Jim Beam Original

Jim Beam Original is the distillery's entry-level Kentucky straight bourbon, often sold as White Label, bottled at 40% ABV. The mash bill combines corn, rye and malted barley, and the whiskey is aged in new charred American oak. The reference notes a minimum of four years in barrel. That combination of corn-forward grain and fresh char is the standard bourbon formula, and it explains most of what you can expect in the glass. Typical profiles for this style run to sweet corn and caramel, light vanilla, toasted oak and a dry, peppery rye edge that stays modest at this proof. Expect a medium-light body and a fairly short, clean finish, not a long or heavily oaked one. At 40% ABV it is easy to drink neat. Pour about an ounce and a half into a rocks glass if you want to sip it as is. If you want to look closer at the aroma, a Glencairn holds the vapors toward the rim, so the vanilla, oak and grain come forward without much alcohol sting. A single large ice cube is the better choice over a handful of small ones. It chills the pour and dilutes slowly, which tames the rye spice without watering down the corn sweetness. A few drops of room-temperature water do much the same job without the chill. In an Old Fashioned, a sugar cube, two or three dashes of Angostura bitters and an orange peel match the bourbon's caramel and oak, and the rye keeps the drink from tasting flat. A Manhattan needs sweet vermouth and bitters in about a 2:1 ratio and works well here, although a lighter-bodied bourbon like this one lets the vermouth lead, so choose one with some depth. For a Whiskey Sour, shake two ounces of bourbon with three-quarters of an ounce each of fresh lemon juice and simple syrup, with an egg white if you like a silkier texture. The corn sweetness balances the acidity well. For a long drink, a highball of bourbon and ginger ale or soda over ice with a lemon wedge gives the easiest result. Use about one part bourbon to three parts mixer in a tall glass, and the vanilla and oak will still come through. At the table, barbecued pork, smoked brisket, grilled sausages and sharp cheddar suit the bourbon's sweetness and char.