Jim Beam Archives - First Pour Cocktails

Old Tub Bourbon

Posted on October 4, 2023October 3, 2023 by Nick

Old Tub Bourbon is a tribute to one of Jim Beam’s original best selling bourbons (in the 1890’s). Named after the old tubs that used to be used for distillation, this unfiltered, bonded bourbon used to be a gift shop only offering in 375 ml vessels. A few years back, this changed, and Jim Beam began offering Old Tub as a regular offering in 750 ml. The price is reasonable, and as you might have noticed, this seems to have replaced Jim Beam Bonded. So is it a step-up over Jim Beam White Label?

Old Tub Bourbon

Distillery: James B. Beam
Proof: 50 (100% A.B.V.)
Age: Not Age Stated, Minimum of 4 Years
Filtration: Unfiltered
Bottled-In-Bond

Sight: A solid deep gold.

Smell: Unsurprisingly, the Jim Beam peanut funk comes out here loaded for bear. Around it there’s a nice amount of oak, spice, and caramelized sugar notes. The nose also has a bit of heat to it with a bit of vanilla like notes.

Sip: The mouthfeel starts moderately full. The first notes are peanut like with some oak, before there’s a turn toward hay, tobacco, and black tea. A little bit of caramel and spice flits at the edges, but it’s more on the grain and savory side.

Savor: The ending is oak and more hay-tobacco notes. The finish has a moderate tannic nature, but doesn’t last particularly long.

Old Tub Bourbon is average and not particularly exciting or deep. What it does deliver is a solid, dry, bottled-in-bond offering that gives some more oak forward flavors. The Beam funk is also prominent, but not long lasting. Overall, drinking it straight isn’t offensive, but not exciting either.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan there’s a nice weight and textural component that makes the drink feel solid. Beyond the weight, the herbal notes in the vermouth tend to vibe with the oakier notes of the Old Tub. The subtle sweetness of the vermouth moves the peanut notes a little toward brittle, but ultimately it leans dry again. The ending brings in more herbal components and oak tannins.

In Review – Old Tub Bourbon

Old Tub Bourbon is unremarkable, and priced accordingly at around $20. It’s the kind of bourbon that gives a little more emphasis than standard Jim Beam White Label, but doesn’t quite expand it’s horizons in any meaningful way. While there’s a big jump in price, it probably is worth considering making the leap to Knob Creek if you’d like to go up in the Beam range, while for higher proof, Wild Turkey can deliver with more spice and less peanut funk. Finally, it isn’t immediately apparent that this is an upgrade over Jim Beam Bonded, but perhaps its dry, less exciting cousin.

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation

Posted on February 18, 2022February 15, 2022 by Nick

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation is the fifth release in Jim Beam’s curated collection from Eighth Generation Beam Master Distiller Freddie Noe. “The Invitation” invites tasters to explore interesting blends, ages, and flavors in the evolving world of whiskey. The blend is meant to highlight the diverse influences that have influenced Freddie Noe’s journey and and shaped his style as a distiller. The results are nothing short of being fantastic, as the Little Book Chapter 5 has ranked number 3 on Fred Minnick’s Top 100 American Whiskeys of 2021.

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation is a blend of 2 year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 3 year-old Malted 100% Rye Whiskey, 5 year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 15 year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The final result comes in at 116.8 proof.

Sight: Chestnut – Oloroso Sherry

Smell: The nose is an evolutionary experience with Little Book, changing gradually over the time you leave it in the glass. On first pour, there was a heavy dose of peanut and charred oak. After opening, the nose explodes with juicy caramel, brown sugar, rich toffee, peanut brittle, and a jammy cherry. As the nose continues to open, there are elements of charred oak, cigar box, toasted spices, black tea, maple syrup, warm vanilla, and a touch of almonds. Despite the proof, there’s not a lot of heat.

Sip: The body opens smooth and then warms up slightly. The flavors of preserved cherries and warm vanilla laced caramel come through. Touches of brown sugar and molasses open the door to almond brittle and notes of grape. The oak influence kicks in, adding elements of cigar spicing, roasted sugar, baking spice, and tobacco. Elements of black tea and a slight fruit funk jump in and compliment the light spicy sweetness.

Savor: The finish pulls through the creamy brown sugar and caramel elements with a healthy dose of spice. Roasted oak and spice goes through with a hint of burnt marshmallows. The finish lingers beautiful, layering in more wood and sweet sugar notes.

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation is simply incredible. The flavors are layered, complex, and intricate. The sweetness of the caramelized notes is pervasive, but evolves constantly at Little Book continues to open. The fruit notes are present enough to give it variety, while the nuttiness and wood make up all the in between notes. The result is an incredible whiskey to simply savor over hours.

