Booker's Bourbon Batch 2017-04 Sip Awhile

Nose is vanilla, simple syrup, sour cherries, and rye. The palate is vanilla and sour cherries with a totally mouth-watering mid-palate, finishing with spice, pepper, and the ABV. Although having similar ABVs [64.05% and 64.2%], the Booker's delivers much less heat than the Stagg Jr Batch 13. A bit of dryness, OK - but again, quieter when compared to the Stagg Jr. or even the Russell Reserve Single Barrel. Adding a half-teaspoon of water accentuates the sweet bourbon notes, and imparts the finish with hints of licorice, mint, and cherry cola. Adding a second splash of water, and the density of flavors coalesce into something great. It's too bad it's spring, however, for this is the spiciest bourbon I've had by far, and it might've been so much better during the winter months. Batch Profile: 4% 6th Floor of Warehouse F - 4% 7th Floor of Warehouse F - 8% 4th Floor of Warehouse E - 39% 5th Floor of Warehouse E - 45% 7th Floor of Warehouse H My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."

I’m a sucker for (a) high proof whiskies and (b) peanut flavors. Despite this, I’ve never had Booker’s, as I’m generally somewhat hesitant to purchase bourbons in its price range, as my perception is that you’re getting diminishing returns on your investment. When I saw Booker’s at a bar while on a trip for work, I figured it was a good chance to see whether it was worth the relatively high price tag. Age: 6 years, 8 months. Mashbill: Jim Beam Standard (76% corn, 12% rye, and 10% malted barley) Abv: 64.05% Setting: Neat in a tumbler while at dinner Nose: Lots of peanuts. Taste: Very thick and rich (almost syrupy), with more of that sweet sweet Beam peanut funk, as well as some brown sugar and baking spices. Finish: Long. Despite the high proof, it’s deceptively smooth, with more of a gentle caress than the forceful slap of something like Stagg Jr. Conclusion: Oh boy, this is another good one, particularly if one likes peanut flavors and aromas in their whiskey. It reminds me a lot of the store pick Knob Creek Single Barrel that I stocked up on. I’d have to try them side by side to determine which I like better, so I’ll just give this the same score. People claim that Booker’s has gone down-hill, but I don’t see it. I’ll have to start tracking down other releases of Booker’s. 94/100

Neat. Opened for maybe 2 years (wow, time flies). So Booker’s. After Teresa’s Batch, my faith in Booker’s was broken a bit. Country Ham was amazing but not enough for me to collect batches like I used to. But I decided to return to Sip Awhile to understand if I am propping up the old batches or if they were better than the last year. Nose is very subtle actually. Creamy vanilla frosting. Only a hint of the Beam nuttiness. Some really nice cherry. Charred caramel. Quintessential bourbon but nothing knocking me out. Viscous and syrupy. Maple and vanilla sweetness up front. But it brings the flavor. Cherry, peanuts, chocolate, caramel. It really brought it all in waves. Maple and honey is really strong and pronounced throughout the experience. Really dense with good flavors. The cherry on the legs and aftertaste is fabulous and lingers. It’s amazing. I struggle with Booker’s now due to the inconsistency and price gouging but it’s nice to know I wasn’t crazy to fall in love in the first place. In my top 5 favorite Booker batches of all time.

So, one thing I expect from my Booker's bottles is that, whatever flavor they are, they are potent when they provide it. The nose is a little dull, which feels a bit sacrilege, especially in the Glencarin. The initial taste starts as a bit of a needle effect; that is, the flavor begins very concentrated on the tongue, even if you swish it, and then it absolutely explodes everywhere with no regard. I specifically use the word "flavor" because it's actually quite hard to distinguish it before the aforementioned explosion. Smooth, perhaps even a bit citrus. This hardly matters, however, because the entire mouth opens to such powerful fire and spice that it's actually hard to contain. Sure, part of it tastes like rye, but much more of it tastes like if you ate a full tablespoon of all the spices that go into a pumpkin pie. I feel like the finish on this one (and my breath included) could absolutely melt fresh snow on the ground. This is beneficial, because this would make an amazing deep winter night sipper.

Nose: lots of cherry, black tea, cinnamon, pipe tobacco, rye? Taste: hot, the black tea and pipe tobacco are still there, not a lot of sweetness, cherry came through on later sips - maybe building on the finish from prior sips Finish: waxy, cherry, maybe peanut, a minty freshness eventually After reading reviews: really surprised not to see cherry notes - only found one review that mentioned, I just didn’t get the vanilla that most cited even after adding some water, my black tea note was a bit specific and not noted by others but the rest of what I found was

This bottle took the ticket in my first blind tasting event. Came first of 15, surprisingly beating out a few other favorites of mine. Really has a nice chewy butterscotch flavor to it. Original tasting notes: "Black pepper, very hot nose. Slightly sweet as the heat tapers off, very slight butterscotch. Taste wise, nutmeg, hazelnut - definitely a little nutty but in a good way. Warm finish, little woody. Butterscotchy, chewy, and very flavorful. Very slight spice right before the finish too. Very well rounded bourbon - 90"