Thursday, September 6, 2012

Review: Red Stag Black Cherry by Jim Beam



















Tonight my plan was to watch a long forgotten Italian spaghetti westernDjango (1966), and maybe follow it up with another cinematic epic: The Big Gundown (1966)

If I had the time, I would write a film review blog and explain in painstaking detail some of my favorite movies and genres (ie. spaghetti western and film noir).  But, I do not have the time nor the discipline right now, so that project will have to wait.  But, the plan was . . . to watch Django and revel in the cheesy Ennio Morricone influenced soundtrack (you know, eerie harmonica, ghostly vocals, staccato piccolo, where string music, gunshots and bullwhip sounds meet!) the terrible dubbing of English over Italian, the violent plot line and the obligatory, hard-done-by, alluring woman of ill repute with a heart of gold.  I never got to Django or The Big Gundown though.  You see, I was distracted by a really bad idea.  

No, I am not referring to Vladimir Putin's latest manly publicity stunt of flying a motorized hang glider over Siberia in an effort to lead endangered birds on their migratory path south.  Note the billowing white overalls.  All this in an effort by Vlad to lead some  white cranes to warmer climes.  Stupid!  I guess it is a slight step up from locking up, for two years, a feminist gaggle of punk rockers for an anti-Putin song performed in a Russian orthodox church.



No, it wasn't that that distracted me from my much anticipated tumbleweed film fiesta.  The bad idea is below for your viewing displeasure:

Just read that publicity still one more time.  Yeah.  Let it sink in.  Take some bourbon, flavor it with black cherry and what do you get?  Answer: Red Stag Black Cherry by Jim Beam.

I am not going to dignify this alleged American whisky product with a proper tasting note.  That's how much I hate this swill.  It's slop.

What does it taste like?  A mouthful of cherry flavored cough syrup, and heavy on the syrup.  Horribly sweet.  Great for shooters in a nightclub where the bar staff dance on the bar or ride robotic bulls (not you guys in the crowd . . . that comes later).  And, I think I have hit upon the real target audience of this product:  young people, college crowd, Jagermeister enthusiasts.  Nothing wrong with being a part of that demographic or selling to the market segment, but don't bring to market a product has got to be the worst entry in the 'bourbon' field.

I wouldn't be so venomous in my dislike if they didn't market this stuff as bourbon.  It does not taste like bourbon.  It tastes like cheap liqueur that frat boys ingest after an evening of female rejection with a repetition that rivals the gunfire in my much loved spaghetti westerns.  

Look at that label.  Just below the big cap, red lettering, "Red Stag" appears the words: "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey"

Nothing about this stuff tastes like bourbon.  It tastes like Cherry coke with your favorite childhood cough syrup and a mouthful of cherry flavored Halls cough drops.  Add the stuffy nose and you will feel as miserable as I do about this stuff.  

This is a liqueur at best and a poor one at that.  Super sweet, red licorice crap that is easy to shoot and get drunk on, but not a whisky within any normal meaning of the word.  Might meet the legal definition of 'bourbon' according to some white shoe law firm down south, but sure as hell doesn't meet the definition for us.  To my mind, Red Stag is not bourbon, it is not whiskey.  It is alcohol infused cherry cola/cream soda marketed to the college and nightclub crowd.

The chief problem with this product for me, again, is the use of the words "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey."  Use of those words on a label will attract the attention and spending habits of the serious whisky fan.  Such a consumer will be very disappointed with what this product delivers.  This is not serious bourbon.  This is not a good example of American whiskey.  This is an aberration.

So, I ask why would Beam Global do this?  I can just see the sheepish answer from suits in a boardroom: "Profits, expanded market share, attract younger people to whiskey . . ."  This is a disappointing direction for the company to take, as they have many great American whiskey products like Jim Beam Black (fantastic bourbon and amazingly affordable!) and Maker's Mark (higher price point with commensurate quality).

Bottom Line:  Think of Red Stag Black Cherry by Jim Beam as cherry flavored Jagermeister, and when you see it, run like hell in the other direction!

Cheers!


