Jim Beam's Booker's Bourbon brand has been a semi-frequent target of whiskey geek grumbling for a few years now, owing to the fact that its price point has provided a real time reflection. This is unique and just interesting. Booker's Small Batch Bourbon Review Region: Kentucky, USA Distiller: Jim Beam Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley Cask: New Charred Oak ABV: 65.05% Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color Batch: C02-A-18 Price: $65 EYE Deep amber with orange accents NOSE This is a great classic bourbon nose. Compared to other mid-aged Beam bourbons, a perfect batch of Booker's is an entirely different animal. But the bourbon in that bottle is what really shined as a great day-to-day sipper. Freddie uses the vast stock bottles of whiskeys inside Beam's warehouses in this project. The tasting for VinePair's 2023 edition of our annual bourbon roundup offered great insight into how broad and deep the category has become. Blantons is The Original Single Barrel bourbon, and this expression is the purest form of that whiskey. This whiskey, distilled at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, is kind of like a Tennessee whiskey made in Kentucky. The palate is pecan-loaded waffles smothered in butter and syrup with vanilla ice cream, light brown spiciness, and maple-infused sweet tobacco on the end. This limited release from a couple of months ago is a blend of heavy-hitting bourbons. This draws you in with maple syrup, apple tobacco, resinous pine, and a touch of unpopped popcorn kernels. This small batch of wheated bourbon is derived from barrels between six and eight years old. Ranking batches of Booker's is, to a certain extent, a ridiculous exercise. Beyond that, this was a Travelers Exclusive up until the pandemic. Pinkie's Batch is bottled at 122.4 proof and is precisely six years, 10 months . The bourbon mash bill has a touch of rye in it and it aged for up to five years in medium char barrels. The actual whiskey is a two-year-old bourbon thats batched to highlight the bright fruits of this new and craft-forward whiskey. Thats a great price for a really solid and unique whiskey. That being said, Booker's has been able to consistently deliver a quality product year after year. Weather matters when it comes to Bookers, and this year it feels like the cold was a pervasive theme. strict limit 1 per name or address Whiskey Advocate says: ""Noe Strangers Batch" comes just a few months after 2021-03 "Bardstown Batch," released in late October. Its just excellent in every respect. I always look at which bottles are almost empty at the end of the year to see which ones I actually like drinking, and this bottle only has a few ounces left in it. Here are the best bourbons to drink this year.. The nose on this one is mildly sweet with almost earthy maple syrup next to pecans from a pie with a touch of dried apple and old leather. Between many of the Buffalo Trace products, Heaven Hill releases, and a multitude of craft distillers, one can easily find a barrel proof bourbon to try. Either way, the juice goes through Michters bespoke filtration process before a touch of Kentuckys iconic soft limestone water is added, bringing the bourbon down to a very crushable 94.4 proof. That spice does start to build towards the medium-length finish but doesnt overheat. Buffalo Trace. The finish leans into a dry-yet-almost-sweet oak with a touch of an almond shell and dry grass coming in at the very end. Yes, I would like to receive emails from The Bourbon Review. The mid-palate leans back into the dark stone fruit and sweetness as it only slightly dries out. The finish is soft and fast with that spice leading back towards a leather tobacco chew. A sip gives you powerful but smooth corn and more cnnamon, finely polished oak, a hot twist of mint. Then the whiskey was filled into Old Fitzgeralds signature decanters and sent out into the world. You must be 21 or over to enter this website. Stellum Bourbon is the new kid on the block. This feels like it should be higher. You get a quick upfront hit of the sugars from the wood, along with hints of vanilla and raisin. But once you start digging around in the nose and taste, you wont want to stop. If you do, treat yourself to a pour. The barrels are pulled from various, undisclosed age ranges and vatted. Whiskybase is founded in 2007 with the goal to create the biggest resource of whisky information in the world. 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. This years release is a whiskey that was warehoused in spring 2007. 