Booker's Bourbon Batch 2017-02 "Blue Knights Batch"

When I saw this on the shelf I knew I had to order a pour. I remembered having Bookers on my wish list to sample, but it was just Bookers in general, any bookers I could get a taste of before investing in a whole bottle. When I ordered this I was told I had made an excellent choice. This is reportedly a rarer bottle and I am sure I will never find it again once it has seen its last pour at the place I found it at, Suerly I will not find this on a self at a liquor store so I feel honored to have had the chance to try it at all. From what I have read it is not a perfect example of Bookers all around so I will still have to explore this line further before investing in a full bottle - oh dram. Alas lets get to the notes... Nose: Unlike other tastings on here I did not find it to be a ton of alcohol in the nose, yes the aroma was present but it was not nose hair burning. Vanilla, cream, caramel, almond, coconut and orange peel. Some spice - baking spice, perhaps nutmeg. Flavor: Low alcohol burn but very creamy but look out - that burn that was not so prevalent sneaks up from behind and will get ya! The "burn" comes from notes of cinnamon and black pepper. Also it has the vanilla and creamy flavors along with it. Then a smokiness sneaks in on the back end. Even with that shocking sneaky kick of spice the flavor remains decedent of cream and sweetness. Added 1 small cube of ice and it still had the exact same profile. Overall a very nice sampling of Booker's and I do feel lucky to have got to try this one but more investigation into this brand is needed for me to decide if I am a fan of the more available bottles. Ratings have nothing to do with cost - just my impressions.

Here's another entry in what is arguably my favorite product line in all of bourbon, and one of my favorites in all of whiskey. This was a rare find--this is the 2nd of 4 batches from 2017. At 63.7% ABV, this promises to hit heavy--it's one of the strongest batches I've had to date. Let's see if the quality matches. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, peanut brittle, brown sugar. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. A strange but welcome cocoa butter note. Dried apricot and a touch of menthol. Interesting nose. Palate: Peanut brittle, caramel, cocoa, fudge, and brown sugar. Apple and cherry. Steel-cut oatmeal. Dried apricot and other dried fruit. Nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and oak. Huge ginger note. Spicy as hell. Crispy barrel char. Amazing. Finish: Peanut brittle, caramel, brown sugar, caramel, and dried apricot. Cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Long a finish as they come. Awesome. I've said this before and I'll said it again. I consider Booker's to be a 5-star whiskey. I'm just here to report the variation in notes. This one certainly had that to offer. It's unique to any Booker's batch I've had before. Holds up the best of them. 5-stars. I'd put this is in the upper crust of Booker's batches and bourbons in general without question. I'd like to try some of the other 2017 batches if possible. For now, this is a great representative for that year. If you've got even a remote affinity for Booker's or cask strength bourbon in general, by this on sight. Absolute gem.

This is the first batch of Booker's I've tried, and it's quite enjoyable. The nose has so much cherry sweetness, a real Cherry Vanilla Coke aroma to it. There's a tiny bit of oak, but not as much as I'd want. The full proof doesn't really rear up and smack me in the face, which surprises me a bit given its relatively young age of slightly over 6 years. Must be good barrel selection. The palate has a heavy tannin presence, and is where the oak appears in force. It's a teethcoater for sure, with a rich, luxurious flavor and an almost waxy texture. The finish is really nice, dark stewed fruits, almost like a cherry pie, mixing in with the heat from the proof and loads of cinnamon and oak. After having about half of it, I dropped some water in, which brought vanilla cream to the fore, and made the palate a bit more vibrant. The finish unfortunately doesn't benefit from water; I get honey and some citrus tartness, and the astringency from the wood becomes too pronounced. I have a hard time seeing them successfully pushing the price of this line all the way up to $100, because it's a clear cut or two below Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (which is still $70-80) in my book.

Batch No. 2017-02 “Blue Knights Batch” Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Proof: 127.4 (63.7%) Age: 6 Years 3 Months 6 Days Mashbill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery, Clermont, KY Price: $75 - $90 Color: Medium-Dark Amber Nose: Smooth Alcohol, Toffee, Cocoa, Cereal Oats, Hint of Herbal/Mossy/Grassy Notes Palate: Full, Warm, Brown Sugar Sweetness, Touch of Spice, Oak, Black Cherry, Subtle Peanuts, Hint of Leather Finish: Long, Warm Yet Smooth, Oak, Leather, Spicy, Herbal, Peanuts Personal Rating: 8.25/10 Notes: As usual, I LOVE Booker’s! It consistently delivers a delicious pour regardless of the batch. Some I like more than others, but all too notch nonetheless. As for the Blue Knight Batch I have here, for me it seems to have replaced the familiar leathery flavor for notes of peanut and moss. Which is surprisingly pleasant. The more I drink, the more the peanut comes forward. It is pretty warm, so I could recommend adding some water or an ice cube...but I won’t because I enjoy it just as it is. As with any batch of Booker’s, do yourself a favor and grab a bottle

As with most cask strength spirits, the heat can be felt on the nose but for this bookers release you also get vanilla and even some smoke and leather. The ethanol still dominates though. The palate is unfortunately disappointing. The heat is felt quickly with the high proof but quickly followed by caramel. It really is pretty one dimensional. It's not bad, but the faint leather and smoke from the nose is not even there. Maybe slightly on the finish but even that is subdued and you really just feel the burn on the way down with a touch of spice. Adding a bit of water doesnt really do too much besides lessening the ethanol ambush on the nose and on the way down. It's still one dimensional with caramel leading the charge. I've had a few of the bookers bourbons but this one seems more useful in a high quality cocktail like a mint julep over just sipping it on its own. Decent but ultimately disappointing.

Served neat in a rocks glass at the bar from a bottle that was 80% empty, so I suspect it had time to soften in the bottle. Reminds me of a sweet rum syrup with a hint of black tea and a subtly hot spice character on the back end. Great length of finish with a low burn. Perfect balance with a recognizable Booker's flavor profile. Similar to 2018-4 "Kitchen Sink" Expectedly excellent