Jason Debly

P.S. - Update:  Beam Global is no longer labeling this 'Red Stag' product as "Kentucky Straight Bourbon" infused with cherry but rather as 'liquer.'  At least that is the case as of November 2015.

Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2015. All rights reserved.  Photo credits: (1) photograph of Vladimir Putin - Photographer: Alexey Druzhini; (2)  Red Stag by Jim Beam promotional poster is a free download from jimbeam.com; (3) Photograph of members of Pussy Riot in custody - Misha Japaridze/Associated Press.  Note:  All images appearing in this article are for the purposes of nostalgia, education and entertainment.  Moreover, all images used are considered by the author to be significant in illustrating the subject matter, facilitating artistic/critical commentary, as it provides an immediate relevance to the reader more capably than the textual description.

20 comments:

  1. I respect your review. Certainly many other top whisky bloggers say the same (such as Oliver Klimeck over at Dramming.com). However, personally, I really enjoyed it - and I usually don't like these whiskey adulturations (such as all the Honeys).

    I like Red Stag because the nose was dominated by bourbon but with some cherry pipe tobacco (that has a positive association for me) and the entry had good Beam bourbon flavor. The midpalate explodes with cherry flavor and syrupy sweetness, granted, but I somehow enjoyed it anyway. It liked it with some ice and bitters as a ready-made cherry Old Fashioned - or with some vermouth as a ready made cherry Manhattan. It was also fine in coke - a ready made cherry coke w/Beam.

    I think the issues here are tolerance for liqueur and concerns over the label and the sanctity of whiskey. Forgetting labels and just drinking - I found this hit my monkey bone and for me that's the bottom line.

    I do, however, fully grant that a sugar thickened mouth feel isn't right for sipping bourbon neat. Never the less I most enjoyed this neat, or with some ice. I just flat out enjoyed the flavor because the flavor of bourbon leads.

    This is unlike the Honeys in my experience (Wild Turkey Honey, Red Stag Honey Tea, and Jack Daniels Honey) where the honey taste is invariably fake and the bourbon flavors seem to take a back seat (granted the one I haven't tried is Jim Beam Honey).

    Anyway - it's all about levels of tolerance and mood. This isn't about critical tasting. It's about crowd pleasing in a party mode. That being said - I wolfed my samples: literally hungrily wolfed them right down. That was my subjective impression of cherry Jim Beam Red Stag.

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  2. Hi Josh!

    First of all I was in NYC recently and actually wanted to see if we could meet for a drink in a bar. I actually went to the Brandy Library that you reviewed recently on your blog. Great place. Maybe next time I get there, we can meet.

    Josh, I think you are correct in saying that it is all about one's tolerance for liqueurs. I am not a liqueur fan, as I find them far too sweet for my liking. I guess the only exception would be Drambuie as an ingredient in a Rusty Nail (mixed with Chivas).

    As you say: "This isn't about critical tasting. It's about crowd pleasing in a party mode."

    I agree.

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  3. Jason,

    Tried this stomach-churning swill early in the year. I believe my impression also was to liken the stuff to cheap liqueur. "Blech" indeed!

    Ironically, I was given a dram of Jack Daniels Honey some months back by a friend. Over much ice, it actually was fairly refreshing, despite being obviously too heavy on the faux-honey flavor. I commented to my friend how it would be nice on a muggy summer's eve. We made a point to, on another evening, mix regular Jack with the Honeyed stuff to bring out more actual whisky flavor. Ended up enjoyable!

    Hope all's been well.

    -Yochanan



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    Replies
    1. Hello Yochanan!

      I guess what really bothers me about Red Stag is the declaration on the bottle that this is Kentucky Straight Bourbon and the association with Jim Beam.

      Beam Global are responsible for bringing some great products to market, namely, Jim Beam Black, a great 8 year old bourbon. They are muddying the name and reputation of the Jim Beam brand by coming out with this Red Stag Product. It is really unfortunate.

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  4. Jason,

    I'm a little unclear on how you feel about this drink. Could you elaborate a bit?

    Seriously, I very much enjoy your blog, thanks for all the great recommendations and warnings.

