Welcome to the second matchup of Round One for the 2025 BourbonGuy.com Brackets. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. Tonight, Division 1’s Number 3 seed, Jim Beam Black, takes on Number 2 seed, Rebel 100.
Jim Beam Black is the extra-aged and higher-proof version of their flagship White Label bourbon. It is a product of the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, KY. Beam Black recently regained an age statement of seven years. It was purchased at Total Wine in Burnsville, MN, for $20.99 per bottle or $1.40 per pour.
Their opponent is the first wheated bourbon in the competition. Rebel 100 is produced by Lux Row Distillery in Bardstown, KY. This bottle was purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel in Prior Lake, MN, for $17.09 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.14 per pour, making it the least expensive of the contestants in this year’s competition.
All of the competitions this year were tasted blind, and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all recorded before we knew which bourbon was which. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were tasted side by side and will have influenced the perception of one another.
Wobbly Cactus (Jim Beam Black)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.40
Details: 45% ABV
Nose: Cedar, circus peanuts, and oak.
Mouth: Juicy Fruit gum, baking spice, cedar, and oak.
Finish: On the shorter side of medium and follows the mouth with notes of fruit and baking spice.
Grumpy Cloud (Rebel 100)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.14
Details: 50% ABV
Nose: Milk chocolate and cinnamon candies.
Mouth: Milk chocolate, cinnamon, and black tea.
Finish: Shorter side of medium, with notes of milk chocolate, oak, and cinnamon.
Thoughts:
Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Both noses are great. The mouths are good alone, but do not play nice with each other (not that they should, but still). I like both of these, but in a squeaker, Wobbly Cactus advances.
Post-Reveal Thoughts: I’m both surprised by this result and not surprised at all. I buy Rebel 100 a lot more often than I do Beam Black, so I thought I liked that one more. But I’m not surprised that the one with the age statement won. Age statements describe the youngest bourbon in the bottle, so the youngest bourbon in Jim Beam Black is possibly older than the oldest in Rebel 100. But proof has been proven in previous years to beat age (within reason) most of the time.
And then there’s the wheated versus rye bourbon aspect of the contest. But I usually prefer rye bourbons over wheated bourbons, so that part isn’t surprising.
Winner: Jim Beam Black is advancing to round 2.
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