Jim Beam Bourbon is one of the best-selling whiskeys on the planet. The White Label bourbon version of Jim Beam is so ubiquitous that you can find it on bar shelves from Brisbane to Beijing to Barcelona to Boston to Buenos Aires. After a certain Tennessee whiskey, the Kentucky bourbon is America’s signature on the whiskey-drinking world across every continent.
But there isn’t just one Jim Beam bottle. The brand has 16 distinct expressions that all fall under the “Jim Beam” brand/label. Jim Beam comes in flavored whiskey varieties, several unique bourbons, and even a Kentucky straight rye whiskey. This gives the whiskey drinker a lot of options for enjoying a pour of “classic Jim Beam.”
To be very clear, I am talking solely about whiskey expressions that fall under the “Jim Beam” brand and not all the brands that fall under the James B. Beam Distilling family of brands. That’s around 20 different brands like Booker’s, Basil Hayden, Knob Creek, Old Grand-Dad, and so many more.
To that end, I’m going to rank every single “Jim Beam” branded bottle (with my professional tasting notes) that is currently on liquor store shelves. As of 2023, that’s 16 different expressions under the Jim Beam brand. The best part of this is two-fold. One, you can find these bottles easily. Two, they’re all extremely affordable — with one exception in the number one slot. Still, we’re talking about 15 out of 16 bottles of whiskey that range from $15 to $20.
Let’s jump in!
16. Jim Beam Orange
ABV: 32.5%
Average Price: $15
The Whiskey:
This bottle is Beam’s own orange liqueur infused with their Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. That is then proofed down and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Candied orange and those old-school orange wedges with crystalized sugar candies dominate the nose with a hint of bourbon caramel.
Palate: Super sweet orange candies and orange soda drive the palate with a whisper of cinnamon, caramel, and maybe some vanilla lurking in there somewhere.
Finish: Orange candy sweetness is the only thing you really get on the short and sweet finish.
Bottom Line:
If you want some orange candy whiskey, then go for it. I think if there was more of the vanilla creaminess, you’d get an orange creamsicle vibe that’d work, but it just doesn’t go far enough for that. This just isn’t for me.
15. Jim Beam Peach
ABV: 32.5%
Average Price: $15
The Whiskey:
Here we have Beam’s peach liqueur infused with their standard Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. It’s proofed down and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Big notes of peach iced tea powder drive the nose toward a little of the syrup from a can of peaches with a touch of cinnamon and oak.
Palate: That peach iced tea really dominates the palate with a whisper of “bourbon” vibes.
Finish: The end is more of that canned peach syrup with a hint of vanilla and “spice”.
Bottom Line:
This is very, very sweet. The peach never feels real or fresh. That said, I can see using this in iced tea to make it boozy and peachy, so… it’s not a complete wash.
14. Jim Beam Vanilla
ABV: 32.5%
Average Price: $15
The Whiskey:
This infuses Beam’s vanilla liqueur with their classic Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Once proofed, the flavored whiskey is bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is a massive vanilla bomb to the point that it almost smells more like a bottle of vanilla extract than anything else.
Palate: Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla! The palate is just vanilla sweetness on vanilla sweetness with a hint of “bourbon” in there somewhere.
Finish: Vanilla extract, vanilla oil, and maybe some vanilla cake round out the sweet and very short finish.
Bottom Line:
I would 100% use this for baking. That’s it. And … that’s not a bad thing because you do get a slight bourbon vibe that you don’t get from some vanilla extracts otherwise.
13. Jim Beam Fire
ABV: 32.5%
Average Price: $15
The Whiskey:
Here we go! This is a classic cinnamon liqueur infused with Jim Beam’s classic Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. After proofing, the whiskey is bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red Hots (or Hot Tamales depending on what part of the country you’re in) pop on the nose with a sweet yet very sharp cinnamon spice countered by a hint of bourbon oak and caramel.
Palate: That Red Hot vibe dominates the palate to the point that it feels like you’re drinking a shot of bourbon with the candied floating in the glass.
