Month: July 2025

If you drink bourbon then you’ve certainly tasted Jim Beam Original Bourbon. This ubiquitous whiskey, which is also affectionately known as White Label, can be found in countless bars and liquor stores across the country. Yes, I’m aware there are much more complex and expensive bourbons produced by the James B. Beam Distilling Co., including Knob Creek and Booker’s Bourbon. But there is a reason why Original is the best-selling bourbon in the world: It’s affordably priced, approachable, and tastes good.

According to eighth-generation co-master distiller Freddie Noe, it’s a foundational bourbon for the distillery. “We’ve slightly tweaked the family recipe over the years to improve the taste profile, but have kept the same distillation process for decades,” he told Men’s Journal. “It offers a reliable flavor profile that is especially versatile, perfect for drinking neat or mixing into cocktails.” Noe should know, he is grandson of American whiskey legend Booker Noe, who is one of the people you can thank for kicking off the current bourbon boom. Even if you’ve moved on to bigger, bolder, and older bourbons, Original is a classic whiskey that is worth revisiting.

Want the latest whiskey news, deals, and reviews? Sign up for the Whiskey Wednesday newsletter.

Jim Beam at a Glance

Bottom Line: Jim Beam White Label is an affordable and uncomplicated whiskey that remains a classic example of the bourbon category.

• Type: Bourbon
• Casks: New charred oak
• Still: Column stills
• ABV: 40 percent (80 proof)
• Age: NAS
• Appearance: Light brown
• Nose: Vanilla, caramel, grain
• Mouthfeel: Thin
• Taste: Brown sugar, grain, oak, butterscotch
• Finish: Mild

Related: I’ve Tried Hundreds of Whiskeys. This Is the Best Bourbon You’ve Never Heard Of

Review

“Jim Beam Original is the flagship product of our portfolio,” said Noe. “It’s the origin of the James B. Distilling Co. and the foundation of the Jim Beam brand.”

It’s worth considering White Label in the context of what it’s actually meant to be—an easy drinking bourbon that is perfect for mixed drinks. 

The nose starts off with the signature Beam graininess along with a touch of oak and vanilla. Once you take a sip, you’ll also get notes of brown sugar, maple, caramel, and just a touch of spice. Given that the whiskey is 80 proof (40 percent ABV), there’s not much in the way of heat here, but this is a bourbon that is designed to be soft and smooth.

How to Drink Jim Beam Original

As always, you should drink whiskey any way that you enjoy, no matter the style, proof, age or what someone else tells you.

I always recommend starting off with a neat pour first. That way you can get to know a whiskey. At 80 proof, Jim Beam Original is accessible and approachable, while still having enough complexity to work well in a range of cocktails.

“We stand behind the quality of our whiskey, so it’s meant to be enjoyed however you prefer,” said Noe. “If you’re asking me personally, I prefer a non-traditional bourbon cocktail with Jim Beam Original—like in a paloma, mule, or piña colada. But if you want to get old school, my granddad would say, ‘If you take the world’s best bourbon and mix it with Coke, well, now you just made the best bourbon and Coke!’”

Related: Everything You Need to Know About the Best-Selling Whiskey in the World

History of Jim Beam Original

The history of Jim Beam can be traced back to the mid-1700s, when the Boehm family immigrated from Germany to America. Almost half a century later, they relocated to Kentucky and changed their last name to Beam. 

Jacob Beam sold his first barrel of Old Jake Beam Sour Mash in 1795, and about 25 years later passed the torch to his son David who renamed the bourbon Old Tub. 

Near the turn of the century, James Beauregard Beam (Jim Beam) took over, but the operation was soon shut down by Prohibition, which was enacted in 1920. After repeal, the distillery moved to Clermont, Kentucky, where it still stands today. The family’s signature bourbon was also renamed Colonel James B. Beam. In 1935, Colonel Beam’s son T. Jeremiah Beam changed the name of the bourbon once again to Jim Beam. The distillery continues to make that whiskey today.

The Beams had an incredible impact on the history of the American whiskey. Family members not only worked at their own distillery, but across the industry and helped create many different bourbons brands. 

How Jim Beam Original Is Made

Jim Beam Original is produced at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. The mash bill is at least 51 percent corn, as required by Federal regulations. (Beam’s recipe calls for 75 percent corn.) The grains are milled and cooked to become a sour mash. Then a proprietary yeast strain is added, and the mash is fermented until it becomes a low-ABV beer.

This unhopped beer is distilled twice, and the new-make spirit is then aged in new charred oak barrels (also required by Federal regulations for making bourbon) for a minimum of four years. 

Beam ages its more expensive whiskeys for a longer time. For example, Knob Creek, which is made using the same mash bill as Original, is aged for nine years. Booker’s, which is made using the same mash bill as Original, is aged for six to eight years and bottled at cask strength.

If You Like Jim Beam Original, You’ll Also Like…

Knob Creek

I consider Knob Creek to be Original’s older sibling and it is part of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection. It’s aged for more than twice as long as Original, a minimum of nine years, and bottled at a higher 100 proof. Knob Creek brings more mouthfeel, complexity, and flavor to the whiskey, although the DNA is the same as White Label. But this extra aging comes at a higher cost. The nine-year-old Knob Creek usually sells for about twice the price of Jim Beam Original.

