friend that hates bourbon but loves stuff like crown. I let him try KC and he liked it. Drank the whole bottle. Despite being a "MAN" I really like Basil Haydens. I found it to have a german chocolate flavor hidden in there. Eggman - if you like Jim Beam you would probably like Rebel Yell or since we both like beam we might have a similar taste for Elijah Craig 12yo. Old Fitzgeralds 1849 might also be good for you. I had some of this the other night and found it to be very smooth.