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. Michters is currently distilling and aging their own whiskey, but this is still sourced. Some bourbons get bottled up uncut. 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. Every bar cart should have at least one Wilderness Trail on it. Bottled straight from the barrel - uncut and unfiltered. You go back to it. But this new release just hit too many high marks to be overshadowed this year. The through-line is the excellent taste of that single, unadulterated barrel in each sip. . This years drop from Stephen Beams Yellowstone line is a mix of seven-year-old and 15-year-old bourbons. Theres a lot to draw you in with this nose of rich tobacco spiciness next to soft cedar, tart cherry pie filling, saffron stewed pears, salted toffee, and what almost feels like the salted water left after boiling artichokes (seriously). The duo worked long and hard to create multiple whiskey expressions, which Bob Dylan taste-tested and granted final approval on. This was one of those whiskeys where from the first sip you almost automatically say, wow, thats nice and then immediately relax. These releases from New Riff will vary from location to location as theyre largely reserved for retailers. 2. Booker's "Pinkie's Batch" Tasting Notes, Via the Brand Color: Golden amber Nose: Balanced aroma of brown spice and vanilla After retiring in 1992, Booker went on to work as an ambassador for the company and traveled the world promoting Beam bourbon until he died in 2004.Bookers bourbon ranges in proof between 121-131 and is aged 6-8 yrs. Booker's Bourbon is a brand of bourbon produced by the company Jim Beam. Create an account and indulge yourself in the world of whisky. Appearance: Burnished copper. But this really took the bourbon from Washington up another notch with this finishing. But there are some killers to come. But while there are similarities between the two, this feels like a step up in many small, tough to define ways. This juice is a field-to-glass craft whiskey from a state thatd likely be a better spot to age rum than whiskey. In general, Booker's is a reliable, solid and sometimes even excellent barrel-proof bourbon that is worth spending 60 bucks on, and maybe even 80. The taste holds onto the honeyed sweetness with burnt sugars, light cedar, chocolate tobacco leaves, and a hint of orange oils. Whiskybase is founded in 2007 with the goal to create the biggest resource of whisky information in the world. With that in mind, we tasted this years releases side by side and ranked them below. 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. That chocolate drives the taste towards a mint-chocolate ice cream vibe (heavy on the chocolate part) with small dashes of holiday spices, hard toffee candies, worn leather, and a flourish of cedar boxes full of dried tobacco leaves. 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 . Theres this body of nutmeg that leads towards a light vanilla pound cake full of candied and dried fruits with a soft Niederegger marzipan center. Stephen Beam is doing some amazing work out of a tiny distillery in rural Kentucky. So, take this being number four instead of two or one as splitting some pretty fine hairs. I really cant find any faults in this bourbon. This is really fruity. Thats great. Any disputes arising out of the entrance or use of this website and/or the use of information derived from this website shall exclusively be submitted to and finally be resolved by the competent court in Utrecht, the Netherlands. In spring of this year, those barrels were vatted and whiskey was proofed down to 100 (per bottled-in-bond law). The palate keeps things super easy as that rich vanilla ice cream leads towards holiday spices, tart green apples, and a freshly baked cornbread bespeckled with dried chili flakes and black pepper. E. H. Taylor Barrel Proof. Stagg Jr. vs Booker's. As far as cask strength bourbons, Stagg Jr. and Booker's are some of the more established products. All Rights reserved. Bulleit's high-proof version of its flagship high-rye bourbon was conceived as a chance to taste one of the most beloved moonshines in the country straight from the cask. It doesn't smell as strong as the proof would suggest. 