Finish: The finish is 100% hot yet sweet cinnamon with a touch of bourbon cherry, oak, and caramel.
Bottom Line:
Hot cinnamon and bourbon isn’t a bad thing. And the fact that bourbon does shine through on the mid-palate and finish helps this one rise above the standards. If you’re looking for an alternative to Fireball, this is a good one.
12. Jim Beam Honey
ABV: 35%
Average Price: $15
The Whiskey:
Here we have Beam’s honey liqueur infused with its Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. It’s then batched, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Almost fresh honey comes through on the nose with a hint of bourbon baking spices, a whisper of oak, and a little dose of vanilla.
Palate: That vanilla gets creamy on the palate, creating a creamed honey vibe that eventually sweetens towards a honey candy.
Finish: The honey candy mellows on the end as the bourbon spice and caramel combine with the creamed honey for a sweet yet bourbon-y finish.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t bad! It’s sweet but in a honeyed way that has far more depth than the sweet candy vibes of flavored whiskeys below it on this list. I can see making a nice cocktail with this easily.
11. Jim Beam Red Stag
ABV: 32.5%
Average Price: $15
The Whiskey:
This is Beam’s cherry liqueur blended with iconic Jim Beam Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Once batched, the whiskey is proofed and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark cherry cola with a hint of root beer drives the nose toward a hint of baking spices, caramel, and vanilla with a touch of cherry chewing gum.
Palate: That cherry chewing gum gives way to cherry pie filling with more of that bourbon-y baking spice, a hint of oak, and a touch of buttery pie crust.
Finish: The end combines the spice, stewed cherry, and bourbon oak nicely for a sweet yet spiced finish.
Bottom Line:
This just works. Part of this is that Jim Beam is already very cherry-forward as a bourbon. This simply amps up those notes to MAX volume. All in all, this will make a nice cocktail base if you want to highlight cherry notes.
10. Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $15
The Whiskey:
This bourbon is made with Beam’s classic low-rye mash bill and special yeast that was pulled from the window seal in James B. Beam’s kitchen back in the 1930s. That heritage is the core of every Beam product. This straight bourbon is aged for four years before the barrels are blended/batched and it’s all cut down to 80 proof for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a classic sense of “bourbon” on the nose with notes of mild caramel, buttered popcorn, peanut brittle, vanilla pudding, fountain Cherry Coke, and a dash of apple orchard.
Palate: The palate largely leans into the nose’s vibe with a deep sense of cherry/vanilla pudding next to candy corn and dry straw.
Finish: The end is light and short thanks to that proofing water but does carry notes of cherry tobacco, old tobacco leaves, and a hint of dry oak with a sense of maybe some pecan-chocolate clusters lurking in there somewhere.
Bottom Line:
This is just classic bourbon through and through. Yes, it’s light, but that makes it approachable. This is so easy-going that you can shoot it, mix it, or drink it over rocks and you’ll have a good time either way.
9. Jim Beam Apple
ABV: 32.5%
Average Price: $15
The Whiskey:
Here we have apple liqueur infused with Jim Beam’s Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Once proofed, the whiskey is bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Apple skins and tart apple cores drive the palate toward a sweet apple cider cut with light winter spices and hints of oak spice.
Palate: That real apple vibe continues on the palate as Apple Jolly Rogers sweetens the taste before bourbon baking spices and vanilla create a mild apple fritter vibe.
Finish: The finish feels more like an apple dessert with a hint of butteriness and plenty of spice than an apple candy.
Bottom Line:
This is … actually nice. There are real apple feels in the mix and the bourbon compliments what’s going on. I can see using this for baking too, but I think you could sip this over rocks on a cool fall day and not be mad about it. I also think this would work well in a fun fall cocktail.
8. Jim Beam Repeal Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $20
The Whiskey:
This bourbon was released in 2018 to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. To do so, the team at Beam recreated the first batch of bourbon made by James B. Beam after “our long national nightmare” ended in 1933. The juice is largely the same as the standard Jim Beam White Label with a few tweaks in the distilling, batching, and proofing process. The bourbon was a hit and has become a yearly release from the brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bananas Foster with a lot of vanilla, brown sugar, and butter draws you in next to a vanilla malt with a cherry on top and a touch of caramel drizzle.
