Behind it lingers the smell of oak, light floral notes, and a solid nutty scent. This is a bowl of stewed apple over vanilla ice cream thats been drizzled with extra caramel. Whiskybase uses external services to enhance the functionality of Whiskybase.com these external services are: - Google analytics for analytics- Mailchimp for sending our newsletters- Paypal, Multisafepay and Stripe for handeling Market paymentsYour personal data (collection, purchase price, tasting notes, reviews and checkins) are not shared with other companies and are securely stored in our database. Our number two pick for this year is an untraditional Bookers with a familiar Beam flavor. The duo worked long and hard to create multiple whiskey expressions, which Bob Dylan taste-tested and granted final approval on. This was a hell of a first drop from Zykan. Barrell puts out a lot of whiskeys every year. Beam Distilling Co. released the final installment of the 2022 Booker's Bourbon Collection, Booker's Batch 2022-04, "Pinkie's Batch.". I vouch for the whole list, top to bottom. The taste, on the other hand, leans into vanilla oils, dry cedar, and a dusting of white pepper that leads back to the spice without the jam. Instead, I found myself going back for more and more sips just to capture some additional flavor. We use cookies to improve your online experience. Its really that good. Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of 2021. After completing the tasting, I added a few drops of water to my glass. But the bourbon in that bottle is what really shined as a great day-to-day sipper. Jack Daniel's Old No. And . Nicole Austin has been killing it with these bottled-in-bond releases from George Dickel. The best-selling bourbon in the world, ol' white label has held steady through thick and thin times. Four Roses Single Barrel. This bourbon is a great example of how important barrel selection can be. Eventually the popularity of these bottles caught on and Beam started to bottle in mass. The palate opens up towards the dark fruit but dries it out and married it to a sticky and spicy tobacco leaf while toasted cedar soaked in salted caramel vibes with dry corn husks that are just singed. 9. The first release in this line for 2016 is here: Booker's Bluegrass batch. 3. The bottle was released to celebrate the brand-new visitors center at Heaven Hill and is largely only available there. This opens with a nose full of salted butter next to hints of very soft leather, light notes of vanilla bean, a touch of toffee sweetness, and freshly cracked walnuts with a dry edge. The taste embraces those notes while adding a bright cherry sweetness next to dried tobacco leaves, worn leather, rye black pepper, and plenty of buttery toffee. 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. Therefore, they are often times compared head-to-head. Freddie Noe hit this one out of the park. Bardstown is doing some of the most interesting blending (and contract distilling) in the game. The end leans into eggnog spices with a touch of bitter black tea, more leathery tobacco, and a whisper of fresh mint. Stagg Jr. vs Booker's. As far as cask strength bourbons, Stagg Jr. and Booker's are some of the more established products. The bourbon spent 12 months finishing in those old-school barrels before vatting, proofing, and bottling. This years release was a showcase of the masterful blending happening under Sean Josephs. We try to make them a little different if possible, because, if you dont its just the same thing. If you do, treat yourself to a pour. The sip is an easy one that brings the depth you want from an almost old-school-tasting bourbon while still being fun to drink and mix. Those barrels are blended and then proofed down with soft Tennessee water. 26 % Rostered. Theres a sense of the woody spices thats more akin to cinnamon sticks once stirred in hot apple cider, leaving you with a dry note of spicy tobacco. 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). The final 16 percent is a seven-year Indian bourbon made with 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and four perfect malted barley. But Grannys Batch takes this note back in time for some nostalgic treats from grandmas house. The spirit is from Buffalo Traces low-rye mash bill. 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. 