Jim Beam Jacob's Ghost White Whiskey Review:

I won’t go on another rant about the litigious category of white whiskey for I’ve already done that. But with Jim Beam’s, still fairly new, release of Jacob’s Ghost, I believe we are finally starting to see some sort of defining categorization, or at least a product which will drive the category in a foreseeable direction. Aptly called a white whiskey, Jacob’s Ghost is a whiskey in the real sense. Using the very same mash bill as Jim Beam’s White Label, Jacob’s Ghost has at least one year of aging with an added filtration process to remove any of the color gained from the barrel. The very target groups of this label, I believe, are mixologist. With the initial youngness transformed by a little age, Jacob’s Ghost proves to be a capable mixer, enough to take the place of a simple vodka cocktail.

Jim Beam Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey:

Price: Around $21.99 for a 750ml bottle. A don’t understand why they are charging more than the white label which takes years more to mature, but that’s a whole other issue. At least they didn’t do what Jack Daniels did by charging a fortune for their white dog.

Packaging/Labeling: Just ok. The “ghost of Jacob” sticker on the front is very cheap and tacky.  

Alcoholic Content: 40% abv, 80 proof. I would have expected more at the price point.

Nose: The nose impressed me much more than I anticipated. An inviting, light, clean and sweet first impression. This is no white dog. It has a vanilla and grainy sweetness. An oaky-ness does come through as well as some pure malt – not unlike some white malt whiskies I have nosed, yet more refined.

Palate:  A viscous palate with lightly oaked vanilla, cereals and a spicy, very dry finish. It literally sweeps up all the moister in your mouth, leaving you a bit thirsty. It’s calling for a mixer, and with the lack of barrel sweetness I think I could really get into it by mixing it with ginger ale.

Conclusion: Pleasantly surprised by this. It’s a very solid entry into the category. I can’t find many negative points, beside the dryness. Hence, it doesn't do very well as a simple nightcap, unless you have some ice in it. Geoff Kleinman of drinkspirits.com made a very good point by stating that “in some ways Jacob’s Ghost is the flip side of the coin from Jim Beam’s Devil’s Cut. Rather than pumping up the oak, Jacob’s Ghost reduces the impact of the barrel on the whiskey and creates a spirit that is light, dry, and easy to drink, especially with soda.” Hopefully this all means that Jim Beam will be breaking into more experimentation, like Buffalo Trace has been doing for quite some time. Is it something I would tell you to go out and purchase right now? No. But if you need something for a party and want to change things up, you should try Jacob’s Ghost.