Review #1 - Jim Beam Winter Reserve

 

Kicking off my bourbon reviews with a look at the Jim Beam Winter Reserve.

The ads have been popping up on my social feeds and the reviews have been mostly pretty positive, so I took a drive to my “local” Total Wine location. It’s in quotes because it’s the only one in New York State and it’s 15 miles from my house.

Quick note about me: I am an amateur, relative newbie at exploring bourbon. Not new to drinking it, though. When my friends were chugging beers in the late 80’s, I was downing Beam. But I stuck with the three cheap classics: Beam, Jack and Makers. For years. Then I fell into the “WTF are you thinking” trap of flavored whiskey.

I know, I know.

When a bourbon aficionado at a work event found out I was drinking Screwball, he rightfully made fun of me and poured me a Basil Hayden “just to get you started back up.” I was suddenly hitting the higher shelves at every company sponsored event. So, consider me back on course.

Anyway, I am not a unicorn chaser. I am strictly a middle-to-bottom shelf budget bourbon guy. I sometimes put pricier bottles on my Christmas list, but mostly I cap it at $50 - $60. And TBH, there are some amazing pours in the $35 - $60 range. Frankly, I’ll probably never spend triple digits for bourbon. Yeah, I can actually feel you veteran bourbon lovers leaving now…

Okay, let’s get to it. This is my first review, and this is for the folks like me – explorers who haven’t gotten their palate to pro level, aka The Average Joe What Likes the Bourbons.

Venue: My TV room, room temperature, poured into a Glencairn and let sit for 10 minutes.

Not thick, decent color.

Nose: Caramel, cinnamon, and initially light chocolate. Chocolate notes increased over time. Which is funny since "Vanilla" is emblazoned on the label.

Mouth Feel: you know Jim Beam when you drink it. The characteristic bitterness is right up front. TBH, not the most pleasant initial sip. 86 proof, low viscosity but give it a second. It definitely punches above its weight. Feels like "fake proof." Making us amateurs feel like we're hitting the big leagues.

Palate: there it is…the holidays. The cinnamon spice and chocolate are a pleasant reward for the Beam snap. There’s another spice I can’t place. I wanna say nutmeg, but I’m not sure. Still not getting the vanilla though.

Finish: this is where I was really surprised. Caramel and cherry (didn’t see that coming) which lingered longer than I expected. Very pleased with the finish.

Summary: this was worth every dollar of the 28 spent and the 15 mile drive (one way) – I also took a dozen pictures of better bourbons to send to relatives who asked me what I want for Christmas, so definitely not a wasted trip in any event.

If you’re looking for a decent bourbon on a strict budget this is not a bad choice. I may sound like I’m damning with faint praise, but I am actually pleasantly surprised at the experience for the money paid. I mean – it’s got screw cap, which is usually a bad sign. 😊 I wouldn’t necessarily make a special trip to get another bottle next year, but if I run into it again shopping for something else – or if I see it on clearance in February, I’d certainly restock. I'm sure it would make a fine Old Fashioned.

If you have a friend who “wants to get into bourbon” this is a solid choice. For well-seasoned veterans, why are you even still reading? I'm sure I lost credibility with "Screwball."

SCORE:

Nose: 7/10

Mouth Feel: 4/10

Palate: 6/10

Finish: 8/10

Experience Score: 6/10

Value: 9/10

Overall Bang for the Buck: 7/10