Booker's Bourbon Batch 2021-01 "Donohoe's Batch"

Rating: 19/23 N: Rich, but not super full. There's a dark decadence lying in wait here. A rich caramel mixed with molasses gives way to spices (ancho chili, ginger, clove, black pepper, cinnamon) and black licorice. A dash of grade A maple syrup. Some dry tannic wood that's not all that interesting, but it does at least get some wood in here. Oh, and then the Jim Beam peanuts come in. The nose is fairly light, but what I get out of it seems promising for the palate. P: Rich and fairly full, though like most Beam products, the body doesn't entirely fill out. There's peanut and also licorice, so both of the core Beam flavors. There's a bold limestone minerality throughout. Peppery spice with ginger and cinnamon leading into clove. A bit of alcohol bite and ancho burn. Actually, let's be real - it's a substantial alcohol bite, but it's not all that unexpected for Booker's. Sort of sweet, watered-down grade A maple syrup. Some bits of herbal flavor come out from the licorice. I'm finally getting some sweet fruit. It's like apple with cherry playing second fiddle. The flavors are bold and tasty, but there's an alcohol curtain getting in the way. This is a good execution of a pretty typical Beam/Booker's profile. F: Minerals with watered-down grade A maple syrup mix with black licorice. Hints of peanuts and wood, but this is actually a surprisingly light finish. Faint creosote on the long finish. - Conclusion - I enjoyed this, but it wasn't everything that it was hyped up to be. I consider it to be competitive with Booker's Shiny Barrel (19/23). I like that this has less alcohol and minerality, so I'm inclined to rate it higher. Still, the Shiny Barrel is kind of a low 19, so this is more like a high 19. The Shiny Barrel is also almost gone, so it might be falling in quality because of oxygen. Wild Turkey Rare Breed (18-19/23) is surprisingly close to this in quality, so a 20 seems unlikely. Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof (21/23) also decidedly beats this, so there's no way that this is a 21. Based on all of this, I'm going with a 19. I consider it a success for a Booker's release, but a disappointment for something so hyped. Based on my experience with this latest series of tastings and considering that Booker's now goes for $130, I think I'm done with this brand. I'll try some new releases in bars or as samples, but I doubt I will be buying another bottle anytime soon. Thanks a bunch to @jdriip for giving me a sample of this one! I was sad to have missed it when it was released and have been wondering what it tastes like ever since.

Nose: It's Booker's - dense, rich oak, brown sugar, and French vanilla ice cream. Barrel char and a little smoke. You get a sense for the rye in the mash bill, with warming baking spices. Roasted peanuts and almonds. Dusty corn, leather, cocoa - walking through a used bookstore with Parisian hot chocolate. Grilled apricots and peaches drizzled with honey. Just a little bit of cherry. Not the sweetest, not the driest - this sits right in the middle. Definitely presents as high proof, but it doesn't singe your nasal cavity nearly as much as you'd expect. Palate: Warming, with oak, char, molasses, sugar, and vanilla. Swirls of apples with natural peanut butter, those grilled peaches topped wiuth honey, and some whipped cream. Proof is much more evident on the tongue. That, along with the tannins, gives this the classic texture you want from this line. Hot cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little fennel. Again, sits about in the middle of the sweet/dry spectrum. Banana pudding, mixed chocolate/carob/white chocolate chips, Nilla Wafers. Great balance overall, with everything cranked up to 10, though the treble is up to 11. Hits all over the palate. Medium-heavy mouthfeel. Finish: Ethanol followed by exactly what you'd expect - charred oak, molasses, vanilla, and brown sugar. Apple pie, but with extra spices in the mix. Leather follows suit while the proof calms down. Roasted nuts, buttermilk biscuits, and dry coffee grounds. Tannin shows up late but is a welcome addition. And that's how we fade out. Medium-long length. Other notes: It's Booker's. Felt right to wrap this up starting with the same two words I began this with. While there's obviously variation from batch to batch, the profile fits within a particular bandwidth. This one does a fantastic job not letting any particular element dominate, giving a great sense of what this line is all about. While not my personal favorite release (2018-02), this is a great intro to the experience - if you wanted to know of a batch to start with, you'd be hard pressed to do better than this. I may re-buy this, something I tend to avoid in the post price-hike era. Good stuff.

