Jim Beam Black Label

Ahh, Jim Beam Black Label. My first bottle of Bourbon purchased with a "mature" palate.

As I started this whisk(e)y journey with Scotch, I became curious of what was in my "backyard". Kentucky is famous for Bourbon and is a neighboring state of Virginia to our west.

I knew I wanted a bold, thick representation of a Bourbon to add to my collection and JBBL (Aged 8 Years) was calling, no, yelling BUY ME! No regrets as this bottle of Beam Black is no bum and not a bomb, it's a keeper for the cabinet.

• Tasted neat, 12 oz. snifter, hand warmed and sipped for about 1/2 hour.

Nose: Sweet, French vanilla custard, oaky hints of licorice whips, ripe fruits, spicy kumquats?

Palate: Oaky with a distinctive Bourbon kick of oily sugar sweet corn, licorice from the nose session evident.

Finish: More of the oak mingled nicely with the sweet fruit, a spicy long finish that lingers and lifts the taste buds.

Balance: Smooth and enjoyable from beginning to end. Can't go wrong with this as a "daily dram" candidate. A nice thing about Bourbon is the color is natural from the barrel aging...no artificial coloring added. What a beautiful thing to look at as I take my time with this dram!

A wonderful example of what a Bourbon would taste like if you didn't know what Bourbon tasted like. Smooth, sweet, complex and a classic from Bourbon country...Kentucky.

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