The infamous Jim Beam White Label. It’s about as synonymous with bourbon as you can get. Cheap, readily available and the flagship of the massive Beam Inc. beverage machine (now Suntory). It’s the best selling bourbon in the world and when you think about how Beam started it’s all the more impressive to see what they have become.
The Beam family started out as farmers in Kentucky and started distilling in 1795 and now they own dozens of companies and brands across the globe. Since their humble beginning a member of the family has always been the master distiller at Jim Beam, though family distillers aren’t the only tradition there at Beam. They have been using the same strain of yeast for over 75 years and is a closely guarded asset with copies being cultivated in multiple locations to keep it from ever dying out. That’s dedication.
Overall the Jim Beam white is an ok bourbon. It’s not a killer bourbon that’s going to bring down the house and send you into spasms of rapturous joy, but it’s also not horrific. The aroma, the taste, the feel and everything about it is just sort of… there. I’m not turning my nose up to it, but the lack of excitement and the fact that there are other, tastier, options out there for roughly the same price means that it’s not likely I’ll be buying another bottle of Jim Beam White Label anytime soon.
Jim Beam White Label Review
ABV: 40%
Price: $16
Distiller: Jim Beam
Aged: 4 years
EYE
Pale caramel bordering on rusty orange
NOSE
First up is a watery caramel bolstered by that unforgettable Jim Beam spice and corn. Deeper in there lie notes of vanilla, citrus zest and red licorice with a very slight herbal quality to it.
TASTE
The flavor and the aroma are remarkably similar, which isn’t always the case with whiskey. The caramel and that unique Jim Beam spice define the flavor of this bourbon. It pulls everything else into place and lets some of the underlying corn, anise, vanilla and citrus zest shine through with some yeast hanging out in the background.
FEEL
It’s a very easy drinking bourbon with a relaxed and simple mouthfeel that holds little excitement, but also makes it very accessible.
FINISH
Long finish of watery caramel, corn, citrus and a faint bit of oak.
SCORE: 79/100
It's wonderful, but i's not meant to be a world-beater
Oh, come on now. It’s a low-priced quality bourbon. Some bourbons in this price range have a weird and/or nasty taste to them, and/or they’ll leave with you a headache or a full-fledged hangover.
But Jim Beam White is a quality, low-budget bourbon. It’s not for “beginners”, it’s not for “novices”, it’s not for “the unwashed masses”, it’s not for “those people who are below me”. No. It’s inexpensive, quality bourbon that has nothing remarkable about it.
It’s an inexpensive, easy drinker, and it only frustrates people who need to elevate themselves for psychological reasons, or reasons pertaining to advertising revenue.
“No. It’s inexpensive, quality bourbon that has nothing remarkable about it.” <- I agree 100% and that's why it got a 79 (2.5/5). a 5/5 is a remarkable bourbon, you yourself said it's not, and I said the exact same thing in the review. So I don't know what your issue is.
I stand by saying that the fact that there are other, tastier, options out there for roughly the same price and that's why it's not one that I buy. And no, it doesn't frustrate me, it's nothing to me. I just pony up a couple extra bucks, buy WT 101 and don't think about this whiskey.
Clean and neat w/ no aftertaste
I like it very much, although it’s probably the most criticized (and the most popular) Bourbon in the world. It’s clean and has no aftertaste, certainly no acetone smell or taste! Not sure where that idea comes from. But I don’t drink it straight, a little water w/ it in a glass is the way to go.l
It's not terrible...gotta start somewhere.
It’s an entry level bourbon…for people starting out. Try Extra Aged or Devil’s Cut if you want more..both amazing bourbon. My favorite is Devil’s Cut.
Cheers Steve!
Good review – I tend to look at your reviews Josh b/c we have similar tastes (big fan of WT101, for example). I just bought a handle of this for like $21 at Costco. I’m like another poster, I want to dislike this more than I do but JBW is a reliable old standby. For the quality, $21 a handle is really hard to beat! My wife likes whisky sours and I’ll mainly drink bourbon and water, or will mix an Old Fashioned with a sugar cube and some Paychaud’s bitters if I’m feeling adventurous. In the summer we occasionally make simple whisky coolers or rickeys, and for the drinks we like JBW is just fine. I don’t like the candy corn profile, but I only typically get that when I first open a bottle. Once it gets exposure to some oxygen that particular note seems to mellow a little and settles into the familiar corn and caramel notes with some musky hints of oak.
Cheers Zach, thanks for sharing!
I just finished a bottle of WT 101, Blantons original, Buffalo Trace, OGD 114 and Elijah Craig NAS. The only thing available local and fast was JB white for 28.00 in a 750ml plastic. It’s ok but not my first choice. Did they change the liquor in 15 years? In my 20’s JB white seemed a bit better or thicker seems bland now. Will get the job done though.
It’s probably gotten younger over the years as the volume went up.
This was my introduction to Bourbon many years (decades!) ago, and as a result, for several years I thought I didn’t like Bourbon. Since then, Bourbon has become my favorite distilled spirit.
My biggest issue with Beam White Label is that if I drink even a little of it I get a raging headache several hours later. Not sure what’s up with that, but as a homebrewer I know fermentation can produce a lot of trace by-products — some good, some bad. I guess Beam just has more of something in it that I’m sensitive to.
Very likely. I hear similar results from other people on other whiskies. Cheers Mike!
Mike you’re right….others have mentioned the word acetone and I think that’s it…..not good for the head….I too am a home brewer and have run into it before with some of my failings. I have had a lot of bourbons and generally gravitate toward larceny now…3 years ago it was buffalo trace…like the bourbons, our palates grow up too. Exploring is the best…and the market is now giving us lots of choices…cheers!
I won’t drink Jim beam anymore because of mila Kunis. Forget them !!!
If you like rubbing alcohol, you will love Jim Beam even more. It is truly a step above rubbing alcohol but not a lot. For the price, go with Evan Williams (especially the BIB version) from the other side of the Beam family.
On my budget ,tastes good to me. Chase it with a can of National Bohemian.
Nothing wrong with JBW. I’ve drank more than a few bottles in my life time. Cheers Mabel!
That thin metal bottle cap is sub standard.
The new label and bottle sucks. Trying to be like Jack it won’t work. I loved the look and feel of the old textured plastic coated label. The new paper labels are garbage. Thank God they kept the handle though.
I’m thinking of buying a big bottle just my 350ml plastic bottle experience was awful aniseed tasting and instant hangover. All my miniature purchases of jim beam white have been fantastic and drink it fresh on ice or ginger ale. Little bitterness, you can taste the sour mash corn, retained oak with a little caramel and nut. Should I take a chance on a 700ml bottle?
If you like the minis I say go for it. I find the full bottles (750 on this side of the ocean) often taste better than the minis.
It’s funny because you almost want it to be worse than it is, because it’s so ubiquitous and corporate, but it’s just not. It’s good. “Watery caramel” is a nice way of putting it. Beam white is never my first, or second, or third choice, but it’s also something I’d never pass up if offered to me, or if it’s the only affordable option when I’m not flush. It’s the beauty of Bourbon and it’s strict regulations, it kind of has to be decent. Beam has nothing very interesting or challenging about it, but it’s a bit more than “meh”, the caramel and allspice thing it has going is plenty nice. And unlike cheap scotches, or Jack Daniels, it’s never ever undrinkable.
Other than as a cheap mixer I don’t buy it any more either, but like you I really liked it in my early 20’s. Oh how our palates change :)
Cheers!