Reviews #232-234: Jim Beam Distiller's Cut, Single Barrel and Baker's Single Barrel

Jim Beam recently updated their Single Barrel and Baker’s products. The single barrel is now higher proof, NCF and supposedly older while Baker’s has moved to a single barrel. The first drop of the new Baker’s single barrels here in central Texas were over 8 year old. I waited to long to grab one but I did get a sample of an 8 year 6 month bottle to compare with the new Single Barrel. I’ve also included a sample of Distiller’s Cut to use as a baseline.

 

Reviews

Jim Beam Distiller’s Cut

Age: 5-6 years

Abv: 100 proof

Price: $17

Neat

Nose: Cornbread, nuts, vanilla

Taste: Just like it smells with a bit of spice toward the end

Finish: Medium to short with vanilla and warm spice notes

0 Stars - Poor to Fine: I would not specifically choose to drink this

Jim Beam Single Barrel

Age: NAS (Old ones were supposedly 5-7 and the news ones are apparently “older”)

Abv: 108 proof

Price: $37

Neat

Nose: Baking spice, caramel, nuts, vanilla

Taste: More spice, more caramel, more nuts. Nice thick mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium length spicy finish with a bit of nuts and vanilla

0 Stars - Poor to Fine: I would not specifically choose to drink this

Baker’s 7 Year Single Barrel

Age: 8 years 6 months

Abv: 107 proof

Price: $57

Neat

Nose: Oak, vanilla, warm spice, caramel

Taste: Caramel, oak, rye spice, faint nuts. Also a nice thick mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium length finish with oak, warm spice and caramel

1 Star - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies

Conclusion

Well that was a lot of the same tasting notes. The biggest differences were how much grain came through in the Distiller’s Cut and how much subtler the nut flavor was in the Baker’s. The Baker’s was also the only one to really have oak notes for me. The mouthfeel was also noticeably better on the Single Barrel and Baker’s.

I enjoyed all of these but I’m not in a hurry to go buy any of them. If you are looking for a midrange bottle on the shelf and like the Beam profile I’d recommend the Single Barrel. I feel like the Baker’s is just too expensive for what it is with Knob Creek out there being older, higher proof and cheaper.

 

TL;DR: Baker’s > SiB > Distiller’s > EW BiB. Baker’s is good but too pricey for what it is.

Scale

 

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