JIM BEAM

Brand History

Originated in the 1780's by Jacob Beam, a Kentucky farmer, who operated a grain mill and ground grist for locals - a portion of which was always reserved for the family’s private use to make whisky. It was in 1795 the Jacob finally began commercial production, however it was not under the Beam Label.

Consistency of style has been maintained by using the same yeast cultures for over 60 years, derived from an original culture made by Jim Beam himself on his back porch. Jim Beam Bourbon is the product of six generations of distillers with only one enforced break in production between 1920 and 1933 when prohibition was introduced to the U.S. It was following prohibition, (during which time the distillery had been shut and sold to the U.S. government) that the bourbon was named "Jim Beam" after the head of the Beam family.

To drink Jim Beam then is not only to taste its full bourbon character, but something of its American heritage. Jim Beam White Label is aged for four years. Appreciated for its pleasant sweet/sour and mellow, nutty character, Jim Beam White Label has become the biggest selling bourbon in the world. Production now exceeds 17,000 cases per day. Distilled in Clermont Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S.A.

 

Brand Information

• The World’s No. 1 Selling Bourbon and No. 4 premium whiskey
• Available in more than 120 countries worldwide, Jim Beam is more than the world's top-selling bourbon - it is the top American whiskey in Eastern Europe, the number one whiskey of any type in Germany, and is the number one distilled spirit in Australia.
• American Icon- created by a 200-year Beam family legacy
• Jim Beam is the only American whiskey that has been distilled and sold by the same family for 7 generations (since 1795).
• Annual volume: over 5 million cases, sold in over 100 countries
  Since Prohibition: over 10 million barrels produced = 310m cases or 3.8b bottles

 

Product Information, Flavours, Tasting notes

Jim Beam White Label Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 The World’s No.1 Selling Bourbon, the true standard for Bourbon around the World. Formula unchanged since 1795. Jim Beam is “The Bourbon”

ABV: 37%

Aged: 4 Years
Colour: Colour golden straw
Nose: Oaky vanilla, spicy
Flavour: Medium bodied, mellow hints of caramel & vanilla
Finish: Clean, flavourful

 

Jim Beam Black Triple Aged

Aged for six years in the barrel gives this whiskey more maturity with bold flavours and a long finish.  It is triple aged, meaning it is three times the age requirement to legally be called straight bourbon.

ABV: 40%

Aged: 6 years

Colour: Deep amber

Nose: Oak, vanillas & spice

Flavour: Charred vanillas with hints of baked fruits

Finish: Smooth & long with rounded caramel & oak

 

Jim Beam Rye Straight Rye Whiskey

This Jim Beam variant is simply made using a larger proportion of Rye as opposed to corn. A lighter style whiskey.

ABV: 37%
Aged: 4 Years
Colour: Light Amber
Nose: Lemon zest, mint and lavender aromas.
Flavour: Early rye broadside followed by some tender fruit and oak.
Finish: Long and flinty with cocoa rounding things off.

 

Jim Beam’s Choice Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey  

Jim Beam’s Choice is soft and impressive in places with the emphasis on natural caramel. A slightly different Beam style.

ABV: 37%
Aged: 5 Years
Colour: Light Amber
Nose: Very softly oaked and vaguely nutty nose.
Flavour: Big caramel kick gives a suprising sweet taste and gentle edge.
Finish: Soft spice lift the sleepy corn on the finish.

 

Jim Beam Bonded Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Until the 1950s, bottled-in-bond bourbon (also called bonded bourbon) was virtually the only kind available. Jim Beam Bonded (Number 12 Formula) is aged and bottled according to the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897- 100-proof bourbon (50% ABV), aged minimum 4 years, the way all bourbon used to be.

ABV: 50%
Aged: 8 Years
Colour: Deep amber
Nose: Sweet notes of caramel and yellow fruit, aeration reveals tobacco leaf, oak resin and cereal
Flavour: Semi sweet and mildy grainy
Finish: Elegant finish with dry flavours of toasted grain and oak

 

Jim Beam Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Hand bottled in limited quantity. Combined with a full bodied port to bring out a rich, robust flavour unique to every batch.

ABV: 40%
Aged: 5 Years
Colour: Deep and rich mahogany with tone gold highlights
Nose: Vanilla and caramel complimented with a distinctive fruitiness- raisins
Flavour: Spicy oak and caramel, the classic taste of rich bourbon is the first flavour to greet the palate. Is that a hint of berry?
Finish: Raisins and currant notes enriched from the port combines with a picy vanillin tone round off the bourbon harmoniously

 

Booker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

A classic, rare, complex bourbon. Intense and powerful, Booker’s is the grand-daddy of Bourbon “Nothing added, nothing taken away” - uncut with water and unfiltered – bottled straight from the barrel.

ABV: 62.5 – 63.5%
Aged: 6-8 Years

Colour: Deep, rich, dark amber

Nose: Sweet vanilla and big charcoaled oak

Flavour: Rich, full bodied with an intense following and hints of dark chocolate and fruit

Finish: Long and intense with rounded sweetness

Available in 750ml only 

Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

An approachable light bodied, well balanced, polished small batch bourbon. Soft, sweet and polished with twice the rye. Perfect for those who prefer a lighter whisky.

ABV: 40%
Aged: 8 Years
Colour: Medium amber, gold tint
Nose: Modest aromatics, spice and citrus dominant
Flavour: Light bodied, spicy rye and honey caramel flavour, smooth
Finish: Short, but clean and dry with unobtrusive spirit

Available in 750mL only.

 

Baker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Steeped in tradition and aged for seven years, Baker’s should be present in the best boardrooms throughout the world. A Sour Mash bourbon, it is exuberant, bold and silky smooth

ABV: 53.5%
Aged: 7 Years
Colour: Dark amber, tawny tints
Nose: Very aromatic, vanillin/nuts/caramel oak and sweet corn characteristics
Flavour: Sweet, well balanced, intense, full flavour, spirited, medium bodied and velvety texture
Aftertaste: Spirited, medium length, smooth

 

How to serve

Jim Beam White is most commonly mixed with:

• Cola 89% (more than Scotch 76%; Rum 79%)
• Diet Cola 13%
• Dry Ginger 13%
• Straight/ Water 2% each

 

Signature Cocktail

Jim Beam Black

• 2 parts JIM BEAM Black® Bourbon
• 1 part lemon juice
• Splash of lemon-lime soda
• Dash of granulated sugar
• 1 lemon slice
• 1 cherry

Mix JIM BEAM BLACK Bourbon with lemon juice, sugar and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain into a whiskey sour glass. Garnish the glass with a lemon slide and a cherry.

Jim Beam Small Batch Manhattan

• 2 1/2 shots Jim Beam Small Batch
• 1 shot sweet vermouth
• 1 bar spoon maraschino cherry syrup
• 4 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a twist of orange and cherry on a stick.

 

 

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