Palate: The palate adds a sweet grits vibe with honey and cinnamon sugar next to a woody sense of apple and pear.
Finish: The end is full of woody spices over buttery apple pie filling and Cherry Coke with a hint more of that banana, though now it’s more banana bread with nutmeg, cinnamon, and walnuts.
Bottom Line:
This veers away from the classic Beam cherry toward more banana and apple, and it’s a welcome change of pace. Still, this is clearly a cocktail or highball whiskey that works over rocks in a pinch.
7. Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $20
The Whiskey:
The “angel’s share” is the distillate that evaporates into the air as the spirit ages in the barrel. The “devil’s cut” is what’s left in the barrel at the end. For this expression, that “devil’s cut” is a six-year-old Jim Beam that’s batched and proofed down to a sultry 90-proof before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A hint of that toasted oak comes through on the nose with a sense of creamed honey and Bing cherry next to apple skins and maybe some spicy apple cider with a mild sense of vanilla pound cake with some poppy seeds.
Palate: The palate is lush like a cream soda spiked with cinnamon-cherry syrup and paired with salted apple chips and dry chewing tobacco with a whisper of old oak.
Finish: The end leans into the woody spice and tobacco with layers of vanilla husk, cornmeal, and cherry pits with a warming finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a step up from standard Beam. The profile simply runs deeper and offers more. Use it for cocktails and on the rocks pours.
6. Jim Beam Bourbon Cream Liqueur
ABV: 15%
Average Price: $18
The Whiskey:
This Jim Beam expression is their cream liqueur that’s made with Jim Beam Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey and heavy cream.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich creamy notes appear on the nose with hints of winter spice, apple cinnamon rolls, and a whisper of bourbon oak.
Palate: The palate is rich and creamy with a good sense of winter spices, stewed apple, oak, and a shutter of sour cherry.
Finish: Rich and lush vanilla cream drives the finish toward a soft and creamy end that feels like spiced bourbon cream cut with a hint of winter spice cake.
Bottom Line:
Bourbon Cream is a bit of an acquired taste. Let’s just say, if you’re really into eggnog, this will be your jam and this is a good one to start with. If you want to try it, no need to mix — pour this over some ice and you’ll be all set.
5. Jim Beam Double Oak Twice Barreled Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $19
The Whiskey:
Originally only released on the international market, the expression became so popular that customer demand led to it hitting U.S. shelves a couple of years ago. This is standard Jim Beam that’s aged for around four years that’s then re-barreled into new oak barrels for another shorter rest. Finally, those barrels are batched and proofed for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a hint of dry firewood sitting in black soil on the nose that leads to more classic Beam notes of cherry vanilla cream soda, dry apple, buttery caramel sauce, and a hint of old oak staves.
Palate: There’s a sweet sense of creamed honey on cinnamon toast on the palate that leads to singed marshmallows and spiced-cherry tobacco leaves with a hint of cedar lurking behind it.
Finish: The end has a nice sense of woody vanilla pods and cherry bark next to dark chocolate laced with cinnamon and tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is deep and earthy Jim Beam bourbon that’s still very quaffable. It’s classic through and through with that extra layer of depth that helps it pop on the senses. Pour it over ice for sipping or into your favorite whiskey-forward cocktail.
4. Jim Beam Rye Pre-Prohibition Style
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $20
The Whiskey:
This rye was designed by Master Distiller Fred Noe as a return to the bigger and bolder days of rye before Prohibition defanged a lot of the industry and its recipes. The juice is a throwback recipe to the 1920s version of Beam’s rye, giving the whiskey a fruitier edge in the process. Beyond that, the recipe and details on aging are whispered but not really known.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Tart berries and sourdough apple fritters dusted with cinnamon sugar mingle on the nose with a sense of candied cherry and lemon pepper.