Wild Turkey 101

Another iconic Kentucky distillery is Wild Turkey. The brand’s signature bourbon is bottled at 101 proof, which is significantly higher than Jim Beam Original. Wild Turkey 101 is also aged for a few years longer than Beam’s Original. Expect a hotter and spicier bourbon than White Label.

Evan Williams

Another budget bourbon that delivers in terms of flavor and versatility is Evan Williams. It’s bottled at a slightly higher 86 proof than Original. While there are similarities between these two bourbons, Evan Williams boasts some different flavor notes.

Related: Older Bourbon Isn’t Always Better. This Affordable Bottle Proves It

Why You Should Trust Me

I’ve written about spirits for numerous publications for a decade. Throughout that time, I’ve sampled thousands of spirits; visited distilleries across the world; and honed my palate and nose. I am also a judge for two spirits competitions, the John Barleycorn Awards and the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, for which I blind taste hundreds of spirits.

For this review, I sampled Jim Beam Original neat, over ice, and in cocktails.

The jury in the trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has reached a verdict on four of five charges.

In the fifth charge, the jury has indicated that it can not reach a verdict. However, the judge asked the jurors to continue deliberating, so it’s not clear what they’ve decided.

As Combs awaits word of what the jury decided, he had an emotional five-word message to his mom in court.

According to CNN, Combs turned to his mother, who was in the courtroom on July 1, and said, “I’ll be alright. Love you” while tapping his chest.

He also whispered to his six adult children in the courtroom, CNN reported, although it was not clear what he said.

Combs grew up in New York City. He was raised by his mom, Janice Combs, after his dad, Melvin Earl Combs, was killed when he was 3 years old, People reported, describing Combs’ mother as a model and teaching assistant during his youth.

She has opened up in the past about her heartbreak over the accusations against Combs. 

“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” she wrote in a statement last October, according to People. “To bear witness what seems like a public lynching of my son before he’s had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words.”

According to ABC News, Combs was “accused of sex trafficking by force, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy” in the federal indictment.

The jurors said they had reached a verdict on counts 2 through 5, which are”Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion (for one victim); Transportation to Engage in Prostitution (for one victim); Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion (for a second victim); and Transportation to Engage in Prostitution (for a second victim),” ABC News reported. It’s not clear what the verdict is, because the judge wants them to keep deliberating due to their inability to reach a verdict on a single count: racketeering conspiracy.

“I received your note that you have reached verdicts on count 2-5 but not on count 1. I ask at this time that you keep deliberating,” Judge Arun Subramanian told jurors.

The jury will return on the morning of July 2 to continue deliberations, according to ABC News, which quoted Subramanian as saying, “Make sure to keep an open mind as you continue your deliberations. I wish you all a great evening.”

Among other things, the judge told jurors, according to CNN, “Again, your verdict must be unanimous, but you are not bound to surrender your honest convictions concerning the effect or weight of the evidence for the mere purpose of returning a verdict or solely because of the opinion of other jurors.”

Related: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Jury Sends Surprise Note About Problem With ‘Juror #25’

It’s been widely known for a while now that a reboot of the 1987 sci-action movie The Running Man, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, has been in the works.

On Tuesday, July 1, the official X account for the new adaptation of the film finally dropped a thrilling trailer that, without a sliver of doubt, begins with an astronomical amount of intensity, thanks to star Glen Powell.

To little surprise, the nearly three-minute long clip has since gone viral, with possibly the only drawback for moviegoers being that they will have to wait until November to see the film.

But if the trailer somehow wasn’t quite enough to pique some interest, Powell’s description of his experience in making The Running Man might seal the deal in selling it.

“We do it all in this movie.”

Glen Powell talks the action and stunts fans can expect to see in Edgar Wright’s #TheRunningMan. pic.twitter.com/b3XIWba9js

— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) July 1, 2025

In short, Powell declared, “We do it all in this movie.”

But the 36-year-old actor had much more to say about what sounded like a wild, stunt-infused filming experience.

“We got beat up on this movie, that’s for sure,” Powell said with a grin. “I knew going into this one, the stakes of this movie could not be higher. The character I play, Ben Richards, is taking real world hits. Gravity is a thing, the punches are real, the bullets are real. I knew that my body was gonna get punished … we definitely took some licks.”

In response to what Powell ended up putting his body through in making The Running Man, the continually rising star said the following:

“Again, we’re falling off of buildings and we’re jumping through explosions and jumping off of things — off of very fast moving objects. We do it all in this movie. I honestly was thinking about this, I don’t know if we missed one [stunt]. I think we kind of covered the gamut of crazy stunts.”

Given that this a reboot of what’s become a Schwarzenegger cult classic, covering “the gamut of crazy stunts” was probably a requirement in stepping into the shoes of a legendary Hollywood action hero.

Powell kind of makes that daunting aspect relatively clear after stating that the stakes of the movie could not have been higher at the very beginning of the clip.

As the post on X clearly states: “Millions Hunt. One Runs. Everyone Watches.”

Based on some of the reactions to the trailer, there’s a good chance everyone will watch.

Millions Hunt. One Runs. Everyone Watches. Watch the Official Trailer for The Running Man – Only in theatres November 7 pic.twitter.com/j8BNXHzZI8

— The Running Man Movie (@RunningManMovie) July 1, 2025

The Running Man is scheduled to hit theaters on Nov. 7, 2025.

It had previously been scheduled to release on Nov. 21, so that two week jump can be chalked up as a small victory for those eager to see the film.

Related: Production of Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson ‘Brothers’ Series Put on Pause