If you’re into whiskey, you probably already know that the bit of liquid that evaporates from the barrel while it was aged is known as the “angel’s share”. Cute, huh? Well here, Jim Beam goes a step further and makes this bourbon by extracting the liquid that was trapped in the wood after it was dumped out of the barrel using a fancy top-secret process they developed. This is the stuff that makes the barrels so desirable for use in aging Scotch, tequila, rum and other spirits. They hang on to this extract until it’s yummy then blend it with their six year old bourbon and BOOM – you get the “Devils Cut”.
In your glass it’s a beautiful deep dark amber. The nose is spicy and a bit more aggressive than your dad’s Jim Beam. Think freshly-cut oak board with vanilla and cinnamon. A sip hits you immediately over the head with an oak two-by-four, yet has a gentle medium body – giving it a pretty nice mouthfeel. It soon mellows and finishes with a spicy oak and warm caramel that goes on forever.
Drink it neat, on the rocks or as a mixer. This 90-proof baby picks up a lot from its barrel, so don’t expect the tannins, oak, vanilla and deep color to go anywhere when you throw some Coke in it.
