Booker's Bourbon Batch 2015-06 "Noe Secret"

Rating: 16/23 N: Musty corn and sawdust with a big limestone minerality. The corn's sweetness gradually builds a bit into sort of a cornbread profile. A thin layer of moderately tannic wood in the back. It's a passable nose, but I wouldn't call it good. I like the mustiness mixed with the sawdust and cornbread, but it's such a light and uncomplex nose that they don't really do it for me. P: Much sweeter than the nose suggested, with cornbread, vanilla, caramel, and juicy fruit in the tangerine and cherry range before turning more into orange peel. Big spices kick throughout, with ginger, pepper, and clove leading some cinnamon. There's a clear wood presence, though there isn't a ton going on with it. It's moderately tannic and not at all leathery. That characteristic Beam lightness with minerality and bitterness shows for sure, with its usual licorice flavor. Oh, some mint as well, and hints of root beer at times. This is quite nice and is much better than the nose suggested. It isn't blowing my mind by any means, but I'm enjoying it quite a bit. F: This is fine, but nothing special. It leans hard toward the bitterness and minerality, with wood, licorice, ginger, and clove being the main players. They aren't bad flavors, but they're definitely the aftertaste flavors. A touch of vanilla, perhaps. Quite a forgettable finish. - Conclusion - I like this, but it isn't one of my favorite Booker's releases. It has a really nice fruity sweetness for a bit, but that gets overwhelmed by the other flavors. It ends up tasting a lot like proofed-up Jim Beam Original (9/23), which works out fine, but I don't find the regular Jim Beam to be a very inspiring bourbon. Still, the low proof is a big part of what holds the regular Jim Beam back. Of the three Booker's I'm trying now, I'm the least impressed by this one. It's a clear step down from 2016-05 Off Your Rocker and 2017-01 Tommy's Batch, the two of which are quite different, but are fairly similar in quality. Russell's Reserve 10 (15-16/23) is in about the same ballpark as this. I'd be inclined to give this the nod, so I'm thinking a 16 here. Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve (18-19/23) is lot better than this, though the gap isn't positively enormous. I'm thinking that it's reinforcing this as a 16. My bottle of Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered (18/23) is a bit better than this, but they're surprisingly close on a kind of tired palate. I think that this might be a 17, but that's the absolute highest it can go. The base Beam lightness and bitterness are hard to get past, especially with that bit of added tannin. Coming back for a few last sips on a very fresh palate, this has a nice vanilla sweetness to it. Alongside my bottle of Balcones True Blue Cask Strength (19/23), this isn't nearly as complex or decadently vanilla-flavored. This doesn't have that maple-corn sweetness either. The gap is large. Russell's Reserve 10 is still competitive with this. I can imagine this going up to a 17, but right now I'm finding it to still be a 16. Thank you, @Milliardo , for sharing this one!

Appropriately, Noe Secret needs to be shared. I’ve tried Booker’s in the past and the experience wasn’t all that enjoyable. It was harsh, clumsy and felt like the guy crushing cans on his forehead near the pool. Fun to have at the party, but definitely not what makes the party great. This entry forced me to look at Booker’s with new eyes. Truth be told, this has an incredibly smooth entry, great flavor, and precision sweetness. You’ll find your standard lineup: rich caramel, buttery toffee, oak, and some intense spice. On the palate, this one enters rather mildly and slips down easy. What comes next might make you giggle a bit. This one is a coal in your chest, comical and surprising while still maintaining a semblance of craftsmanship and composure. I couldn’t help but smile and thoroughly enjoy the experience. While this isn’t for everyone, if you want an intense bourbon outing, this one is for you. (FWF Share #45)

I get a sweet melon scent on the nose, again far less astringent that I would expect for the ABV. There’s honey and lemon on the body, and I get a leathery, charred-oak finish. I don’t know how they do this, but I get an oily body and dry finish. Big fan of the mouth feel on this one!

On ice: Mild sweet oak nose. Sweet corn & oak flavor with a touch of caramel & black pepper. Oak dominated finish. Oak lingering flavor with notes of sweetness & pepper. At BJ's Mesquite, TX. $12.95 for 2oz. Recommend to anyone who wants a oak forward bourbon.

Wow very hot with the high proof. Needs some water to really bring out the flavor and nose. Light carmel flavor with toasted cereal. The nose has lots of char with a sweet lingering scent.

Disappointed at first, but a few days after opening the bottle, it really blossomed--this is one of the best bourbons I have ever had....reminds me of the 2015 George T. Stagg.