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. The nose on this has a distinct barnyard funk tied to wet bales of straw that leads to a salted caramel sweetness with a twinge of a pine box full of cherry pits. Last years release was a mix of MGP rye (95 percent rye) and High West rye (100 percent rye) finished in French oak barrels that held port. It's got the sweet, clean profile of Buffalo Trace in spades, with the added heat and punch of 125 . Though its very likely this is a low-rye bourbon mash. Still, this bourbon is a must-have that hides its ABVs so well that I doubt youll even realize that its barrel strength. The end softens the leather as the dark chocolate lingers the longest on your senses with a final touch of almost peppery spice. While others rejoiced to drink bourbon at age 21, Booker was thrilled to start making the stuff. The real beauty is in the softness of the taste. This thirst quencher was sourced from 6 different rickhouses with an age statement of 7 years, 4 months, and 14 days. They take that whiskey and fill it into Redbreast whiskey casks that had previously aged Irish whiskey for 12 years. If you have any question with respect to the processing of your personal data by Whiskybase B.V., please contact e-mail: info@whiskybase.com. A lot of Peerless drops could be right here. The whiskey in the bottle is generally at least 12 years old and bottled with no cutting down to proof or filtration whatsoever. Ranking batches of Booker's is, to a certain extent, a ridiculous exercise. Its Wild Turkey with no flaws. This is a gem. Its full of old cherry, dry leather, vanilla-laced tobacco leaves, rich caramel thats almost chewy, and maybe a touch of sassafras thats just leaning into root beer territory. 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. The nose has a mix of honey next to buttery biscuits, rich vanilla, a touch of tart red berries, dry cedar, and a very faint hint of dry mint. Barrel Proof, Batch #C06-K-8: Fredrick Booker Noe II was Jim Beams grandson and the master distiller at Jim Beam from 1965 -1992. 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 opens with a rich matrix of cherry syrup, apple cores, sticky toffee, vanilla ice cream, and a thin line of wet and sweet wood. By making the ranking of "5" to be a perfectly average whiskey, we have much more room to grade whiskies on a wide variety of characteristics without them concentrating at one spot on our list. Apple pie meets bourbon barrel spice. So this is a small batch in theory and name more than practice. Maintaining a high quality bar, bold flavors, and availability, while keeping the price under $100 is a pretty big accomplishment in and of itself nowadays. The palate really holds onto that velvety vanilla as the corn husks dry out and notes of orange-infused dark chocolate mingle with that spicy tobacco, which starts buzzing on your tongue. This is another one that grew on me. __moops__ 3 yr. ago Thanks for this. The nutty toffee carries through into the taste as oily vanilla pods mingle with cedar boxes of dried tobacco leaves and a touch of floral honey. The bourbon is made from a blend of corn, rye, and barley, and is aged for a minimum of six years in oak barrels. Blanton's SFTB is one of the few bottles on the market that could give George T. Stagg a run for its money. Theres a real throughline of sunny berry brambles (blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry) next to orange oils and a touch of oakiness on the nose. The mid-palate leans back into the dark stone fruit and sweetness as it only slightly dries out. While Booker's may have been the first mass produced barrel proof bourbon to hit the market, barrel proof bourbons are more common now than when Booker's was first introduced. Theres a roundness to this sip thats enticing. Compared to other mid-aged Beam bourbons, a perfect batch of Booker's is an entirely different animal. Since then, it lost 73 percent of its volume to the angels as it rested in warehouses C, K, M, and Q on various floors. The actual barrels sourced for these single barrel expressions tend to be at least ten years old with some rumored to be closer to 15 years old. Booker's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Access to over 2.4 million ratings and reviews, More than 200.000 bottles available from retailers around the world, The most trusted source of factual bottle information available. The very end leaves you with this dry cedar box that once held allspice berries, anise, and cinnamon but now holds a very dry leaf of cherry-choco tobacco. While preferences may vary by batch, you can count on a great barrel proof bourbon with every bottle. The minimalist design and the Pappy bottles quietly gave us a classic mixing bourbon that, again, is really hard to find any issue with. It's also significantly cheaper. While not necessarily inexpensive, Booker's does a nice job of delivering value to the consumer. Master Blender Dave Carpenter built this small-batch bourbon off the back of barrels of very high-rye bourbon (60 percent corn, 36 percent rye, and four percent malted barley) from MGP of Indiana. Its a great, bold whiskey that truly shines when mixed. The spirit is aged for four years before theyre bottled individually without