Jim Beam Small Batch Bourbons

I attended a tasting in St. Louis, Missouri at The Wine and Cheese Place (TWCP) to get a taste of a single barrel bottling done just for them of a Knob Creek 9-year old. Dawn White-Weeks, a rep for Jim Beam, at the same tasting, also sampled the standard Knob Creek 9-year old, Maker’s 46,Basil Hayden’s, Baker’s 7 and Booker’s

Jim Beam is one of the Fortune Brands whiskies along with Maker’s Mark, Old Grand-Dad, Old Crow, Booker’s, Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s, Jim Beam Rye, Old Overholt, Canadian Club, Teacher’s, DYC Whisky, Windsor Canadian, Lord Calvert, Tangle Ridge, Alberta Springs, Calvert Extra, Kessler and Scotch single malts Laphroaig and Ardmore.

Before choosing a Knob Creek barrel to be bottled TWCP received some samples of various barrels recommended by the distillery which managers and customers of TWCP tasted to choose what they thought was the best. It ended up being Barrel 66, Knob Creek 9-year old Single Barrel Reserve, 60% ABV, 120 proof. There are only 174 bottles from this barrel and it is a very nice bottling. This is from a #4 char barrel which is the deepest char one can put on a whisky barrel. Deeper chars mean deeper penetration into the wood as the whiskey ages but also means the spirit has a better chance to draw out more of the vanilla, caramel and spice flavors from the virgin oak. This bourbon is a deeper mahogany than the standard bottling and has a very deep berry, vanilla, caramel, cinnamon and apple on the nose. The palate, or taste, follows the nose, but in a different order, with the spicy cinnamon first followed by vanilla, black cherry and apple. Rating: 85-90.

Each whisky has a different mash bill. The mash bill is the percentage of grains that make up the “mash” and although bourbon must have at least 51% corn to be called bourbon, what comprises the rest is a matter of what the Master Distiller wants his or her whisky to taste like. Most bourbons are about 70% corn with barley, wheat and rye in various percentages. Some have high percentages of wheat, such as Maker’s Mark and others have high percentages of rye such as Basil Hayden’s. Basil Hayden’s is 40% ABV, 80 proof whisky, 8-years old. Of the small batch Jim Beam whiskies it is the lowest in proof and also seems to be the lightest in its overall flavor profile. Even the color is a light amber. I don’t know if there is any wheat in the mash bill, but on the nose it seems to have a wheat scent about equal to a corn scent. On the palate a white pepper spice comes first and then the wheaty, corny, vanilla sweetness. Nice, for a light drink. Rating: 75-80.

Baker’s 7, 53.5% ABV, 107 proof, 7-year old is one of my favorite bourbons. It is not too expensive and has a very full, warming flavor. On the nose is cinnamon, vanilla, caramel and leather. On the palate is dark cherry, vanilla, creme brulee, and a slight char note. It has a long slightly bitter finish. Rating: 80-85. Awarded Best American Whiskey in 2007 at the World Whiskies Awards. The origin of this whisky is that it was a recipe preferred by Baker Beam.

Booker’s Batch C03-1-17, Uncut, Unfiltered, 64% ABV, 128 proof, 7-years, 4 months. Another fave from the Jim Beam Small Batch line-up. This is one that Booker Noe originally handed out to friends and was his favorite and a throw back to what whisky used to be like, in his mind. Each batch is a bit different but was chosen personally by Booker Noe, grandson of Jim Beam, before he died, using the same criteria for bottling ranging from 6-8-years old. Very deep mahogany in color. On the nose loads of vanilla, dark berries, caramel. On the palate, caramel first with a spicy vanilla to follow with intense dark fruits. Rating: 85-90.

Wild Card Whiskey:

On my own I also tasted a bourbon (not from Jim Beam) I hadn’t heard of before, W.H.Harrison Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey Governor’s Reserve Batch 2, 56.5%ABV, 113 proof, which claims to have a high rye content. This evidently is a whiskey made, according to Chuck Cowdery, (see link below) probably at Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (LDI) as there is no W. H. Harrison Distillery. LDI is a bulk producer of whiskeys sold under various names such as High West and Templeton. W.H. Harrison whisky first appeared in September 2010. It is not unusual for major brands of whisky not to have their own distillery, but instead buy whisky from other distillers whose style they like and label it as their own. This bourbon is less than four years old.

That being said, the whiskey is fairly decent. On the nose is caramel, vanilla, nutmeg and dark fruits.

On the palate is caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Not too complex but if its at a decent price, very drinkable. Rating: 80-85.

Any of these would make a fine gift for a Bourbon drinker. Cheers!

Other Small Batch Bourbon media:

http://sourmashmanifesto.com/category/reviewsratings/basil-haydens/

http://bourbonobserver.blogspot.com/2011/02/basil-haydens-kentucky-straight-bourbon.html

http://www.drinkoftheweek.com/blog/basil-haydens-kentucky-straight-bourbon-whiskey-review/

http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/bakers/whisky245.html

http://www.whiskynotes.be/2009/bourbon/bakers-7y/

http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/bookers/whisky3152.html

http://www.whisky-pages.com/notes/country.php?id=us

http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2010/10/wh-harrison-indiana-bourbon-honors-war.html