Introduction
Today's review, Jim Beam Double Oak, kicks off five straight weeks with a brand that has been underrepresented on this show. We've been holding off on featuring Jim Beam products because we know they're always going to be there, and it's fun to be in season eight of a podcast and still be trying something as simple as Jim Beam.
But the time has come, and we're starting with Jim Beam Double Oak, which the company refers to as a "twice-barreled, expertly aged, and matured in a second oak barrel" bourbon whiskey. It clocks in at 86 proof.
Bob hasn't tried this whiskey in about seven years, and he's curious to see how his palate has developed. Brad, on the other hand, is trying it for the first time.
The following review is taken from our episode "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens / Jim Beam Double Oak Bourbon." Click the link to listen to our 10-minute review in audio format.
Nose
Bob: This has been sitting in my glass for about five minutes now, and for the first few minutes, it needed to open up and breathe. Initially, it was straight black licorice, like anise extract. It’s definitely calmed down a bit. I get a lot of peanut, which is the big thing people get on Jim Beam products. There's also a lot of vanilla and oak. It’s not quite as young as I expected it to be, but it is a little bit harsher than something like a Woodford Double Oaked. Overall, I’m actually pretty impressed with this. There’s way more complexity here than I anticipated. I’m going to give it a 7/10 on the nose.
Brad: I actually like this a decent amount. I didn’t get that black anise, thankfully. For me, it’s salted peanuts, oak, cola, and apple peel. It's a substance like your little witch in Snow White, just a model of the sweet-smelling. I’m giving it a 7/10 as well.
Taste
Brad: This has a really nice peanut flavor to it, like peanut nougat. There’s a bit of an apple fritter kind of caramel apple goodness. It’s very dusty and kind of gave me hits of Big League Chew. That dustiness had just enough fruitiness to it that it was nice, with a bubblegum flavor. Nothing to write home about, but I’d say it’s a pretty solid experience. I came up from the nose to a 7.5/10 on the taste.
Bob: I’m having a weird experience. It reminds me of when you have something too saline-heavy in your mouth. I don’t actually taste salt in this, but I’m having that reaction. The oak is definitely here. I can see why I thought this tasted chemically back then because it’s a bitter oak. It’s definitely a more stringent, less quality whiskey that they are double-oaking here. It kind of tastes like it has the saline of a blended malt Scotch, but they’ve double-barreled it, and this is not really my cup of tea. I’m giving it a 5.5/10 on the palate.
Finish
Brad: For me, the finish is where this really falls off. The youth comes through, and it turns into this bitter, salty apple flavor. The oakiness really comes through. It almost tastes like an apple cider vinegar. There’s some bitter cherry going on, and the finish really drops off for me. I’ll give it a 5/10 on the finish.
Bob: The finish is a little bit nicer for me. The vanilla definitely comes out a bit. It reminds me more of a rum on the back of the palate, like a barely aged rum. I’m getting kind of aggressively young grain here mixed with really sweet sugary notes. This finish is not horrible, but it reminds me of rum, and that’s probably not something you want in your whiskey. I’ll give it a 6/10.
Balance
Bob: On the balance, I think this really falls off from the nose to the taste to the finish. I’ll give it a 6/10.
Brad: I think balance-wise, it has enough of a nose and palate that I like that I’ll keep it a decent score, but I agree. I’m at a 6/10 on balance.
Value
Bob: As far as I know, this is around $20-25. It is remarkable to get a double-oaked product for $20. If you told me you could get a double-oaked product for $20, I would probably expect it to taste like this. I don’t think this is a very good whiskey, but I also don’t think it’s overpriced. I think it’s pretty cool to be able to do this at $20. I’ll give it a 7/10 on value.
Brad: I’m in a similar place. I’m at 6.5/10.
Final Scores
Bob: So where are you at overall on Jim Beam Double Oak?
Brad: Just under our normal recommendation. I’m at a 32/50.
Bob: And I’m at a 31.5/50. We’re pretty much in the same spot on this. We’re coming out to a 31.75/50 or a 63.5/100.
Conclusion
At this score, we’d typically recommend trying a pour at a bar or buying a bottle if you're curious. For context, a 35/50 mark is where we'd typically recommend trying a pour at a bar. A 40/50 is considered great, and a 45/50 is excellent. Jim Beam Double Oak is pretty good for what it is—a $20 double-oaked whiskey. It's not remotely in the league of some higher-end bourbons, but it’s pushing right at its weight class. If you're buying a $20 whiskey, you already know what you’re getting into, and this is exactly that. There are no surprises here. If you want a cheap whiskey with a bit of nuance and flavor, go for it. It's hard not to recommend a $20 whiskey.
