Jim Beam is not only one of the largest makers of American Bourbon, it is also one of the oldest. Seven generations of the Beam Family have been involved in its production since 1795 — more than two hundred years — starting with farmer and part-time distiller Johannes “Reginald” Beam.
That first retail Whiskey was branded “Old Jake Beam Sour Mash” and he affectionately called his first make-shift distillery “Old Tub.” The distillery has been rebuilt a few times and is now a model of modern production located in Clermont, Kentucky.
Sazerac owned the company for a while, but the entire liquor industry shook up and realigned. So in 2014 it was acquired by Suntory, who renamed their entire company as the combined Beam-Suntory. Beam makes eighteen variants -- an unusually large number of offerings -- for it’s core Jim Beam line.
In addition, the Jim Beam Distillery produces Red Stag, Jacob’s Ghost, and a selection of higher end “small batch” Bourbons, including Booker’s, Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s, and Knob Creek.
Jim Beam
Flavor Spiraltm
spicy
oak
vanilla
sweet
smoky
cinnamon
honey
butterscotch
brown sugar
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Jim Beam Distillery
Interestingly, every master distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery since its founding, have also been members of the Beam Family.
Jim Beam Distillery
Perhaps because of the family ties, when there was a serious fire at the Heaven Hill Distillery that seriously damaged production capacity, Jim Beam was one of two distilleries that graciously let their “friendly competitor” use some of their excess capacity, until repairs were completed.
Jim Beam Distillery
Jim Beam has recently allowed its signature Whiskey to be used in several food products, including Bar-B-Q sauces, steak sauces, and an increasing number of specialty foods.