What do you get when you marry Jim Beam bourbon with a Scottish single malt? Jim Beam Kentucky Dram Whiskey, a hybrid expression from the travel retail market.
The spirit, which cannot be called bourbon has the regular Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon married with The Ardmore, a lightly peated Highland single malt Scotch whisky which is a major constituent malt in Teacher’s Scotch Whisky.
Made predominantly of bourbon with a small percentage of Scotch whisky added, the expression is bottled at 40% ABV and aged in charred wood from first fill bourbon barrels with smoky and woody notes from The Ardmore which contribute a woody campfire character.
At the time of its release, Jim Beam Kentucky Dram Whiskey was an innovative spirit and a blend that had not been done before. The nose is very akin to a dry bourbon, buttery with soft oak. The palate is mellow and rounded bourbon, buttery with some sweetness, leading to a hint of campfire smoke on the finish. It is not heavily viscous on the palate but still coats the mouth. In other words, a mellow bourbon flavour with sweetness and vanilla at first and once the sweetness subsides, there is a gentle and long smoke finish.
Jim Beam Kentucky Dram Whiskey displays complexity in flavour and is not considered to be an entry level spirit but a hybrid that is easy to sip neat or enjoy over ice with soda, lemonade or ginger ale so as not to mask the flavour. In cocktails, it makes a fine Rob Roy / Manhattan with a classic style of vermouth.
Jim Beam Kentucky Dram Whiskey is an innovative blend of bourbon and whisky that is the product of the Suntory Beam merger. Packaged in an attractive tin, the travel retail whisky is available in a 1 litre bottle.
This article was originally published on July 20, 2015 on our sister website Gourmantic.
