Jim Beam Bonded is one of the latest editions of Jim Beam to come out of the famed Kentucky distillery. Bonded whiskey has long been synonymous with high quality whiskey and that connection comes from pre-prohibition times when the rules around whiskey were… let’s call them not-really-there. All manner of things could be passed off as whiskey until the Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897 came into play.
Bottled In Bond are a set of federal regulations that basically ensure people are “getting the good stuff”. BiB (as it’s referred to by whiskey geeks) means that the spirit in the bottle, usually whiskey, was produced in a single distillation season by a single distillery. It also needs to mature in a federally bonded warehouse for a minimum of 4 years and then be bottled at 100 proof. Lastly the label needs to clearly state where it was distilled and bottled (if different from where distilled). This, obviously, only applies to spirits made in the USA and even today are, typically, a sign of a good dollar for flavor value.
Jim Beam Bonded Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam
Mashbill: 77% corn, 13% rye, 10% malted barley
Cask: New charred oak
Age: 4 years (at least)
ABV: 50%
Price: $19
Jim Beam Bonded Review
EYE
Caramel
NOSE
Candy corn; waxy corn and caramel followed by notes of dark fruit leather, vanilla, toffee and spice. Lighter notes of yeast, minerality, chalk and wood float about adding an interesting dimension to the overall aroma. Comparing it to Jim Beam Black and White I’d say it’s closer to the JBB.
PALATE
Again it starts off with candy corn and dark fruit leather, but this time it’s mixed with some sarsaparilla spice. Lighter notes of toffee, vanilla, wood, raw grain and the yeast gets stronger towards the end. The palate is closer to the the Jim Beam White and ends up coming off like a richer JBW.
FINISH
Medium-long fade of corn, caramel, wood and allspice.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good balance, round body and smooth easy sipping texture.
OVERALL
Jim Beam Bonded ends up coming through as a nice middle ground between the White and Black (8 years) and for the pice, it’s a pretty good value. While I can’t say that I LOVE the candy corn like essence of Jim Beam, I do find it somewhat comforting and overall the spirit gets better and better with a higher proof. Look at Booker’s for example, it’s fantastic! 100 proof is definitely a good spot for Jim Beam to be hanging out at.
SCORE: 84/100
Jim Beam Bonded Review - Score Breakdown
Value
Jim Beam Bonded is a decent dram for your dollar.
Overall
- Nose - 85
- Palate - 83
- Finish - 84
- Balance, Body & Feel - 85
This is on sale right now near me for 16.99. Unbelievable at this price. I have 10 bottles stocked up and intend to buy more. This is a great whiskey at a great value.
Yeah that’s a crazy good deal. Nice job, cheers Bill!
Just found this today at the Pennsylvania state store as a special buy for $16.99. Just had a dram neat. Very smooth and easy drinking. I’m picking up mostly wood and leather. I like Beam Black but sometimes it’s a tad sweet, this is just right. At 100 proof this could be dangerous! It probably won’t make it through the long Thanksgiving weekend, that’s ok at $17 I’ll grab a few more.
It’s a heck of deal at $17. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Cheers!
I swear, some place on thewhiskeyjug.com you made a reference that the Old Crow Bonded is essentially the same as the new Jim Beam Bonded bourbon. For the life of me I can’t locate the info. I have used a 1/1 ratio of Beam Bonded to an “accidentally”,love the label, purchased bottle of Old Crow 80. It really does help the Old Crow. My experiences with bourbon in college, which, the way, was 50 years ago was with Old Crow. I loved it then, but, hummm, not so much now.
Jim Sherman, Willmar, MN
Hey Jim,
Hmmm, I don’t remember that myself, BUT I did say that Old Crow is just even younger Jim Beam White so technically they would be the same, but I don’t think there’s been an Old Crow Bonded since like the late 70s/early 80s. But the current Old Crow is roughly 2ish years and the Jim Beam white is 4ish years so it is just younger JB stock that goes into it.
The Old Crow you’re talking about was made at a distillery that doesn’t exist anymore and it has a very different character. It was also older and a more premium bourbon than it is now. Now it’s made at JB and is their youngest bottom shelf offering. A shadow of what it used to be as a brand.
Cheers!
As a sipper its ok but isn’t going to blow you away with complexity. I think its best use is as a higher quality mixer that will stand up better to ice. At the price point I’d think this might have higher visibility in the JB lineup because at $20 its a no brainer for me if I’m choosing between that and JB White or Black.
Agreed, I really like it in a manhattan. Cheers!
This is great stuff. I drank half a bottle before I knew it and am stoned cold wandering wtf happened. What are those lights I see to my left?
This just recently became available at my local ABC store here in NC. It’s great stuff!! I like it better than the Black. Thanks for the review.
Cheers!
Josh, just finished my first bottle of JB Bonded. I absolutely think it stands up to OG Bonded. It hits you with the JB spice off the top, then sneaks up with some fruity tones, and finishes with the caramel and the char. It finishes better than I thought, and makes me think it over again.
I was debating whether to go out and purchase JB Devils Cut, or another bottle of JB Bonded. I think
I will stick with the Bonded and wait for Devils Cut as a gift or deep discount at the store.
Cheers!
Thanks for sharing Jason, cheers!
Jason,
Bonded is a better pick than DC, IMHO… Why? The DC doesn’t really do anything that white label doesn’t other than add more Woody bitter/sour to the mix. I prefer the 100 proof, root beer sweetness, and longer finish of the BiB any day. I think Beam really tried to capitalize on the image they were trying to sell in the DC advertising more than investing in an extra level of quality. However, I’ve not met a BiB I wasn’t partial to…
Slante!
hedge
A really good dram at a low price. Typical Jim beam taste but more mature and refined. Smooth and delicious. You will be happy you picked it up.
I just finished a bottle of Beam BIB & was disappointed, the review stated candy corn, fruit, etc. Other than the extra 20 proof, I didn’t find it much better than the white label or black label; don’t think it’s worth $30.00
I really am enjoying this bottle and may make it my regular. I was surprised what I got for the price. Only reason I tried it was by buying it I got 25 cents off each gallon of gas for buying it and it was on sale. Now, this will be the one I’m looking for. Going to get a second bottle tomorrow to have on reserve.
That’s quite the deal. Cheers!
JB BIB has quickly become a regular pour for me. It just seems to be of a higher quality than JBB. Maybe there is something to the idea of a Bonded Bourbon being of better quality. It is the silky mouthfeel and the nice combination of sweet, peanuts, and wood and a peppery kick that make me really like it.