Jim Beam Black is the 8-year-old elder to the regular 4-year-old Jim Beam. If I could borrow a phrase from the great Ella Fitzgerald, “What a difference a day makes!” Well in this case it’s, “what a difference 4 more years makes!” Black has all the quality that the regular Beam has, but it takes all those qualities and raises them to the next level. The difference between the two bourbons is like the difference between a pro exotic dancer and your grandma, unless your grandma is an exotic dancer, and in that case, good for her.
Jim Beam Black goes through the same distilling process as the regular Jim Beam except for one easy-to-see, major difference. It’s aged eight years. That’s four more than the regular stuff. Black is aged in new charred oak barrels and bottled at a full 86-proof, making a bourbon with its own distinct character. I personally believe at some point in the extra four years of aging, a magical liquor fairy comes and embues Black with the power to overcome all the short comings of regular Beam. The crew of BoozeBasher determined that the only reason the people at Jim Beam are still selling the regular Beam is to showcase how good the Beam Black really is. If that was your plan, guys, good work.
The smell when pouring out of a bottle of Black is one of strong sour mash, alcohol, and charred wood. And the taste is more of the same. It has a sour, woody taste when it first hits your tongue, then that mash flavor really pulls through. It gives a slight burn, but right after the burn is gone, there’s an aftertaste that can only be described as alcoholic candy. All of this makes Beam Black perfect for the morning. I like to set the bottle next to my bed and take a swig when I wake before doing anything else. It leaves my mouth with that clean feeling and really helps to shake that morning grogginess right out. If you do the same, you’ll be ready for work, or another swig, in no time.
I mixed Beam Black with the only other thing I know to mix bourbon whiskey with (besides ice), a little soda. The only way I can describe it is with a except from the dictionary:
de·li·cious [di-lish-uh
s] –adjective
| 1. | highly pleasing to the senses, esp. to taste or smell: a delicious dinner; a delicious aroma. |
| 2. | the taste of Jim Beam Black when it is mixed with Coke. |
Yes thats from a real online dictionary and I agree fully. Nothing should be this damn good (excluding grandma’s pole dancing ability, again that’s only in certain cases). The burning from the strength of the whiskey is gone, and all you have left over is that sour mash woody flavor, which makes this stuff really easy to consume. After all, when you make a mixed drink, that is really what you want to be able to do.
Another fun part about this booze is it carries a pretty good drunk with it. Black is one of your strongest weapons in the war against sobriety. I got a very clean drunk off this Beam. It’s not a groggy tequila drunk feeling but a clear vision, slow-motion kind of drunk feeling. The only real downside of Black’s drunk is, unless you are a drinking pro, you might not be able to gauge how drunk you really are until you are telling your problems to the porcelain therapist. However, if you can control your intake, the next morning shouldn’t be too brutal. I went a little into the excessive range and awoke in a pretty weakened state. There was an horrible case of cotton mouth and a headache that made it rough for me to run and scamper about house. It was well into the afternoon before I was able to drink again. Not that it was a bad thing. Even the best drinkers need a little time to recover.
All the perks of Jim Beam Black can be yours for around $26 for a 750ml bottle. If you like the regular Beam, Beam Black will be the reason you never buy the regular Beam again. If you don’t like Jim Beam, give Black a try and see why so many people still come back to drinking Jim Beam Black. If you ever needed proof that experience makes things better, then look to Jim Beam Black. Who knows, maybe you should pull a dollar out and give granny a chance; you may learn a thing or two.
Sipability - 6.5
Mixability - 7.5
Drunkability - 7.0
Hangover-ability - 6.5
Bang for the Buck - 8.0
Overall - 7.0 
Comments
yeah i love this shit aswell…but it is very hard not to down the bottle in under an hour.
I thought regular Beam was largely insignificant, which put me off trying the Black, but when I went for some JD and found the price to be equal to the JB Black, I went with the Black and now I’m glad I did. While Maker’s Mark still edges it out for best Bourbon, the under $30 winner goes to this stuff. And you’re right about the mixing with Coke (though I stick to Diet Coke). Normally, I’m strictly Ginger Ale, but I need to make an exception for Jim Beam Black. Everything is better with a Black Label. Bushmills. Johnnie Walker. Famous Grouse. Jose Cuervo. Jim Beam.
Is it possible to test george dickel N°8 AND 12 ?
Thx, great website !
Delicious! This is my new go to Bourbon. The smooth oaky flavor and sweet finish make it hard to put this one down. Yes it does mix with Coke very well, better than Jack in fact. I do think you could have gave it a little bit higher ratings in the sipability test.
growing up and living in a small town, i was completely oblivious to anything other than jim beam white label for years. a year ago i moved to the conroe, tx area. after my first visit the nearest liquor store, my life was changed forever. the first time i tasted black label mixed with coke, my eyes filled with tears. never before had i tasted such…. perfection! having since tried makers mark i’ll agree it is a photo finish between the two. i guess it boils down to individual taste prefrences. no doubt for the price, jim beam takes the cake. that aside, in my own personal opinion, the black label has a a slight edge over the mark on my own pallet. but to each his own. all those black label nay sayers out there dont bother me a bit, thats just more jim for me! cheeres!
Didn’t I recommend this one in the forums a while back?
I see someone is pleased to take my advice. This stuff is priced very well for what you get. Can’t ask for anything more from a bourbon.
You mixed whiskey with Coke in a whisky review? Uh…
Beam Black blows the White label out of the water. It puts Jack to shame. A very good drink for the price.
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