Jim Beam black? More like Jim Beam bleck! Ok, ok...all silliness aside, I got this mainly to mix into old fashions and wasn't expecting much. This used to come with an age statement, but now it just reads "extra aged," whatever that means. An extra 2 months? 2 years? Who knows. Lets try it neat and see how we feel.
Nose: Vanilla, caramel, cinnamon. A bit weak but its only 43% so as expected. Vanilla is the dominant player here.
Palate: vanilla, charred oak chips. Very smooth. A bit smokey from the charred oak. Its like you used some oak chips for a bbq then after the bbq you dumped vanilla extract on them.
Finish: Vanilla, a bit of spice, and more charred oak.
Overall: This is much better than I anticipated! I might actually just keep this around to sip on. Its a bit thin and one dimensional, but its decent. It doesnt make me make an awkward face when I drink it like the 40% white label does. I mean its still bottom or mid shelf, but it doesnt suck so therefore it has exceeded my expectations.
@Victor True. My eagerness to drink from a bottle is in part based on my mood, , the setting, and how easy it will be for me to replace the bottle, not how much it cost.
@Victor I think inconsistency would almost have to be expected in something as widely produced as this. But I think some of you misunderstood me. I wasn't being sarcastic when I said it's better than expected. Based on how awful the white label is, and this being the next step up from it, I was expecting to score this in the 60-65 range. So low 70s is truly a pleasant surprise.