Updated June 2026.
Jim Beam White Label is both. It is whiskey, and it is bourbon — because bourbon is a type of whiskey. The flagship is labeled Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV), aged four years in new charred oak (brand site and FAQ). Bourbon is not a competing drink. It is the legal subclass.
All bourbon is whiskey. Not all whiskey is bourbon. Scotch, Irish, rye, and Canadian whisky are other types. Jack Daniel’s is Tennessee whiskey (charcoal-mellowed); it is not this bottle. See Jim Beam substitutes if you want another bourbon, not a different class.
TTB identity (short)
| Rule | Jim Beam White | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Class: whiskey (27 CFR 5.143) | Yes — grain distillate, oak, ≥40% ABV | “Whiskey” on the shelf talk is correct |
| Type: bourbon — ≥51% corn, new charred oak, US | Yes — Kentucky straight bourbon | “Bourbon” is the precise type |
| Straight | Aged ≥2 years; Beam states 4 years on White | Twice the straight minimum, per the brand |
| Bottled strength | 80 proof / 40% ABV | One US standard drink per 1.5 oz (NIAAA) |
| Black Label (current) | 7 years, higher proof than White (brand FAQ) | Still bourbon, still whiskey |
Beam Distilling lists White at 80 proof with oak, vanilla, and caramel. The brand FAQ: 97 calories, 0 g carbs, 0 g protein, 0 g fat per 1.5 fl oz — the USDA 80-proof line. Other SKUs (apple, honey, peach) are flavored; they are still whiskey-based but not the straight-bourbon additive rules. Read the label. We are not printing an unofficial mash-bill percentage the brand does not put on jimbeam.com.
Who makes it
James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, Kentucky, in the Suntory Global Spirits family. The house story starts in 1795. That is origin-story marketing, not a TTB age statement. The age that matters on White is the four years in new charred oak the brand publishes.
A 1.5-ounce pour is one standard drink. Four of those in about two hours is NIAAA’s binge pattern for women; five is the male pattern. For storage, the same FAQ says unflavored Beam keeps acceptable quality at least five years sealed and one year opened at 10–25°C — a quality floor, not a spoilage date. See does bourbon go bad.
Sources
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143: whiskey class; bourbon type; straight = ≥2 years; bourbon distilled and aged in the United States.
- beamdistilling.com / jimbeam.com: White 80 proof, 4 years; Black 7 years; 97 kcal / 0 g carb per 1.5 oz.
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025).