Bill Samuels Sr. burned his family's rye recipe and started over with wheat. His wife Margie designed everything else — the wax, the bottle, the name.

The real story behind Jim Beam Black's 2024 relaunch, an honest tasting, and why every bourbon drinker should know this bottle even at a 'try it' verdict.

Nobody will tell you who actually makes it — and after a full glass, I'm not sure it matters. A high-rye, $30 entry-level bourbon that earns its spot on the back bar.