Jim Beam initial taste is that it is watered down and thin. However, once you’re past that, you’ll notice a taste of vanilla, corn, and a note of sourness. The sour taste is due to the fact that Jim Beam is distilled by using corn mash, which has been fermented in oak barrels. Kentucky- Premium bourbon with a more flavorful character made to be sipped and savored. Our premium 86-proof, extra-aged bourbon ages years longer in white oak barrels than original Jim Beam. It's those extra years of aging that give Jim Beam Black its smooth, full-bodied flavor.