Booker's Bourbon Batch 2021-02 "Tagalong Batch"

To change things up, @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington sent me a series of samples that have either shapes or some code on them to prevent me from being able to know what they are until after I’ve tasted them. Will I mistake a rye for bourbon or completely miss a finish, who knows, but I’m dying to find out so let’s continue this blind challenge with the vial that has a B4 on it. The nose starts with grade a dark maple syrup poured over fresh off the iron skillet flapjacks cooked with browned butter then comes the fruit toppings of sautéed cinnamon apples, brown sugar grilled peaches, light orange zest and maraschino cherries followed by dark chocolate covered candied pecans, ginger, and old vintage leather wrapped around antique polished mahogany furniture with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a syrupy rich mouthfeel starting with grade a dark maple syrup poured over those brown butter soaked, fresh off the iron skillet flapjacks then comes the fruits of sautéed cinnamon apples, brown sugar grilled peaches, orange sports drink and cherries jubilee followed by a mild spice that fades to dark chocolate covered candied pecans, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and old vintage leather wrapped around antique polished mahogany furniture with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with dark chocolate oranges, honeycomb, toasted coconut, candied pecans, slight chalky orange flavor, a slice of hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream, high end leather boots and polished mahogany that lingers for minutes. Wow, what incredible and fantastic bourbon that you can tell it’s going to be great just based on that rich nose that brings in all those traditional bourbon flavors but ramps them to an 11. The taste is similar to the nose, keeping those traditional bourbon flavor notes at an 11 with a thick mouthfeel that has a mild spice and finishes what seems like forever. Alright, this seems to be gunning for a 5, so time for another head to head match with the Garrison Brothers Cowboy. Head to head it was close, but the Cowboy managed to come out on top and really bring out what I believe to be a Dickel chalky orange flavor that I’m not fond of in this one. If it wasn’t for that Dickel chalky orange, I think this would have topped the Cowboy, so if that doesn’t bother you, I’d say buy this mystery bottle. I have yet to guess on any of these blinds on what bottle they could be, but I feel like I can venture a guess based on previous experience with that old Dickel coming out in the middle and finish that this is a blended whiskey made up of Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana over 15 years old and bottled by Barrell. Well time to email Lex and find out if I’m right that this is Barrell 15 and the email with the picture revealed shows ………………. Booker’s “Tagalong Batch” 2021-02. Well hot damn, I was way off! Alas, this is a stunningly good bourbon that Distiller expert tastings notes say there is a children’s vitamin flavor in it which must have been where I thought Dickel mixed with Kentucky. I also didn’t get any of that Booker’s burn that I normally find in it, but lesson learned and I probably won’t be trying to guess the bottle again in the future.

Rating: 19/23 Blind tasting. All I know is that it's bourbon. N: Rich and full with wood, corny sweetness that carries a hint of caramel, and a hint of tangerine. Something a bit tart with kind of a licorice bitterness and a light belly that makes me think Beam, but then it fills in and I have second thoughts.. Ah, there's some toastiness getting into the peanut category. Possibly a little sweet tobacco. Leaving this in my glass for a while, some slightly dusty, dried-out wood comes out. P: Bold and rich. The peanuts come out in force with some corn sweetness that carries a dash of orange zest. Big barrel flavor with black pepper, clove, and ginger. Licorice comes in with a dash of slightly salty minerality. There's some sort of other herbal bitterness and also a touch of oil and smoky char. F: Bold. Licorice is the main thing here. Some tannic wood, black pepper. Numbing clove for sure. Not much sweetness at this point. - Conclusion - Booker's Shiny Barrel (19) is more bitter and less full. The Shiny Barrel is really full for a Beam product, but it's not as full as plenty of other bourbons. I definitely like the overall character of this one better. Belle Meade Cask Strength (19), on the other hand, is neck and neck with this. I might have overrated the Shiny Barrel at a 19. Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 (18) is pretty close to this, but I'd say that this is a bit better. At the other end, Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof (21) definitely beats this. I think I'm looking at a 19 or 20 here. Coming back to this for one last tasting, I find that I still adore the complexity here, but it is a bit lacking in fullness (I actually now think that the Booker's beats it) and it also has a tad of meatiness. I think that's coming from the sour mash, so it's not the same as that really awful meatiness from feinty young whiskey, but it's there and I don't love it. Now, Belle Meade beats this and Wild Turkey Rare Breed is pretty close. A 20 is out of the picture now. So is it an 18 or a 19? Well, a 19 was a possibility both times, so I'm going with it, but I do feel like I might be starting to discover some of the flaws here that could cause me to go with an even lower rating than an 18. Thanks, @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , for sharing this! I keep wondering whether Booker's is as good as I once thought it was. Well, trying it blind has restored my faith.

