In 1740, the Boehm family came to America to live the colonial dream and 48 years later moved to Kentucky and changed their name to "Beam". By the end of the 18th century, German, Scottish and Irish settlers who had brought their recipes from home were already producing rye whiskey in Western Pennsylvania. However, when the US government offered incentives to relocate west, many families moved to Kentucky. One of these farmers was Jacobs Beam, who used his father's whiskey recipe to distil corn into a new, sweeter type of whiskey, leading to the birth of bourbon.

Jim Beam Rye Pre-Prohibition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is one of Jim Beam's new varieties and a popular alternative to the classic bourbon varieties. It is modelled on how American farmers distilled whiskey before Prohibition. Back then, as today, rye whiskeys made up the majority of the mash with 51% rye, while corn was the main ingredient in bourbon whiskey. According to the manufacturer, Jim Beam Rye Whiskey is matured in barrels for at least 4 years.

Awards:

- Silver medal in 2018 at the International Spirits Challenge in the 'American Straight Rye Whiskey' category

- 92 points, 'Excellent - highly recommended' in 2015 at the Ultimat Spirits Challenge