Jim Beam Repeal Batch Bourbon
Age: No Age Statement
43% ABV (86 Proof)
Non-Chill Filtered
New out of Beam distilling is their Tribute to the 85th Anniversary of the Repeal of prohibition. Beam puts the claim on the bottle that once prohibition ended, James B. Beam and his family rebuilt the distillery in just 120 days. Going for a bourbon reminiscent of the days right after prohibition ended, the Repeal Batch Limited Edition was born. The biggest feature of this bourbon is an 86 proof non-chill filtered whiskey, which is not typical. Chill filtering involves lowering the temperature of the whiskey to make the fats and proteins freeze/solidify and easy to filter out. While these can add texture and flavor to the whiskey, they can create a cloudy liquid on the shelf, which can turn some consumers away. Typically, non-chill filtered whiskeys are a higher proof to offset this effect. Our bottle, chilled or room temperature was clear as can be, so this didn’t seem to affect at least bottle in appearance.
Color: Light straw and mostly clear. The effects of not being chill filtered did not appear to show in the glass or bottle.
Nose: Sweet caramel and vanilla notes, with a crisp apple note that really comes through. Some char and oak as well, all coming together to make a much more interesting nose than standard Beam.
Palate: Some of that apple comes through on the palate from the nose, but lots of vanilla, oak, and caramel come through. The palate is very thick feeling, and moves into some cinnamon and spice on the back end.
Finish: A mid-length finish that leaves you wanting more out of the sip, very sweet though as it leaves.
With Water:
Nose: Some of the apple is overtaken by honey notes that come out, and the char really begins to grow once a couple drops of water are added.
Palate: Sweet right up front, then spices in the middle. The mouthfeel really lessens, as it is not quite as thick once the water is added.
Finish: A bit shorter even, but the char and vanilla, and even a bit of that fruit/apple sweetness, come out some more.
Ratings:
Angie: 78
Zach: 79
Overall: 78.5/100
Some final thoughts on this bottle, it is a surprisingly good bottle at right around $18. (If we took cost into ratings, it probably would have jumped a few spots.) Easy drinking, and just overall a really solid bourbon.
