I think it would be appropriate, for my first review, to write about a whisky, or in this case a bourbon. I have a great love for whisky, whiskey and bourbon, so tasting new products is always a treat.
Jim Beam's latest offering is called Devil's Cut......a bourbon made, using a method to extract the spirit left in the wood of the barrels that the bourbon is aged in.
When bourbon ages, there is some evaporation, know as the Angel's Share. As the aging process progresses, the spirit soaks into the wood of the casks....and re-enters the spirit again...this happens countless times until the bourbon is ready. Obviously, once the casks are emptied, a fair amount remains trapped in the wood....Jim Beam have cleverly named this the Devil's Cut. They have extracted this spirit from the wood and blended it with their 6 year old bourbon...at 90 Proof..or 45% alcohol, it is a strong product.
The result is a wonderful, robust, dark bourbon. Usually I drink my spirits on the rocks, but when tasting new offerings, I prefer to not dilute them, allowing myself to taste the real undiluted flavour. .
It has a sweet, smoky smell, with a hint of almond.
First tasting Devil's Cut, I was surprised by the smoothness. It is high in alcohol, yet easy to drink neat. The first sip burst into my mouth with a volcano of tastes. The first thing I could taste was a lovely woody oak flavour.....pleasantly smokey. Strong tones of honey and vanilla were also present, with a hint of burnt fudge.
The finish is pleasantly woody, spicy and almost brown sugary...
Despite the higher than average alcohol level, an alcohol taste does not overwhelm as some whiskeys do. I like my whiskys and bourbons a bit sweeter these days, so this was a wonderful taste experience.
I was looking forward to tasting this bourbon for a while...and was surprised as it surpassed my expectations. It is a bit on the pricey side in South Africa, at around R240+ a bottle, but well worth it. Cost wise though, it is comparable to many other decent bourbons and whiskeys of good quality and taste, all of which are not too cheap. Having said that, I would buy Devil's Cut before many of the others.
I recommend enjoying it straight or with maximum two blocks of ice. I did find that adding ice, although diluted the tastes a wee bit, did not do so too much. Adding ice may make it easier to drink for some. I will not comment about adding a mixture as for me, that would be a sin.
If anybody has tasted Devil's Cut, I would love to hear from you.