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. On first whiff, I got a strong upfront alcohol burn, which is common for barrel proof bourbons. That then draws towards subtle pops of orange oils, floral honey, walnuts in buttery brown sugar syrup, and this mild touch of spiced apple tobacco leaf. Booker's delivered a long light lingering finish. The juice in that bottle is a cask-strength blend of whiskeys from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Their Discovery series continues to wow this year with another homerun whiskey that feels as special as it tastes. The finish takes its time as the tobacco spice and fruit slowly fade out, leaving you with a dry woody note and a touch of sweet and buttery toffee. In all Pigskin is a custardy spice bomb with so many of the flavors that made the now-legendary Bookers 30th so great. Each year, the best barrels are selected yearly for batching and bottling with no fussing whatsoever. Booker's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 128.6 Proof: 64.3 % Vol. Some people, some loyal fans, they like to go back and compare one to another.. The end leans into eggnog spices with a touch of bitter black tea, more leathery tobacco, and a whisper of fresh mint. Now that you have the simplest answer to the simplest questions, below you'll find the prices and sizes of the entire range . The lions share, 68 percent, is derived from an eleven-year-old Kentucky bourbon thats made with 75 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley. That said, it is much rarer for a Booker's batch to rise above this high bar the brand set for itself. 2017 Copyright The Bourbon Review. The only batch to represent a third floor was Boston, which contained 11 percent from the third floor of Warehouse 5 (a 7-story warehouse). This list comes. It's got the sweet, clean profile of Buffalo Trace in spades, with the added heat and punch of 125 . The taste is all caramel apples, buttered cornbread, mild cherry, and a hint of eggnog spice. Before we dive in, a few notes: First, we're ranking bourbon brands overall here, not individual labels or releases, so, don't expect to see two different versions of Four Roses go. This new expression was created by Bulleits Master Blender Eboni Major. I was lucky enough to get to sample a lot of whiskeys this year and narrowing all those drams down to 50 beloved bottles proved to be a little harder than expected. Get the latest bourbon news to your inbox. This expression is all about the prowess of the team at Nelson Green Brier. Some of these bourbons will be easily found at stores, others only surface in Kentucky or their local regions, and some are probably already buried deep in the vaults of collectors. The reproduction and publishing (of parts of) the content of this website for non personal and/or commercial use, in whatever form, or in whatever way, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Whiskybase B.V.. So this is a small batch in theory and name more than practice. During that time, the barrels spend time in the Buzzards Roost at the top of the rickhouse. That caramel sweetness merges into a fresh honeycomb next to Dr. Browns Cream Soda vanilla flavor and pep while the fruit dries out, leaving you with meaty dried figs, dates, and prunes driving the midpalate toward the finish. BourbonEX.com is the leading provider of information and historical pricing of sales of rare bourbon and whiskey (whisky) bottles in the European and USA secondary market. The end is sweet to the point of a honey candy with a touch more of that apple but fades really quickly. 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. Whats most interesting is that while Warehouse H is represented across all three batches, Grannys Batch is literally 50 percent Warehouse L, including floors four, five, and six. The palate has a jammy presence with a plum compote spiked with cloves and allspice next to a touch of port-soaked cedar planks, vanilla cream, sultanas, and I want to say mulled wine cinnamon sticks. Order Booker's 2022-03 "Pinkies Batch" Bourbon online at sudsandspirits.com and have it shipped to your door nationwide. Booker's Bluegrass. Sure, it lacks the age (and thankfully, the price tag), but Pigskin is a showcase for why Bookers has always been such a beloved and respected bourboneven at 6 years and change. 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. View all products by Booker's California Residents: Click here for Proposition 65 WARNING. The taste is toffee sweet but is countered by a powdered dark chocolate bitterness, marzipan smoothness, and plenty of that creamy citrus. 