Maker: Jim Beam, Claremont/Boston, Kentucky, USA (Beam Suntory)
Age: 5 y/o (label says 5-6 but the age of the youngest barrel in the mix is the legal age of the whiskey)
Style: Standard rye-recipe bourbon.
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Michigan state minimum: $25
Appearance: Medium copper.
Nose: Cayenne pepper, caramel, peanut butter, tarragon.
Palate: Medium-bodied and hot. Behind the heat there’s toffee and caramel and grape soda.
Finish: hot pepper-infused peanut brittle.
Parting words: Jim Beam has been putting out so many new expressions in recent years, I’ve literally been unable to keep up. If I had, I would have probably purchased and reviewed this bourbon sooner! It’s 100 proof like its stablemates Jim Beam Bonded and Knob Creek. Unlike those, it’s not chill-filtered and is 5 y/o (the label annoyingly calls it 5-6 y/o). This makes it identical on paper to the Urban Stillhouse Select. In the glass, the USS is more rounded and shows more baking spice than peanut brittle. Compared to Beam Bonded, it is older and less funky but the price is identical, at least in this state. If you like the funk, stick with the Bonded. If you want something a little more refined but still firmly Jim Beam, pick up some JB Distiller’s Cut. It is recommended.
Sipology 