cutting or filtration. That fruit and oak will carry through on the palate as hints of buttery toffee, rich vanilla, and peppery spice mingle on the tongue and set your lips abuzz. . The expression is a marrying of 200 barrels of bourbon from Heaven Hills warehouses. The expression is made from 100 barrels that are matured for 34 months before being small-batched by Pinhooks Master Taster Sean Josephs. This limited release from a couple of months ago is a blend of heavy-hitting bourbons. The information on this website is composed and maintained with continuous care and attention by Whiskybase B.V.. Then the whiskey was filled into Old Fitzgeralds signature decanters and sent out into the world. Im looking forward to trying this in a nice eggnog soon. But once you start digging around in the nose and taste, you wont want to stop. The palate starts off equally soft with something more akin to maple syrup sweetness which then leads into a rush of berry brambles. But what can I say? It stands out. News: 2 days ago Booker finished Sunday's 104-101 loss to the Bucks with 24 points (9-21 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 5-9 FT), four rebounds and eight assists over 38 minutes. Stephen Beam is doing some amazing work out of a tiny distillery in rural Kentucky. Third floors, however, might make a difference. The taste is all caramel apples, buttered cornbread, mild cherry, and a hint of eggnog spice. You can tell youre drinking something special with every sip. You must be 21 or over to enter this website. Well done, Pigskin. This whiskey was produced in the spring of 2003. This is one of the contenders for the best pound for pound bourbon in the world (see below to find out if it won). Once they hit the right flavor profile, those barrels are moved to the bottom floors of other warehouses to slow the aging down. This might be the best Bulliet on the market. Explore this storyboard about American Whiskey, Wine & Spirits . This whiskey is a collaboration between Heavens Door Master Blender Ryan Perry and Redbreasts legendary Master Blender Billy Leighton. Sure theres better barrel proof bourbons on the market, but its nice to know that any day of the week you can walk into a liquor store and pick up a bottle of Booker's and enjoy it when the mood hits you. 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. The end lingers while it fades through salted caramel apples towards a mellow floral spiciness with a dried reed finish and a touch of vanilla tobacco chew. Overall, this is a lighter bourbon by Texas standards and that helps it stand out amongst the crowd. Still, this is a great bourbon and the best Weller there is. This is classic Makers thats treated with a little less of that limestone water to let the barrel techniques shine a bit more while still holding onto the Makers vibe. This edition is a mix of whiskeys finished in pear brandy, Jamaican rum, and Sicilian Amaro casks that are then batched. Pappy Van Winkle 25 Decanter. The end warms a bit with the fruitiness waning towards a spicy, choco-tobacco end. Its a striking bottle and only 199 were produced. The result is this award-winning Barrel Strength bottle, which possesses a surprising complexity considering that its alcohol content lies somewhere between 120 and 25 proof, depending on . On the palate, very dark cacao dust opens up your taste buds as dates soaked in floral Earl Grey create a base for a moist and very sticky toffee pudding with a small dollop of the silkiest vanilla ice cream youve ever had. On top of all of that, its also delicious and makes for a great sipper with a little water. This is one of those whiskeys where youll likely say Ah, I get it now when drinking it. The finish really embraces the cherry but more towards the stem and seed as the nuttiness leans marzipan and the tobacco takes on an ever-so-slight chewiness. Position Rank. 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. The nose opens with a rush of cedar next to Christmas spices steeped in sweet red wine. The taste holds onto the honeyed sweetness with burnt sugars, light cedar, chocolate tobacco leaves, and a hint of orange oils. It's the perfect holiday spirit, lush with rich spiced nuts and dried fruit. The end is long-ish and carries more of that vanilla cream while that cinnamon becomes slightly chewy with a dried choco-mint tobacco buzz on the tip of the tongue. Yes, I would like to receive emails from The Bourbon Review. 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. 1. 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. This was my favorite of the three releases this year. I really cant find any faults in this bourbon. I fully admit that I dont always reach for this brand but this bottle made me want to more. 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