Jim Beam Black Extra Aged vs Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

For Christmas, I received this advent calendar created by Jim Beam and featuring miniatures of their popular flavored releases as well as the traditional Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Black Extra Aged.  The Kentucky Straight is created using a low rye mash bill of 75% corn, 23% rye, and 12% malted barley and is a classic bourbon by definition. This means that it was created using more than 51% corn, aged in new charred American white oak barrels, and meets the appropriate ABV marks.  The Kentucky Straight Bourbon moniker simply means the whiskey was aged more than two years within the Bluegrass state. The Black Extra Aged is the baseline Kentucky Straight aged further  - averaging around six years in barrel and a slightly higher proof 43 versus 40. 

I decided to sip both the Kentucky Straight and the Black Extra Aged side by side, each poured over an ice cube.  They have a similar caramelized corn and vanilla aroma which is actually stronger with the Straight.  This is an approachable bourbon, definitely watery for stronger tastes, but at $15 per 750ml -- enough flavor, finish, and minimum burn for the price.  The Black Extra Aged has, as expected, a deeper profile with more spice notes, is smoother and provides a bigger kick, and has a longer finish.  That being said, I'm not sure it's worth the extra $10, for a mixer, I would go with the Kentucky Straight and for a sipper -- I would look elsewhere. 

Kentucky Bourbon Tales: Distilling the Family Business

Kentucky Education Television (KET) in partnership with the The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries and  Kentucky Distillers' Association (KDA) have released a one hour documentary titled Kentucky Bourbon Tales: Distilling the Family Business.  The documentary is streamed here and is quite informative.  It captures an oral history of several of the leading families in the Kentucky bourbon industry as well as documenting the entire whiskey process. These families include the Beams at  The Jim Beam® Distillery and Heaven Hill Distilleries; the Russells at Wild Turkey; the Samuels at Maker's Mark Distillery; the players behind the Brown-Forman Early Times Distillery; Master Distiller Jim Rutledge at Four Roses Distillery; and Master Distiller William Pratt at Michter’s Distillery, LLC.

You will also need to read this critique by Chuck Cowdery on a few major missing players: Sazerac's Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle, & Elmer T. Lee. Regardless, the documentary is highly recommended for those interested in all things bourbon.

Update: The Buffalo Trace Oral History Project includes several videos of the families not included in the KET video also hosted through the The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries.