I’m posting this week’s a day early due to something special I have planned for tomorrow. I hope that you enjoy this Jim Beam circa 1991 about getting back to the basics. I think there’s an important message in the ad that the bourbon industry needs to keep in mind while they’re riding the current wave of bourbon popularity.
Yesterday I read on Chuck Cowdery’s blog about the controversy brewing over the similarities between Jim Beam’s 1795 limited edition bottle and the familiar 1792 Ridgemont Reserve bottle. Chuck provides all the important details and addresses whether or not this is a case of out-right copyright infringement. I’ll let his article take the lead on that issue.
What I wanted to point out and get folks thoughts on is that no one appears to be complaining about the fact that Jim Beam elected to only offer this bottle overseas (I know several brands due this already) and that their charging a staggering $178 for an eight-year old bourbon. I like a cool looking bottle as much as the next person but there’s no way it’s worth the premium they’ve put on this bottle.
Sure. I understand that the law of supply and demand drives a brand’s ability to price something. And I realize that it gets compounded in foreign markets where supply is extremely limited but come on folks, this is crazy.
I’ve touched on it before when I polled people about barrel-strength bourbon and I’ll say it again. I hope that bourbon distillers don’t lose sight of those who have been faithful drinkers over the years before bourbon became trendy. Give us something that reminds us that we still matter and that chasing trends won’t be taking up all of your product development efforts. You’ll not only be rewarded now but in the future when bourbon is no longer the apple of the drinking public’s eye.
I’m pulling out all the stops in celebration of Memorial Day Weekend. Here’s a fantastic example of co-op advertising. Two iconic brands – Jim Beam & Ripley’s – coming together to promote each other in this 1975 Jim Beam advertisement. God Bless America!
Have a safe & enjoyable holiday weekend. Please remember what we’re celebrating this weekend & take a moment to thank those in your life who are serving our country or have done so in the past.
Cheers to everyone!
“As bourbon ages, a portion of the liquid is lost from the barrel due to evaporation—that’s the “Angel’s Share.” After aging, when the bourbon is dumped out of the barrel, a certain amount of whiskey is left trapped within the wood of every barrel. We call that the “devil’s cut.”
So goes the explanation of the Devil’s Cut name per the brand’s Jim Beam website. Whether or not you chalk the name up to clever marketing or bourbon inspired genius (I believe the latter, btw) Devil’s Cut is a bourbon that you shouldn’t overlook when looking for something new to try.
This is a bourbon that’s big on oak – as you would expect knowing that much of it has been extracted from the barrel itself – and might just be the bourbon that introduces fans of big red oaky wines to bourbon. And for those that like their bourbon spicey I think the hot cinnamon and pepper present in Devil’s Cut will fit the bill nicely.
I realize that with the recent spike in new bourbon’s on the market, many with upscale marketing and boutique images, that a lot of bourbon lover’s tend to stay away from the more commercial side of Jim Beam’s bourbon line. I’d like to challenge each of you to give this one a try. I think it might be a pleasant surprise.
And of course, you’d be missing out on the total experience if you weren’t listening to Sympathy for the Devil while enjoying it with your friends.
Whether you like or hate my review let me know in the comments.
| Bourbon Name: | Jim Beam Devil’s Cut |
| Year: | 2011 |
| How I Drank It: | Neat, in my special bourbon glass (please don’t be jealous) |
| My Nose Noticed:* | Hot Cinammon | Orange | Cherry |
| First Sip: | Oak | Pepper | Sweetness |
| The Burn**: | No burn on the way down but a minor burn after swallowing. Finish was so brief I barely noticed. |
| Neat, Splash or Rocks: | This can definitely be drunk neat if you’re a fan of pepper and oak flavors in your bourbon. I’m more likely to drink this on the rocks as the oak and pepper flavors stand up well to the ice. I think a splash of water is nothing more than a way to make this bourbon angry. |
| Share With: | Open minded wine drinkers who like big oaky red wines. Also a good choice for sharing with your close friends when the banter requires more than a single glass for sipping. |
| Worth The Price: | This is a solid bourbon for around $25. There’s no shortage of bold bourbon flavor. But of course I would expect nothing less from Jim Beam. |
| Bottle, Bar or Bust: | This is on standard rotation in my weekly home collection. Grab a bottle. At the price you can’t go wrong. |
*I like to let my bourbon sit in the glass for at least 5 minutes before I start to smell it or have a drink. I personally find that it’s better to let some of the alcohol waft off before diving in. If I’m drinking bourbon on the rocks I skip the waiting and dive in both feet first.
**Some of you refer to this as the “finish” but let’s be honest. Don’t we all just want to know if it burns good?
Speaking of bold, I thought this would be a good place to share one of my favorite Jim Beam TV commercials. This is a recent one from their “Bold Choices” campaign and features Willem Dafoe. Dafoe’s a long-time favorite of mine and a great casting choice to put a face to Jim Beam.
I apologize in advance for my recent infatuation with Visual.ly’s new infographic tool. With that out of the way I’d like to introduce you to a new infographic that compares @MakersMark’s Twitter activity with that of @JimBeamOfficial. Let the tweeting begin!
infographic created with visual.ly
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