    Dave

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  5. Seems like you're not the only one who didn't like it. Check out Martini's review over at DMC & ME (http://dmcme.blogspot.ca/2012/07/jim-beam-red-stag-black-cherry-bourbon.html).

    Have you tried any other whisky liqueurs, like the Fireball or any of the other cinnamon based ones?

    Cheers,
    Dan

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  6. Jason, I'm guessing that the folks buying this stuff are precisely the "Jager set". It's folks looking for a sweet buzz who aren't too concerned about: 1) its Bourbon-icity, 2) drinking their liquors neat, 3) noticing they're paying whiskey prices for cherry syrup enhanced, lousy whiskey. It makes heaps of sense to me that Beam sources this stuff from their worst in the warehouse barrels of two and three years of age, then makes an larger margin on them than their own white label or black label Bourbons. What does surprise me a little is your taking a journey into that bottle at all. My gullet closes up just thinking about trying it. JK

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    Replies
    1. Somebody gave me the bottle, so I thought I would give it a go.

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  7. Enjoyed the review Jason. I applaud the honesty. The only similar product I've actually enjoyed is Bushmill's Irish Honey, as it's still an Irish with a touch of honey. Cheers!

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  8. Just don't call it Bourbon. What attracts many of us to Bourbon are teh strict regulations. We want to taste the spirit, and the wood, and the age, and the skill of the distiller. That's it.

    Call this something else.

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  9. Jason,

    As I alluded to in my earlier comment, have you tried adding some "real" bourbon to a dram of this? Might make some good use out of any remaining psuedo-whiskey in your bottle. Might be refreshing, with a generous dose of other bourbon as a base.
    -Yochanan

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    Replies
    1. It is an idea that probably has some merit, but I have given this bottle away. So, if you ever happen to have a bottle of Red Stag, feel free to experiment with other bourbons and report your results. I am happy to publish your findings.

      Cheers!

      Delete
  10. Technically, they are not actually calling it KSBW since they add the "infused" part, only saying it starts as such - regulations prohibit additives of any sort. Tricky of them.

    If you want to try a very good Bourbon Liqueur, Prichard's Sweet Lucy is flavored with peach, apricot and orange and is quite nicely balanced and not overly sweet. They also make a peach and mango flavored rum call Sweet Georgia Belle which is also very good.

    I have never had Prichard's Bourbon or Fine Rum but they are very highly regarded though a little pricey.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I think it is a matter of semantics. They are riding on the grand reputation of "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey" appear on the label. At best it is deceptive.

      Thanks for commenting!

      Delete
  11. Just picked up a small (200ml) bottle of this...and it is just as awful as you say it is...I can sort of smell the bourbon on the nose, all that harsh woody oak, and then it is very, very cough syrup-like everywhere else...

    Good thing it is only 200ml. I'm wondering, though, whether the remaining 175ml will mix nicely with the remainder of my bottle of 'Old Wild Turkey', which is itself a 50/50 blend of Old Forester Signature 100 and Wild Turkey 81...as all three whiskies have similar mash bill proportions.

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    1. I would toss it, if it was up to me. Mix it with the other bourbons and you risk ruining them.

      How is the Old Forester? I hear good things.

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  12. I found the Old Forester far too hot and woody (I used a fair chunk of it in a pecan bourbon carrot cake), which is why I ended up blending what I had left with the Wild Turkey 81 (which was pretty anemic). They have similar mash-bills (OF 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley; WT 81 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley), and the blend worked pretty well - not as hot, far less woody. But overall, I still have yet to find a bourbon that really speaks to me.

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  13. I found Red Stag as sweet and cloying as you describe it, and certainly needing to be put in the liqueur aisle. However, it makes an excellent addition to cola and as a component in several cocktails, where it adds a surprising complexity to the drink.

    But it's still a crime that this is put on shelves alongside the real bourbons.

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    Replies
    1. I could imagine as an ingredient to a cocktail, it might work. I am still convinced this is a like a "gateway drug" in the opinion of Beam Global, to get the younger generation to try bourbon.

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