Palate: The palate opens with a lush vanilla base next to butter toffee before a hint of rye bread crust leads to a whisper of black pepper and caraway with a twinge or star anise.
Finish: The end pops with sweet floral honey next to salted black licorice and mint chocolate chip with a hint of dry sage and plum pudding.
Bottom Line:
This is a good Kentucky rye with a nice fruity sweetness to it. It’s great in whiskey-forward cocktails or as an on-the-rates sipper. But to be very clear, if you’re looking for a spice-bomb Indiana rye vibe, this is not it.
3. Jim Beam Black Extra-Aged Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $18
The Whiskey:
This expression replaced the old Jim Beam Black Label 8 Year, which was a huge favorite amongst the old-school Beam heads. The whiskey in this bottle is aged longer than your average four-year-old Beam, but there is no age statement on exactly how long. I’ve heard things, but only rumors. The best way to think of it is that it’s aged for as long as it needs to be before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A clear sense of expensive vanilla beans next to apple cotton candy, honey-buttered cornbread, soft oak staves, and Dr. Brown’s Cherry work through the nose.
Palate: The taste has a hint of sourdough apple-cinnamon old-fashioned doughnuts next to vanilla pound cake with a hint of poppy seed and orange zest, a whisper of clove and anise, and a smidge of pecan pie.
Finish: The end has a dried vanilla tobacco vibe by way of spiced apple cider and old cinnamon sticks next to a hint of raisins and bruised peach skins.
Bottom Line:
This is high-quality sipping Jim Beam, especially over a few rocks. It also works really well as a cocktail base for whiskey-forward cocktails.
2. Jim Beam Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 54%
Average Price: $20
The Whiskey:
Each of these Jim Beam bottlings is pulled from single barrels that hit just the right spot of taste, texture, and drinkability, according to the master distillers at Beam. That means this juice is pulled from less than one percent of all barrels in Beam’s warehouses, making this a very special bottle at a bafflingly affordable price.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with classic notes of vanilla sheet cake, salted caramel, wintry mulled wine spices, and a sense of cherry pie in a lard crust next to a hint of dried corn husk, old broom bristle, and dark chocolate pipe tobacco.
Palate: The palate layers in floral honey and orange zest next to sticky toffee pudding, old leather, and cherry tobacco layered with the dark chocolate with this lingering sense of coconut cream pie lurking somewhere in the background.
Finish: The finish leans into more woody winter spices (especially cinnamon bark and nutmeg) with rich toffee and cherry-chocolate tobacco braided with dry sweetgrass and cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This single-barrel bourbon has no business being this good for under $30 (the price will vary in the $20 range, depending on your state’s taxes). It’s a great sipper neat or on the rocks and makes one hell of a cocktail. If you’re going to get one mainstream Jim Beam bottle, this is the one.
1. Jim Beam Lineage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey A Father And Son Collaboration
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
This whiskey was released for the struggling travel retail market late last year (as well as being available at the distillery). The whiskey in the bespoke bottle is a 15-year-old classic Jim Beam bourbon that was aged on specific ricks in Warehouse K (the most famed warehouse on the Clermont, Kentucky campus). Father and son Fred and Freddie Noe both selected the barrels to make this blend and released it almost completely as-is with just a drop of that soft Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is classic from the jump with a soft caramel candy with vanilla buttercream frosting over spiced choco-cherry cake, a touch of clove-studded burnt orange rind, and soft marzipan with a hint of old oak cellars.
Palate: The palate is lush with a sense of Black Forest cake — stewed cherries, vanilla cream, moist chocolate cake, dry dark chocolate shavings — next to a bunch of woody and barky winter spices with a hint of hazelnut and burnt orange.
Finish: The end leans ever-so-slightly into old cedar bark and rich spiced cherry tobacco layered with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans and a hint of sharp mint and maybe some more of that clove.
Bottom Line:
This is fantastic sipping whiskey and one of the best bourbons of the year. It’s a testament to the beautiful work the Noes are doing with Jim Beam in 2023. So if you’re looking for one special bottle of Jim Beam this year, this is the bottle to snag.
