The nose is full of very bespoke dark chocolate-covered salted hard caramel toffees encrusted with almonds and pecans the kind you get from a chocolate shop that imports their goodies from somewhere like Belgium. Its just excellent in every respect. While Ive used it more in cocktails, it works well on the rocks if youre looking for something a little different. This isnt a bourbon to be taken lightly. The finish takes its time as it ebbs and flows with those spices, the oak, and all that vanilla. This is delightful and one of the most unique expressions on this list. Booker's releases around four batches of bourbon each year, each clearly labeled with the year number, batch number, and batch name so bourbon drinkers are up to date. The finish is long, effervescent, and leaves you with this soft sense of having just eaten the best oatmeal raisin cookie of your life with just the right amounts of oats, spice, raisins, brown sugar, and crumble. 3. The creaminess of the vanilla on the nose is extraordinary. The finish is spicy and sweet and fades gradually. Still, this was a great whiskey that I want more of and thats what this list is about. Third floors, however, might make a difference. The nose opens with subtle notes of soft wood and worn leather next to light touches of dark berries, orange oils, egg nog spice, and slight toffee sweetness. 93 / 100 from 1 Critic Review. The nose on this gently draws you in with mellow hints of cherry liqueur, dry cedar tobacco boxes, rich vanilla pods that feel oily, and a buttercream toffee candy thats more sticky than brittle. SCORE: 4/5 (good, definitely recommend ~ B+ | 87-89) *Disclosure: The sample for this bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. But once the spirit comes off the stills ,its filtered through charcoal, just like Tennessee whiskey, before its filled into the barrels. Whiskybase is founded in 2007 with the goal to create the biggest resource of whisky information in the world. Blanton's Straight From The Barrel is better than Pappy Van Winkle. This year the most used warehouse actually came down to a tie. So, take this being number four instead of two or one as splitting some pretty fine hairs. Complete Booker's Batches Spreadsheet Batch # Barrel Date Proof Age Wax Notes . The nose is a bouquet of dark spices next to dried orange rinds, soft Christmas cake, and a slight floral underpinning thats more damp than dried out. The taste embraces the holiday spice matrix with a creamy veneer of dark chocolate oranges, eggnog spice, and a velvety mouthfeel with a hint of orchard fruit and toffee drizzle. But Grannys Batch takes this note back in time for some nostalgic treats from grandmas house. The yeasts at play are delicate fruit, spice essence, and floral essence. The barrels ranged from 12 to 16 years old, making this a fairly old bourbon, all things considered. The palate doesnt veer too far from those notes but adds in a touch of burnt ends from vanilla pods with a light spice that leans more towards that tobacco than woody brown spices. The taste veers away from most of that towards sweet corn cakes with a touch of vanilla cream and eggnog spice. But mines a pretty evolved palate, too just ask the guests on Expression Session. The new release is named after the fact that. Booker's was the first bourbon to be bottled straight from the barrel. Behind it lingers the smell of oak, light floral notes, and a solid nutty scent. On top of all of that, its also delicious and makes for a great sipper with a little water. Boston Batch is described as a history-making batch of Bookers because its the first time Freddie Noe assisted his dad on the selection (formally, anyway). Our parameters for which bourbons made the list are simple: Thats all there is to it. This also leans very classic bourbon with hints of corn on the cob with melty salted butter next to hints of soft leather pouches filled with roasted peanut shells, a touch of caramel, and a vanilla/chocolate ice cream vibe. In addition to variations in proof and age, Bookers batches can also be differentiated by what floors and warehouses their components come from, and how those differences create variations in flavor. View Product Info Bookers was launched in 1988 as the first mass produced bourbon bottled straight from the barrel, uncut and unfiltered. While the six-year is a great cocktail bourbon and the 12-year is a fine sipper, this Tennessee whiskey is comforting neat, blooms nicely with a little water or on a rock, and will make one hell of a Manhattan. The whiskey then spends four years and nine months aging before its bottled without any filtration and barely proofed. I vouch for the whole list, top to bottom. Compared to other mid-aged Beam bourbons, a perfect batch of Booker's is an entirely different animal. The nose on these tends to be soft, kind of like freshly baked rye bread, with notes of eggnog spices, slick vanilla flan, thin caramel sauce, and hints of spicy orange zest. The juice is barely touched with that soft Kentucky limestone water to take the edge off. Its the highest proof bourbon in the Jim Beam small batch collection. The palate builds on that cinnamon spice with a touch of nutmeg and clove that ties to a vanilla pudding-esque svelte body next to little pops of dried pecan shells, faux maple syrup, cinnamon toast with plenty of butter, more of that ginger, and a touch of subtle red fruit. That fruit gives way to a spritz of orange oils next to a light touch of dark chocolate on the mid-palate that leads to a rich finish. The taste leans into that oak barrel with dashes of woody spices (think