A limited edition bottling from Jim Beam that harks back to the good old days of quality whiskey and affordability.
The Story
During a year that everyone wants to forget, Jim Beam did something remarkable. They decided to make the Kentucky famous "Old Tub" bottled-in-bond bourbon available across the US for the first time on a limited basis. Normally limited edition bottles from any distiller start tipping the scales at $100+ price point, so the fact that Jim Beam is offering Old Tub at a suggested retail price of under $30 is honestly shocking. Until this year's release, Old Tub was only available in Kentucky and wasn't widely known outside of the Blue Grass state. At least that's what I thought before trying to find a bottle of Old Tub at local liquor stores for this review.
My effort to acquire two bottles of Old Tub spanned two states and at least a dozen liquor stores between Ohio and Michigan. Please know, I wasn't panicked or desperate to find a bottle of find Old Tub. I just constantly showed up a day or two late at local liquor stores around my home office and I planned a bourbon buying trip to Michigan months before writing this review. Luckily, I was able to find two bottles at just over $30 with tax in Michigan.
What I learned from talking to liquor store owners is Old Tub doesn't stay on the shelves long. I was told that Old Tub typically sells out in a day or two once it hits shelves. That's not surprising given the frantic state of bourbon hunting currently going on across the country for allocated and "limited release" bottles of bourbon.
Luckily I was able to find two bottles at just over $30 with tax. What I learned from talking to liquor store owners is Old Tub doesn't stay on the shelves long.
Tasting Notes
Someone at Jim Beam deserves a big fat raise or promotion. The marketing behind Old Tub is spot-on and so is the quality of the bottled-in-bond juice in the bottle. The marketing story behind the Old Tub name is 140 years in the making and predates the Jim Beam brand we all know today. The first pour of Old Tub I experienced felt like stepping inside a time machine. It immediately reminded me of the bottles of whiskey my grandpa kept in his garage for the occasional long talk.
I can't remember the exact brands he kept stashed in that blue collar sanctuary of my youth, but I know they weren't the Jim Beam, Weller, and Johnny Walker bottles at the family bar in the basement. The family bar was for fun drunken family nights with friends and only open to adults, while the whiskey in the garage was for sharing life lessons with anyone above the age of 14... give or take a year or two. What I do remember is the garage bottles formed the basis of my appreciation for whiskey at an early age.
What strikes me about Old Tub Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is how good the mouth feel is from start to finish for a $30 offering. That's something only quality whiskey can do properly. Caramel dominates your palate right out of the gate followed by a sweet rye spice that carries all the way through to the finish. It's well balanced but still has a ruggedness to it that's very enjoyable.
What's also impressive about Old Tub is how versatile it is in a glass. Old Tub is great neat, it opens up nicely with a little water, and its exceptional with a couple of ice cubes in a two ounce pour. Old tub is exactly the type of garage whiskey I can remember my grandpa sharing with me... there was never a wrong way to experience it with someone.
What strikes me about Old Tub Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is how good the mouth feel is from start to finish... That's something only quality whiskey can do properly.
Final Thoughts
There's a lot to unpack here. First we have a limited release bottle-in-bond bourbon from a major distiller that's actually affordable and available nationwide. Then there's the marketing story behind Old Tub, which is a throw back to simpler times in the bourbon industry, which isn't anything new in the bourbon folklore game.
But as far as I'm concerned Old Tub Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a perfect example of what a limited release should be. Outstanding quality bourbon at an affordable price point. This is a bourbon that you'll set aside for moments that matter and share it willingly because of its affordability.
At under $30 a bottle of Old Tub I'd happily walk across most of Kentucky if I knew I could find one. For now I'm going to say a little prayer to the porcelain bourbon gods that I stumble across just on more bottle during my next bourbon journey.
Final Score: 250 out of 379 Kentucky Miles (Great bourbon)
Old Tub Photo Gallery
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