In Cocktails

Let’s start with the obvious, you’re not buying this bottle make cocktails. To a certain extent, there’s probably some group that would argue putting this in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned is sacrilege. All that said, if you own one, it’s your bottle, and you should enjoy it as you see fit. So here’s what I think of it in the one Manhattan I made.

Is it a good Manhattan? Oh god yes. Is it 3-4 times better than a $30 – $50 bottle of whiskey? No, not even remotely. You’d have to be out of mind to be making Manhattans or Old Fashioneds with it. The flavor is explosive with juicy cherries, spiced oak, and caramel. The notes of nuts and black tea are absolutely present, and it fights with some of the herbal character of the vermouth, explaining to pretty much every other element in the drink that is the superior element. The spicing and brown sugar flavors are so intense that it actually manages to pull off the same length of finish it does in the Glen Cairns glass.

To date, this is the most expensive Manhattan I’ve ever made, and was delicious. I do not however recommend you use Little Book for this purpose.

In Review – Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation is one of the best whiskeys I’ve ever encountered. This sort of bottle is obviously not a stock it and keep it around for making drinks sort of thing, but it is an incredible offering if you can manage to find it. One of those, words-fail-you sort of offerings that you keep for special occasions. Even at $125, there’s a lot of value here and you should try it if you get an opportunity.

Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year Bourbon

Posted on November 12, 2021November 2, 2021 by Nick

Made by Jim Beam, Knob Creek represents part of their Small Batch collection (including Basil Hayden, Bookers, and Baker’s). The Knob Creek series has been in existence since 1992, and carried a 9 Year age statement for most of its history. The 9 year age statement returned in 2020, making it one of the few bottles in this price point still carrying an age statement. So is Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year Bourbon worth the price?

Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year Bourbon

Color: Tawny

Smell: Beautiful caramel and cigar box notes comes off the top with a light whiff of heady alcohol. A nutty note of roast peanuts comes in, with touches of brown sugar and toasted cinnamon. The nose opens up with more touches of oak and cloves, as well as hints of preserved blackberries and bing cherries.

Sip: The palate opens smooth and soft with plenty of cinnamon, cloves, and other baking spices. A nuttiness roles in with plenty of toasted oak and luxurious caramel. The light fruity character comes back and rounds out a little bit of dark fruit notes. A bit of tobacco brings the sip bottle home.

Savor: The ending continues leveraging spice and oak notes, but a complimentary vanilla and tobacco backbone supports throughout. The finish is long, lingering, and pleasant.

Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year is spicy with lots of sweet notes a healthy dose of complex oak. The amount of flavor is surprisingly robust, but doesn’t get overly hot despite the proof. While a small amount of the peanut funk is still there, the caramel and spice notes really lead things off. A subtle sweetness pervade through out. The overall word here is balance.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Knob Creek provides a solid and well oaked backbone with hints of caramel. The vermouth is allowed to play a more forward role, and the spices are pronounced, but not overwhelming. Some of the complexity and sweetness diminishes, but the overall Manhattan is well balanced. Overall, the weight of the bourbon helps here, giving a solid mouthfeel.

In Review – Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year

Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year offers a healthy amount of value in the mid $30 price point. If you happen to live in area where it’s under $30, this is a no brainer option to try or add to your collection. Between the proof, the versatility, and the complexity, Knob Creek Small Batch offers a compelling set of reasons to add it to your shelf. For these reasons, we’ve added it to our Recommended Bottles for Beginning Your Home Bar.

Jim Beam White Label

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Nick

Every year my family plays white elephant. You may also know this game as Yankee Swap, or in my family, Grab Bag. As we’ve gotten older – it’s become increasingly alcoholic, and has resulted in many bottles I would never have willingly purchased. One year I received a bottle of Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey, one of, amazingly, 3 that had ended up in a White Elephant game of 12 people. It was terrible – like buttered popcorn fell into a vat of maple candy flavoring that was aged in oak. It took me years to use that bottle – baking apples with it, using it in barbecue sauce, or anywhere else I could hide it. Jim Beam White Label isn’t anywhere near as offensive as Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey – it’s definitely not – but it’s also another bottle I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to buy.

Jim Beam

Jim Beam is a whiskey that’s basically synonymous with bourbon. They produce a phenomenal amount of the stuff. It accordingly shows up everywhere from casinos to ballparks to weddings to neighborhood bars. It’s a workhorse and a utilitarian whiskey that can be had for under $20. Now there’s nothing wrong with that – it can still make a serviceable drink.

Sight: An old gold that’s somewhat toward the richer / sherried side.

