Jim Beam

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The standard white Jim Beam label

Jim Beam is a brand of bourbon whiskey, distilled in Clermont, Kentucky. This brand of whiskey has been distilled since 1795. The Jim Beam brand is owned by Beam Global Spirits & Wine, which is in turn owned by holding company Fortune Brands.

There have been seven generations of distillers from the Beam family:

Jacob Beam (1770-1834)
David Beam (1802-1854)
David M. Beam (1833-1913)
Col. James B. Beam (1864-1947)
T. Jeremiah Beam (1899-1977)
Booker Noe (1929-2004)
Fred Noe

Several types of Jim Beam, also commonly known as Beam, are available:

Jim Beam White label (Aged 4 years, 80 proof)
Jim Beam Green label (Aged 5 years, 80 proof, "Jim Beam's Choice")
Jim Beam Black label (Aged 8 years, 86 proof)
Jim Beam Yellow label (Rye whiskey, aged 4 years, 80 proof)

Jim Beam also produces the Booker's brand of small-batch bourbon, named for Booker Noe.

In 2006, Jim Beam put its 10 millionth barrel into the rack for aging.

Jim Beam meets the requirements for being bourbon: its mash is over 51% corn, and it is stored in new charred oak barrels for longer than the national requirement of 2 years (the required maturation time to be called "straight bourbon"; "bourbon" has no required maturation time). Jim Beam uses rye and barley to fill out its grains.

Like many bourbons, Jim Beam uses a portion of a prior run to create a better environment for the yeast in the new run. This is known as "sour mash", as this process is much like how sourdough bread is made. The standard white label Jim Beam whiskey pours a light amber color.

A detailed history of Jim Beam can be found in F. Paul Pacult's book American Still Life: The Jim Beam Story and the Making of the World's #1 Bourbon.

The Jim Beam distillery is on the American Whiskey Trail.

A 1964 Jim Beam whiskey bottle was used for Jeannie's bottle in the 1965 television series, I Dream of Jeannie.