Country:
USA
Brand:
Jim Beam Red Stag
Type:
Straight Bourbon Infused with Natural Flavors
Region:
Kentucky
Age:
4 Years
Alcohol:
40%
General
Remarks: The Beam/Noe Family and more specifically Jacob Beam started making
Bourbon in 1795. The Name Jim Beam was given to this Bourbon in Honor of James
B. Beam who rebuilt the Distillery after the end of the Prohibition. Since 2011
the Brand is owned by Beam Inc., Chicago. Several founding-family successors are still active
in the company. The most known products are of course the White and the Black
Label. In 2009, the Distillery, located in Clermont, Frankfort, Kentucky, also
started the production of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Basically Jim Beam
White Label) infused with natural flavors under the name Red Stag. There are
three varieties, Black Cherry, Honey Tea and Cinnamon Spiced. The producers are aiming at younger consumers who might otherwise not get in contact with Bourbon as they are used
to drink cocktails or sweet liquors. Red Stag sells for around US$ 22, - per 750 ml bottle.
The
name Red Stag refers to the majestic elks, led by proud Red Stags that
roamed the Kentucky Mountains in the time J.Beam started producing Bourbon.
Unfortunately they were hunted down to extinction but were re-introduced in 1997.
Now large herds exist again, especially east of Montana.
I- Red Stag – Black
Cherry
Colour:
Deep Gold
Nose:
Very pleasant. The Sweet Corn, Oak, Vanilla and Cinnamon combine well with the
Maraschino type Cherry flavor. Very fruity and not too Sweet. Hints of white
Coconut meat. There is some slightly harsh Alcohol popping up from time to
time. Still, this dram is very well balanced on the Nose.
Taste:
Very, Very Sweet. Spicy Vanilla (Cinnamon and Nutmeg) with warm Cherry topping.
Sweet Grains, Oak and Honey. This tastes much more like Cherry Liquor than as Bourbon.
Not as balanced as the Nose promises. This is too sweet to drink neat in my
opinion.
Finish:
Quite Long. Sugared Cherries and Orange Peel, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.
I
added a few drops of water. Unfortunately, the Nose loses its balanced
intensity. The Palate remains too Sweet and the Finish just waters down. Better
Nose this one neat. Finally I threw in some ice cubes and that does the trick.
It’s still very sweet of course but quite enjoyable although images of Cherry-flavoured
cough syrup did pop up from time to time.
Rating:
81 (Whisk(e)y-Liquor Rating)
Nose: 22 -Taste: 19 – Finish: 19.5 – Overall: 20.5
Drinking
Experience Neat: Too Sweet
Drinking
Experience on the Rocks: Good
Conclusion: Excellent
well-balanced Nose. Too sweet to drink neat or even with a bit of water. More
like a Cherry Liquor infused with Bourbon than the other way around. Better
drink this on the Rocks or in Cocktails.
II- Red Stag – Honey Tea
Colour:
Amber/Gold
Nose:
Sweet Corn, Oak, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Light Honey and a touch of Cherries and
Green Tea. Some Alcohol around. This still smells like a Jim Beam Bourbon with
some flavors added. Not bad but not spectacular. I had expected a stronger
presence of Honey on the Nose.
Taste:
Very Sweet. Syrupy. Sugar leading the way rather than Honey. Spices are there
as well with Cinnamon in the forefront. Tea is more present now. Bit of Honey
and Cherries. It does not taste like Bourbon anymore and it fails to impress me
as a Honey-Tea-Bourbon Liquor. It’s a bit of a mess actually.
Finish:
Sugary Sweet with Cherries and Tea.
I
added a few drops of water but that just waters things down. In fact it
enhances the Artificial character of some of the infused ingredients. The Nose
gets a bit more Sweet Corn and Vanilla. On the Rocks it gets a bit better
though not completely satisfying.
Rating:
74.5 (Whisk(e)y Liquor Rating)
Nose: 20 -Taste: 18 – Finish: 18 – Overall: 18.5
Drinking
Experience Neat: Below Expectations.
Drinking
Experience on the Rocks: Okay
Conclusion:
The Nose is quite Jim Beam Bourbon with only a light presence of Honey. Not as
well balanced as the Black Cherry Nose. The Palate and Finish fail to impress
me. Again, I can’t find a good Balance. It might have its use as a basis for
Cocktails but I’m not at all an expert in that field. So, to round it up, it’s
drinkable but I don’t see me buying a full bottle of this.
III- Red Stag – Spiced with Cinnamon
Colour: Golden
Nose:
There are more wafts of Alcohol to deal with than in the other
two Stags. This needs opening up. Quite strong Spices, slightly artificial
Cinnamon, Oak and a bit of Mint as in a Mojito Cocktail. I get some Apple
(Pie) as well and Cherry. The Nose is less Sweet than I would have expected. It
stills smells like a Whisky but more like a young Grain Whisky than a Sweet
Corn Bourbon.
Taste:
Very Sweet and Syrupy. Spice, Cinnamon and Cherry. Jim Beam White Label is
still there in the background. This dram can be savoured neat. On the Palate
this is less complex than the Black Cherries but much better balanced than the
Honey Tea.
Finish:
Warm Cinnamon and Cherry.
I
added a few drops of water. On the Nose, the Cinnamon and Cherry flavors are
more dominant versus the Oak and Mint. On the Palate, the water tames the Hot
Spices a bit but it kills the Finish. Still, it pays of to experiment a bit.
Rating:
79.5 (Whisk(e)y Liquor
Rating)
Nose: 20 - Taste: 20 – Finish: 19 – Overall: 20.5
Drinking
Experience Neat: Good
Drinking
Experience on the Rocks: Quite Nice
Conclusion:
Instinctively I would have thought that the Cinnamon Spiced Stag would be the
best of the three as Cinnamon is a common flavor to be found in whiskies and
Bourbons. It certainly is the best balanced of the three and the best hybrid
between a Bourbon and a Liquor. It’s also the only one of the three that can be
savoured neat. But although it easily beats the Honey Tea and it’s probably the
only one of the three I would drink on the Rocks from time to time, I found it
less complex than the Black Cherries Stag, especially on the Nose.
Final Conclusion: In
the end the Black Cherry scored slightly higher than the Cinnamon Spiced
because of its more complex features. The Cinnamon however will be the Crowd
Pleaser in my opinion as it is very easy to sip, especially on the Rocks. It’s
easy to get drunk on this stuff as you hardly sense the Alcohol. Beware of
that! The Honey Tea scored clearly lower as it lacks balance and purpose. All
three are better savoured on the Rocks or in your favourite Cocktails. I can also
imagine sprinkling some Cinnamon or Cherries Red Stag over some Vanilla ice
cream!
Jim
Beam Red Stag is hardly comparable to Whiskey or Bourbon. Most of the time it
smells and tastes as a Liquor infused with Bourbon rather than a Bourbon
infused with flavors. But I think that’s exactly the point behind this product.
Whiskey and Bourbon drinkers are not targeted here. It’s those large herds of
guys and, especially, girls that can’t stand whiskey or Bourbon but love sweet
stuff and Alcohol and will be slowly but surely drawn into the world of Whiskey
and (Jim Beam) Bourbon. Just follow the Red Stag!
Jan van den Ende August 24, 2012