Unsure what all the fuss is about I felt compelled to grab this at $77. While higher than the all-time low if $65 it still tips the scales at damn expensive for a 6yo full proof bourbon. The profile has changed, they say. Bookers is the bees knees, they say. I honestly don’t know what to believe anymore. It’s just more expensive - and with stiff competition. Nose starts out with classic Beam aromas - dried oak, brown sugar, cherries, red-hot candies and a nutty note. So far it reminds me of Bakers 13 and a few good Knob Creek store picks. Disclaimer: I like Beam. Initial palate impression - this is Bookers. It’s hot, loaded with flavors in line with the nose and has more white pepper and wood than Knob Creek. There are some nice elements of toasted nuts and black tea in there. If I have any complaint at this point it is a slight black walnut note on the finish. I’m averse to anything bitter and others might not be turned off by this. Warm Kentucky hug - check. More wood than expected for a young bourbon - check. Slightly drying finish… a bit tannic even. Made up of barrels from three production dates, aged in six different rickhouse locations. Nearly 70% comes from the 6th and 7th floor of a 9 story rickhouse. The other 30% comes from the middle of 4 other rickhouses. I wouldn’t be surprised if per of this blend is closer to the 13-14y mark with the tannic wood notes but the younger 6 year barrels likely give the pop of brown sugar and cherry esters. It’s Bookers. Probably worth a premium over Knob Creek 9y given the additional complexity - but you also have to want that pepper, tannic wood and heat. Is it in the realm of JD barrel strength or ECBP at $55-70 when available? No. Is it as approachable and well rounded as 1792 FP, that somehow clocks in around $40-50 when it can be found? No. If you like bold and classic, and (once) widely available then this still has a niche. Not huntable level goodness, just solid. If it keeps turning up under $80 the I will continue to keep one around. Any more of this $95+ business and I will be sticking to OGD 114 and KC 9 store picks Mr. Beam. That said, thank you for what you turn out.

Nose - toffee, brown sugar, vanilla, sawdust, pine, spearmint, black tea, strong oak, nutmeg, clove, leather, juniper, black pepper, walnut, grape, coffee, herbal notes, plum, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - rich caramel, vanilla, black cherry, chili pepper, lemon oil, allspice, nutmeg, spearmint, brown sugar, spicy oak, leather, black tea, plum, orange, coffee, apple, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with caramel, baking spice, bitter citrus, and strong oak flavors. The fourth of nine blind samples starts with woodsy, herbal aromas. There is a really nice mix of notes I don’t usually find in a single dram of whiskey. Dark fruits, caramel, earthy mint, pine, some juniper. Actually, there are some definite gin qualities here. The palate carries some of those same notes. Strong oak and deep citrus are also present in spades. This is really good, complex whiskey. I don’t think I’m wrong in assuming it has some good age on it, maybe even too much given the black tea and overabundance of wood on the nose and palate. I wouldn’t say this is my favorite whiskey profile, but it’s unique and worthy of a high rating from me. So what’s in my glass tonight? Booker’s Tagalong Batch. Wow, it’s a Booker’s?! This tastes much older than six years, and I’ve certainly never tried a batch that was so herbaceous. This is great stuff and drinks significantly under its proof. Many thanks to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for the generous sample!

The usual complex Booker's nose which includes vanilla, leather/oak combo, but a slightly less alcohol burn & more cinnamon than other batches. I concur with the distiller's notes of "sweet brown wood sugar " mouth flavor as it is a great description. Less peanut nose & taste than my normal Booker's experience. Creamy mouthfeel. To me, this batch is defined by the accomplishment that is the finish. Most notably, the whiskey swims down the esophagus in a welcoming way without the alcohol heat quickly ramping up in my mouth, throat, and chest immediately after the swallow like previous batches. Finish has an immediate spice pop, with baking spices dominating & peanut does come through as it lingers. Baking spices (cinnamon) present still after one minute. Due to the smooth finish, you will likely find yourself pouring from this bottle for another dram during your session. I have poured more drams than I normally do for a high-proofer on this one out of sheer enjoyment. Well done in my book. Note: This is my 1st published whiskey review & I only did so as I cannot find any reviews at all on the internet for this bottle that I purchased today 6/9/21. I have quite a whiskey collection and taste often, and most importantly, I published this to help you all with your purchasing decisions. I hope I was helpful. This is a Buy!

Finally a fresh bottle of Bookers, these are hard to come by in my area, and a price under 90$$ is more than welcome. Mine tagged in right around 89, (big city inflation no doubt). On the nose, fresh orchard notes are abundant, green apple and pear, but "fresh" is the key. A bit of warm sweet brown sugar and caramel notes peak through. Full proof is the best and that's what you get with Bookers, I've never had a bad one, but I suppose there is always a first time. The orchard notes lead but give way to the very strong spice rack.. "cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg", yes, that's accurate. Almost a bit of a high rye aspect without the common rye dill, the sugars follow warm and sweet, brown sugar and caramel, not really very unusual for Mr. Noe, and that's one of the reasons I bank on this bottle delivering. Probably less appealing than some of the fresh "baked" batches that have scored so highly, but still so hardy and even tempered in delivery. One of the easiest to sip full proofs you will find. A newly opened bottle with just a snit already taken off the top, I'm probably just going to enjoy this one and not sock it away. Still waiting to be disappointed by the simple wood box, for any hard core Bookers enthusiast, it's an easy recommend. Cheers!