Lately, I’ve been turning back the clocks with some older batches of Booker’s. Donohoe’s Batch is a relatively recent batch, so it should interesting to see whether one of my all-time favorite lines is keeping up with quality. Nose: Steak with sauce jumps out of the glass. This is quickly overtaken by maple, cola, vanilla, caramel, milk chocolate, and brown sugar sweetness. Classic Beam peanut brittle. Orange citrus, tobacco smoke, and sawdust. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak round out a powerful nose. Palate: Peanut brittle out of the gate. The steak/steak sauce are also very prominent. Caramel, vanilla, maple, toffee, nougat and cola. The invokes memories of a black cherry/vanilla soda. Black pepper, cinnamon, oak Finish: Maple, cocoa, vanilla, cola and a bit of caramel. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Long as they make ‘em. Reminds me of Center Cut. That’s the oldest—chronologically—Booker’s batch I’ve had. 6 years apart, yet so much similarity to be found—especially when considering how much variance there is between Booker’s batches. 62.65% ABV. 6 years, 11 months, and 4 days. $80. Worth every penny. What a fantastic, powerful, and juicy bourbon. Long live the king. 5/5, and quite easily at that.

I was excited to find this in a local area shop for near msrp earlier this year. It had been a long time since I had seen a Booker’s at a reasonable price, and even longer since I had actually tasted one. Within the last month and a half I was able to pick up the Pigskin Batch locally, the Boston Batch in Yreka on the way to a funeral in Washington State, and was given the Backyard BBQ Batch by a nephew while there. Thinking back to years ago when I first tasted Booker’s, I was salivating at the chance to taste all these batches. Memories seldom match reality, and that’s the case here. Based on my recent experience with these batches, while a solid bourbon, Booker’s just seems to have a narrow flavor spectrum that’s missing the fruit and savory flavors I enjoy in a bourbon. Tasting: Oak, nuttiness and creme brulee on the nose, it’s a little hot on the palate with grain, oak and vanilla notes, the finish is long, hot and bitter. I liked it better with a large ice cube, which actually brought out some dark fruit notes.

BOOKER’S DONOHOE’S BATCH (2021-01) *NOSE: Thick & Clingy with Lazy Fat Legs. Nose starts off with some Heat, Brown Sugar, Green Peanut, Black Pepper, Dry Oak, Root Beer, Vanilla, and Fresh Play Doh. *NEAT: Dry, Sweet, and Oak Forward. Sawdust, Peanut Butter, White Chocolate, Cinnamon, Clove, Rock Candy, Root Beer, and Sweet Tannins. Clingy, Warming Finish with a building KYHug. Peppery Oak & Vanilla Coat and layer the entire mouth and hang around long after the Glencairn is emptied. *Splash: A little water and Orange Peel shows up on both nose and palate. A large cube and it’s Peanut Brittle in liquid form. Very good. *VERDICT: The two Booker’s releases I’ve had have both been superb. Hurts my heart to remember how I used to completely ignore these as they sat on the shelf for months at $50-$60. These barrels are definitely Beam’s sweet spot

I recieved this as a gift and I am excited to taste it. Batch 2021-01E. 62.65% and very hot on initial taste so I've added filtered water to get to about 47%. Nose: Very classic bourbon nose. Lots of caramel. Some vanilla and baking spice presenting here as well. Some burnt cinnamon toast - classic. Palate: Lots to take in here. Initial salted caramel and some cinnamon. Definitely some nuttiness. Delicious dry oaky tannins subsequently present. Some peppermint lingers in the background. Finish: Long and dry. The oaky tannins stay around for awhile complimented by some burnt brown sugar noted. Warming of the palate is a pleasant late surprise. Overall, this is delicious and spectacular. The high proof shows the confidence in this whisky. I'm thankful (given this is just after Thanksgiving) to be a recipient of this whisky!