Jim Beam Repeal Batch

BACKGROUND: Jim Beam Repeal Batch is a limited edition expression that is meant to take you back to the same era, and it officially celebrates the 85th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition on December 5, 1933 It is interesting to note that even though the Beam family had been deeply entrenched in bourbon distilling since the 18th Century, 1933 was also the year that the company we know today was officially branded as “Jim Beam.” Prior to being named for proprietor James Beauregard Beam, the company had been known as “Old Tub” since around 1864. According to the the official announcement about the limited edition Repeal Batch offering, seventh-generation Master Distiller Fred Noe said, “For the 85th anniversary of Repeal Day, we wanted to release a bourbon inspired by our heritage and dedicated to the hard work my great-grandfather (Jim Beam) put into rebuilding our family business after Prohibition,. Jim Beam Repeal Batch pays tribute to all the generations of Beams that came before me.” Unlike most bourbons, Repeal Batch is non-chill filtered - which allows some of the fats and acids that affect flavor to remain intact - and it is supposed to have a fuller mouthfeel and bolder char and oak palate than regular Jim Beam. NOSE: The nose offers the unmistakable scent of buttered popcorn along with oak and the nutty funkiness (funk being good, not bad, in this case) that seems to be a trademark of most Beam products. PALATE: The Repeal Batch palate is super nutty but also contains sweet cornbread goodness along with oak and a bit of cherry cough syrup flavor that is present in some bourbons. FINISH: The long finish consists almost entirely of oak and a definite mint flavor that develops on the back of the tongue. It drinks a bit hot for an 86 proof and even offers a slight Kentucky hug in the chest. FINAL ASSESSMENT: I am a fan of Jim Beam’s more limited offerings, such as Double Oak, Distiller’s Cut, and Bonded, and their higher end expressions, which include Knob Creek and Booker’s. Repeal Batch falls nicely into that niche of Beam products that meet my liking and flavor profile. At just 17.99 a bottle, Jim Beam Repeal Batch is a worthy daily sipper that can stand alone in a Glencairn while also being inexpensive enough to mix, if necessary. I give Jim Beam Repeal batch three-and-a-half stars out of five.

Picked up a variety of Jim Beam products on sale at klwines and the first one up for review is the Jim Beam Repeal Batch. The concept behind the Repeal Batch is to mimic the bourbon that was being produced in the 30s when prohibition was repealed. It is non-chillfiltered and bottled at 43% ABV. Picked this bottle up on sale for $9.99, which is cheap enough that it's hard to say no to any bottle at that price. Fortunately, I think this one was well worth the price, though not particulary exciting. More thoughts and rating below: ⠀ ⠀ 🥃 Jim Beam Repeal Batch - 43% ABV ⠀ Nose: Peanut butter. Charred oak and corny sweetness. A little peppery and warm, but no unpleasant smells. Tiny bit of sweet cinammon. Really a nice nose and already better than standard Jim Beam white label. ⠀ Taste: Boozy corn, barrel char, and heat. Some baking spices. Sweet and a little sour. Plenty of heat for the proof. This is where the inexpensive price tag shows. It feels a bit light and lacking in flavor. ⠀ The mouthfeel seems slightly more oily than other inexpensive Beams, but is still pretty light. I'm guessing it's due to being non-chill filtered, but I honestly didn't realize that other standard Beam products were filtered. ⠀ This a nice bourbon for the price. Simple drinking, not too much thinking. The nose is pretty awesome but the taste isn't worth writing too much about. ⠀ 1st rating: 76/100 Latest rating: 74/100

I remember when a far less well endowed friend of mine and I discovered that Coors Light and Keystone Light were brewed by the same company. The joke became: “Keystone Light. The beer for those for whom Coors Light needs to be turned down a scooch.” I am currently tasting Jim Beam Repeal Batch, with the OG Beam in my other glass for comparison. From the nose, there’s no question to me that this is Jim Beam. I get the yeast, a bit of banana. But in comparison to the OG, nonexistent. Body delivers on the nose. Also oak, bit of leather. When I went back to the OG, it almost knocked my teeth out. Same favor profile, but you really can’t understand how muted this body is until trying it in tandem. Wow. I’m on record saying that Jim Beam’s finish is almost nonexistent. Again, the repeal batch has found a way to turn nonexistence down a scooch. By comparison, OG tastes spicy and has a long finish. On this repeal batch I really couldn’t find the transition. It’s all body, and then gone. I think I prefer this slightly, because I’m not a huge fan of the flavor profile of Jim Beam. Repeal batch is a muted version, start to finish. Nothing new to get excited about, but not terrible.

The nose is smooth and buttery, with notes of vanilla, cream soda, charred oak and a bit of floral rye spice. It's not all that different from a typical Jim beam, which if the only difference is that this is not chill filtered, but a difference is are going to be negligible. Still, it is pleasing to keep taking a sniff of before diving in for your first sip. The palate is smooth and buttery, balanced by an immediate, but mild, burst of black pepper. Chardoak and cinnamon follow, giving the mouth a bit of a tingle as you soon lose sight of the creamier notes. There's really not much to this one and I wouldn't say it's all that different from any regular bottle of Jim beam. The finish is medium and while the mouth stays a bit tingly, everything else is gone quite quickly.

It’s ridiculous that I bought this for $8. I’m offended. I don’t know why or how or at whom but F@# this gay Earth if $8 gets me this. If ever you find yourself engaged in an argument about chill filtering vs non, it turns out $8 will settle the debate for once and for all. Buy this for that reason. Keep it. Cherish it. And enjoy the wink and the nod from Jim Beam and the rest of this industry engaged in the routine punking out of its own fan base. That’s so America. You thought you had us fooled didn’t you? Haha F&@! you Jim Beam for this amazing $8 bottle and I mean that in the best way possible.

The nose is quite weak, if you try you can get some buttered popcorn, vanilla and a hint of cherry. The palate is a bit more promising, the corn and cherry flavors are more prominent and there is also some oak spice that makes an appearance. Vanilla and butterscotch carry on through the surprisingly warm finish that lasts longer than I expected. Overall, certainly better than the white label, but not something to go out of your way to look for.