allspice berries, star anise, and cinnamon sticks), dry cherry tobacco leaves, salted caramel, and more of that super soft leather. The brand took the time to release its own contract distilled juice. That said, it is much rarer for a Booker's batch to rise above this high bar the brand set for itself. Buffalo Trace. The juice is rendered with grains from Texas and water from the ground beneath their feet, all imbued with a crafty Texas vibe in every sip. Pappy Van Winkle's 23 Year Family Reserve. While maturing, 64 percent of the whiskey was lost to the angels before it was small-batched and bottled as is. The 2020 Booker's Bourbon batches have come to a close with this month's release of the final batch of the year, "Pigskin." And now that we've tried them all, it seemed like the perfect time to rank them. Its deeply flavored with that finishing barrel which ends up really amping up the holiday vibes. That cornmeal comes through on the nose with a sense of candied orange, salted butter, and pancake syrup with a hint of brewers yeast. The cask strength bourbon is obviously pretty powerful stuff, and it delivers a raw and smoky drinking experience. It's bottled at its natural proof of between 121 and 127, and aged between six and eight years. Whiskybase B.V.Zwaanshals 5303035 KS RotterdamThe NetherlandsKVK: 60207205VAT: NL853809112B01. The exchange informs buyers and sellers on legal auctions of collectible bottles of spirits. The 2020 Bookers Bourbon batches have come to a close with this months release of the final batch of the year, Pigskin. And now that weve tried them all, it seemed like the perfect time to rank them. Booker's Bourbon is a brand named for master distiller Booker Noe, a sixth-generation bourbon maker. Whiskybase B.V. is under no circumstances liable for damages of whatever nature, in anyway resulting from the use of this website or resulting from or related to the use of information presented on or made available through this website or damages resulting from the non-availability of this website. If youre out in Washington, give this bottle a try. Right after that initial taste, my mouth was instantly warmed, as I could feel the heat of the bourbon quickly encompassing every corner of my mouth. This might be the best Bulliet on the market. Ohanneson explains that the "Holy Grail" of bourbon "is produced from just a few barrels and released yearly in very small batches.". It stands out. The finish is long but doesnt overstay its welcome. The bourbon spent 12 months finishing in those old-school barrels before vatting, proofing, and bottling. We use cookies to improve your online experience. Grab a bottle and try for yourself. Its a predominantly grain forward batch (and the youngest of this years releases by about a month), but it still manages a gorgeous transition out of those grain notes and into a finish of soft vanilla custard. This is soft on the nose with a hint of vanilla next to new leather, cornmeal, and a touch of orchard fruit. The original barrel proof bourbon stands up to the test of time. That leads towards a mid-palate of dark red fruits stewed in mulled wine spices and cut with a dollop of fresh honey before the (long) finish dries out towards an old wicker chair, a very distinct hint of a cellar funk, and a touch of dried mint. The juice in the bottle is hand-selected by Jim Rutledge and barreled as a single barrel at cask strength with less than 150 bottles per release. The folks at Still Austin have spent the last six years perfecting their grain-to-glass whiskey experience. I really cant find any faults in this bourbon. But this expression really is something special. This distillery-only release came out of nowhere and proved to be one of the easiest drinkers of the year. Booker's Bourbon 2022-04 'Pinkie's Batch' Review. Booker's Ronnie's Batch is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey aged for 6 years, 6 months, and 12 days before being bottled at 124.4 proof. There was a minute there where this might have been number one. The views, opinions . Coming up in 2nd place is Ronnie's batch, adding in some notes like chocolate and peanut butter, light vanilla, I really enjoyed 2022-01 The end lingers for just the right amount of time as the spice fades back towards the honeyed sweetness and a final touch of vanilla tobacco buzz lands in the back of the throat. This draws you in with maple syrup, apple tobacco, resinous pine, and a touch of unpopped popcorn kernels. Pinkie was the nickname for Booker's father, Frederick Booker Noe (yes, this family likes to reuse family names). Two years after naming Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 the "World Whisky of the Year," Jim Murray's Whisky Bible anointed Booker's Rye Whiskey the "World Whisky of the Year" . . This is classic Beam whiskey with a low-ish rye mash bill of 77 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley. The actual whiskey is a two-year-old bourbon thats batched to highlight the bright fruits of this new and craft-forward whiskey. The sweet taste was really nice and quite enjoyable. The finish takes its time as the mid-palate cherry sweetness slowly dissolves into an old wooden garden box full of fresh dark potting soil bursting with fresh mint and spicy nasturtiums. While the team at Pursuit United doesnt release the Tennessee distillery name, we know the juices from Kentucky and New York are from Bardstown Bourbon Company and Finger Lakes Distilling, respectively. Stephen Beam is doing some amazing work out of a tiny distillery in rural Kentucky. 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