99.9 . Its crazy-sippable neat while really going deep when you bloom it with a little water. The whiskey is so deeply hewn that youll definitely need a rock to open it up. This really feels like a great place to start this list. Jack Daniel's Old No. USA. The end softens the leather as the dark chocolate lingers the longest on your senses with a final touch of almost peppery spice. Four Roses is renowned for its ten distinct recipes with two mash bills and five yeast strains. Position Rank. This limited edition drop is the best example of how heritage, prowess, and crafty vibes combine to make one of the easiest sipping bourbons of the year. ABV: 63.95%; By: Booker's Bourbon; Booker Noe was the Master Distiller at Jim Beam Distillery from 1965-1992 and launched his eponymous whiskey in 1988 to start the Small Batch Bourbon Collection. This helps derive more flavor from the spirit. A cherry sasparilla maybe? This is another masterclass in what great blending can do across state lines. The first release in this line for 2016 is here: Booker's Bluegrass batch. This is the epitome of a slow-sipping bourbon with real depth. The fruitiness really builds as the cherry leads towards a bowl full of ripe raspberries swimming in cream with a dusting of dark spices and brown sugar thats countered by a dose of floral tea leaves, culminating with a mildly bitter coffee bean. Both Warehouse H and Warehouse L accounted for 64 percent of batch ingredients across all three batches. That distilled juice rested in barrels spread throughout three warehouses on several different floors. As is the case with all batches, Booker's son Fred selected the bourbon for this release personally in an effort to uphold his father's standards. The information on this website is composed and maintained with continuous care and attention by Whiskybase B.V.. The finish sweetens with a spoonful of fresh and floral honey as those orchard fruits affix to a mildly spicy and vanilla-forward tobacco leaf. Bulleit Barrel Strength Bourbon. It also helps shine a light on how diverse the bourbon coming out of MGP really is. Booker's Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey. Master Distiller Dan McKee personally selects these 20-year-old (at least) barrels from their rickhouses based on, well, excellence. 3. The elder Noe is better known as Pinkie to his family and friends. Therefore no rights can be derived from the information on this website. Palate - 91/100 Starts smooth with notes of caramel and vanilla, then the spice quickly kicks in. I know, weve all heard it before. In no event Whiskybase B.V. gives any guarantee or accepts any liability in relation to the content, use and availability of such websites. Wilderness Trail is the whiskey nerds whiskey. Beam Distilling Co. released the final installment of the 2022 Booker's Bourbon Collection, Booker's Batch 2022-04, "Pinkie's Batch.". Booker's bourbon is one of the small batch bourbons produced by the Jim Beam distillery, which is owned by Beam Suntory (a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan).Having the highest alcohol content of the brands in the Jim Beam "Small Batch Bourbon Collection", it is a cask strength bourbon. Booker's bourbon was introduced in 1988, and the company has over 30 years of experience under its belt and has established a name for itself, but the company's long history of bourbon production in Kentucky makes it a young brand. 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. This distillery-only release came out of nowhere and proved to be one of the easiest drinkers of the year. Critic tasting note: "Originally touted by Booker Noe, the "Kentucky Chew" is a way of tasting whiskey: swishing it around your mouth, then swallowing and . Take that as your cue if youre a fan of the brand and go out and find this bottle. These conditions apply to the use of this website of Whiskybase.com. This bourbon has a decidedly oily texture, but hints of cocoa and touches of vanilla sweetness push that peanut butter note into the peanut butter cup space. Baker's 7 Year Single Barrel Price: ~$70 Proof: 107 Distillery: Jim Beam Tasting Notes: Rye spice, caramel, vanilla Review Summary: If you want a lower-proof version of Knob Creek, this bourbon is for you. From a state thatd likely be a better spot to age rum than whiskey event whiskybase gives! Is an entirely different animal new release just hit too many high marks to be overshadowed this..! The Buzzards Roost at the very end worked long and hard to create multiple whiskey expressions which. Taste holds onto the honeyed sweetness with burnt sugars, light cedar, tobacco. In at the top of the brand and go out and find this.... More leathery tobacco, and Tennessee open it up is doing some amazing work out of nowhere and proved be... The purest form of that whiskey mid-aged Beam bourbons, a hot twist of mint a hot of. 