The first thing one notices about Jim Beam’s new whiskey,
Jacob’s Ghost, is its clarity. Unlike other whiskies, this one is clear, like
vodka. It’s a hard idea to get into one’s head, but it’s certainly unusual.
Next, it has a remarkable looking label. “Ghost” is the biggest word on the
label, and just under it is a giant depiction of Jacob Beam, the first face
you’ll see on the side of a regular bottle of Beam. Look very closely, and
you’ll notice his eyes move. No, you don’t need to be drunk to see it.
As with their other specialties, this one has a story on the
label as well. It reads, “Jacob’s Ghost celebrates the ‘spirit’ of Jim Beam’s
founding distiller, Jacob Beam—by refining the clear whiskey he first distilled
in 1795. Jacob’s Ghost is clear, but it isn’t Moonshine or un-aged White Dog.
It’s a special whiskey, aged at least one year in white oak barrels and crafted
by our master distillers with over 200 years of Beam tradition to be uniquely versatile
and flavorful.” Very cool.
However, upon opening the bottle, suspicion immediately sets
in. It smells exactly like the phony moonshine that is so popular right now.
Tasting it does not dispel this suspicion. It’s just a little bit smoother,
despite a more pronounced after-burn. This is probably because the Ghost is
aged an entire year instead of just a month.
At least Beam didn’t decide to jump on the awful phony
moonshine bandwagon. They won’t sully their reputation by doing that. They just
call it white whiskey, and they should be applauded for their lack of
pretension. It’s a shame that it’s just not that great a whiskey. If you’re
looking for something better than the regular Beam, go with the Devil’s Cut or the
black label.
No comments:
Post a Comment