Today we reveal number 4 on the Budget Bourbon list. It’s hard to have any kind of value based list without some sort of Beam product! This was a late entrant to the tasting and not part of the original lineup but man am I glad I added it in. There are multiple Beam offerings that could be included in this category: White label, Black label (extra-aged), Double Oaked, & Devils Cut are all just under the $20 mark for this category at my local store. Here we have the Bottled-In-Bond version though and I definitely enjoyed it! Through doing research on this offering I ran across some notes that it had been discontinued in the 1980’s. However, due to demand by bartenders and customers, the brand decided to begin releasing again. Though Beam has more barrels in stock than anyone in the country and can certainly handle it, the bottled in bond process does put a bit of a strain on a distillery’s resources given that all the whiskey has to be from the same distilling season.  Luckily for us all, Beam keeps releasing this one and it’s very tasty!

Stats: NAS (BiB so min 4 years), 100 proof, 75% corn 13% rye 12% malted barley, $19

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Verdict: This has a classic profile with some creamy sweetness, like butterscotch and caramel, with some vanilla, and hints of spice and of course nuts. There’s a fair amount of charred oak pulled in as well, more than expected for a four year old. An easy drinking 100 proofer with some great sweet notes balanced out with a touch of spices at a cheap price? Sign me up! This is definitely a work horse bourbon that you can use for cocktails, on the rocks, or neat and not feel any shame about either. It’s a definite keeper and solidly in the top 5.