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Mild cherry, and a touch of rye in it and it aged for up to five years medium... Popcorn kernels marzipan smoothness, and a whisper of fresh and floral honey as orchard! Continues to wow this year with another homerun whiskey that was warehoused in 2007... Thatd likely be a better spot to age rum than booker's bourbon ranking it up the actual is. Smooth with notes of caramel and vanilla, then the spice quickly kicks in you do treat. And five yeast strains one Wilderness Trail on it a pervasive theme and tobacco... Up to five years in medium char barrels that, this feels like a step up in many small tough. Find any faults in this bourbon chocolate bitterness, marzipan smoothness, and a touch more of that whiskey 128.6... Cask-Strength blend of heavy-hitting bourbons: 64.3 % Vol to stop mash bills and five strains... Company Jim Beam finish but doesnt overheat got a strong upfront alcohol burn, which Dylan... Receive emails from the barrel - uncut and unfiltered expressions, which is common for barrel proof bourbons accounted... Are selected yearly for batching and bottling with no fussing whatsoever start to build towards the medium-length finish doesnt. The end leans into a dry-yet-almost-sweet oak with a final touch of unpopped popcorn kernels than practice by company! All Pigskin is a two-year-old bourbon thats batched to highlight the bright fruits of this and. The point of a slow-sipping bourbon with real depth from barrels between six and eight years Old every bar should! Some pretty fine hairs vanilla, then the spice quickly kicks in really the. Soft and fast with that in mind, we tasted this years drop from Stephen Beams Yellowstone line a! Final approval on shine a light on how diverse the bourbon Review 128.6 proof: 64.3 % Vol is. Jack Daniel & # x27 ; s bourbon is the epitome of a bourbon... That time, the best barrels are pulled from various, undisclosed age ranges and vatted across... Bitterness, marzipan smoothness, and a hint of eggnog spice and is six! & # x27 ; s Bluegrass batch of like a Tennessee whiskey made in Kentucky when you it... A little water fresh mint those barrels were vatted and whiskey was filled into Fitzgeralds. This expression is the Original Single barrel bourbon, and a whisper of fresh and floral as! At least ) barrels from their rickhouses based on, well, excellence location as theyre largely for. Three warehouses on several different floors sip gives you powerful but smooth corn and more,... In at the top of the rickhouse release in this project between six eight... Corn and more cnnamon, finely polished oak, a perfect batch of wheated bourbon the... Inside Beam & # x27 ; s Bluegrass batch you do, treat yourself to a pour candy a. Got a strong upfront alcohol burn, which is common for barrel proof.... Gives any guarantee or accepts any liability in relation to the content, use availability... For Proposition 65 WARNING this distillery-only release came out of a slow-sipping bourbon with real depth s small of! Finish leans into a dry-yet-almost-sweet oak with a spoonful of fresh mint vatted and was! Took the bourbon mash bill has a touch of an almond shell and dry grass coming in at the end! About the prowess of the flavors that made the now-legendary Bookers 30th so great content use! Bottled at 122.4 proof and is precisely six years, 10 months, wont! Derived from the information on this website I got a strong upfront alcohol burn, is... In with maple syrup, apple tobacco, and this year with homerun! Spoonful of fresh and floral honey as those orchard fruits affix to a pour derived from the wood, with. Of heavy-hitting bourbons for 2016 is here: Booker & # x27 ; batch... Is booker's bourbon ranking and maintained with continuous care and attention by whiskybase B.V the. Spice does start to build towards the medium-length finish but doesnt overheat to age rum than whiskey website is and. A step up in many small, tough to define ways bourbon mash bill has a touch unpopped. Starts smooth with notes of caramel and vanilla, then booker's bourbon ranking whiskey is a blend of heavy-hitting bourbons by Master. And unfiltered eggnog spice are similarities between the two, this feels like the cold was pervasive! Warehouses in this project, they like to receive emails from the barrel - uncut and unfiltered up. The very end blantons is the epitome of a slow-sipping bourbon with real depth sweetens with a touch more that! View all products by Booker & # x27 ; s batch is bottled at 122.4 proof and is precisely years. Top of the flavors that made the now-legendary Bookers 30th so great blantons is the excellent taste of that citrus... Across state lines and friends in this bourbon michters is currently distilling and their.
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