Smell: Maraschino cherries, sawdust, and peanuts come out at first. Touches of mellowed corn and powder sugar come round with a touch of char. Possibly a little vanilla or caramel or hint of pome fruit.

Sip: The body is thin, and starts relatively smooth. It gradually gets a bit more unrefined throwing more sharp alcoholic edges across the palate. Heavy notes of charred oak, corn, and hints of red cherries come through. The palate actually gives of a little bit of a raw alcohol flavor and touches of spice.

Savor: The ending is slightly astringent and a little sour. The finish has notes of spice and char.

Jim Beam White Label is a budget bourbon, set your expectations accordingly. The palate is neither refined nor complex. The nose is not offensive, but might inspired a notation that it appears to be bourbon in the glass. The finish is, for lack of a better word, present. At under $20 for a 750ml the entire experience is acceptable.

In Cocktails

Does it taste like bourbon? Yes! Jim is by no means bad, but it doesn’t necessarily shave off all it’s edges. In a Manhattan it feels a little aggressive, while in an old-fashioned it leaves a little desire for more complexity. Again, nothing wrong with it, but it could be contributing more.

Jim Beam White Label Overall

Jim Beam White Label is everywhere. You’re unlikely to walk into any average bar and not find it. It’s dependable, theoretically what many people thing bourbon tastes like, and won’t move a drink outside of someone’s perception of reality. It’s also very affordable. For all these reasons, it’s not my recommended bourbon for your shelf, but it’s perfectly acceptable bourbon for fixing a drink.

If you’re looking for something else from Jim to setup to, check out their Bonded offer.

Jim Beam Bonded

Posted on June 18, 2020June 21, 2020 by Nick

Among the most popular brands of bourbon is Jim Beam. Part of the Beam Suntory family of brands – Jim Beam is a standard bearer for the conglomerate. As a result, Jim Beam White is ubiquitous. You’ll see it on planes, in stadiums, weddings; it’s practically everywhere. Most people will at one point or another have an opportunity to have Jim Beam White Label or have unknowingly had it served to them. Beyond Jim Beam White Label, Beam Suntory actually produces a number of premium products including Booker’s, Baker’s, and Knob Creek. Just a step up the ladder from White Label is Jim Beam Bonded.

Bottled in Bond of course means that Jim Beam Bonded is subject to more stringent requirements than ordinary bourbon. Jim Beam White Label is aged 4 years – while Jim Beam Bonded provides no age statement, but must be aged a minimum for a bonded bourbon as well. While there are other differences, the biggest is going to be the proof. Jim Beam Bonded is bottled at 100 proof compared to the standard White Label 80 proof. The higher proof is going to be the result of less cutting of the final product and should result in more richness. Priced in the low $20 range, is it worth paying the upgrade over their ubiquitous white label.

If you need a quick refreshed on how Bottled-In-Bond is different – than check out or review of Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond for an overview.

Jim Beam Bonded

Sight: A gorgeous amber brown, bordering into sherry.

Smell: The nose is a little warm at the start thanks to the bonded nature bringing up the proof. Peanuts and brittle come forward, mixing with notes of grain and spice. Subtle caramel and malted milk duds hang out behind the peanuts.

Sip: The start is warm and bright within seconds, and the mouth feel is solid. The primary flavors are roasted peanuts, hints of nougat, and touches of preserved cherry, charred oak, and graham cracker waiting for smores.

Savor: The ending is tannic with a heavy astringency The finish is laced with peanut, charred oak, and graham crackers.

Reddit’s r/bourbon frequently talks about how Beam Suntory products evoke peanuts – something I’ve never tasted in whiskey. Jim Beam Bonded is like a whiskey mashing the peanut button on the whiskey flavor wheel. There are other interesting notes, but it’s clearly not designed for sipping with it’s relative warmth. That said, the strong backbone and reasonable price tag makes this a potential versatile whiskey for crafting cocktails with.

In Cocktails

The flavor of peanuts is truly remarkable here. It’s such a predominate flavor that even when paired with sweet vermouth in a Manhattan, it sticks out like someone added Skrewball. That said, dilution here is bringing in some of the nicer baked cookie notes and a nice toasted brown sugar element.

Jim Beam Bonded Overall

Jim Beam Bonded is thicker and richer thank it’s normal white label counterpart. There’s a price premium here of about $5-10, and there are some nice flavors that are worth buying up to from the normal white label. That said – in the same mid $20 price range there’s some strong competition from others like Bulleit and Elijah Craig. So if you’re a fan of regular Jim, then Jim Beam Bonded is certainly worth it. For those that are fans of other brands should consider if the flavor profile described fits what you’re looking for – and make a decision from there.

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