Booker's Bourbon Batch 2022-02 "The Lumberyard Batch"

Booker’s seems to be one of the few lines in all of whiskey that never lets me down. It’s a shame that I only managed to snag one from the year of 2022 so far. I’ll have to make it a priority if this one delivers. At 62.4%, this isn’t the most impressive ABV for a Booker’s batch, but I’m not worried about one of these bottlings failing to make an impression. Nose: Heaps of brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel. Peanut brittle and sawdust. Spearmint. Heavy cocoa. Some tangerine. Light tobacco. A hint of steak sauce, which I occasionally get from Booker’s, though it usually pops or isn’t there at all. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak spice. Palate: Gala apple and chewy caramel. Toasted almond and light burnt wood. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak add a punch. A little cherry. Peanut brittle/butter. Cocoa. Red hot tamale. Pumpkinspice. Finish: Fudge, cocoa, caramel, and brown sugar. A regular brown bomber. Pumpkin spice. Tangerine and orange citrus. Pipe smoke. Red hot tamale. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Long finish—and very much so. I found this review in my notes from December 2024. I just never uploaded it to Distiller. I was looking for it because I’m about to review the Kentucky Tea Batch from 2022 and wanted to refresh myself on my thoughts on this one. Since I goofed and am uploading this more than a year after actually tasting and writing this, I’ll keep it short. One of the best batches I’ve had. Well worth it at $110. 5/5, top shelf. Stay tuned for Kentucky Tea.

Small pour at a friend’s house, this is a really nice Bookers edition. Warrants a review… Nose: Mostly rich candied nuts on the nose, maybe pecans, with a subtle peanutty note hiding in the background. Neat: Slightly muted entry with some sweet caramel notes building on the mid-palate to vivid fireworks of citrus, with orange, lemon, lime, they’re all here. Heat builds with the citrus, but not at all unpleasantly, into a warm and bracing Kentucky hug. Finish: Kentucky hug fades slowly with some lingering heat and tinges of sweet caramel. Some lingering bright citrus zest. Warmth and maybe a touch of dried fruit. Three drops of water: Water opens the nose up into a more fruity aroma, maybe pear or freshly cut apple. Palate now holds some green apple and white pepper, along with some light caramel and butterscotch. Overall: An excellent Bookers release, wish I had a whole bottle and one in reserve. Really good bourbon, and somewhat unique.

Aroma- getting lots of apple on the initial pour. As it opens up though, the apple fades and I’m now getting a ton of spices. Cinnamon, bayleaf, and nutmeg. Not getting the typical peanut profile from Bookers/Beam. Taste - Not getting the typical Bookers/Beam peanut profile on this to be honest. Caramel and vanilla dominate the palate from start to finish. Big buttery and creamy finish. Very smooth, drinks below its proof. Overall - this is very good. More sweet than bold. Love the buttery/creamy finish. The caramel and vanilla are awesome.

NOSE Raspberry-heavy dried dark fruit, oak, brown sugar, vanilla taffy, sour cherry candy, touch of cinnamon and menthol. O, Booker’s how I’ve missed you. Such a classic aroma. PALATE Roasted peanut, dried dark fruit, oak, butterscotch, cinnamon, menthol, vanilla taffy and some coppery lemon peel. This is a classic Booker’s palate, love it! FINISH Long -> Vanilla cupcake, oak, baking spice, and roasted nuts.

I would just look at WhiskeyJug's review for the ideal review on this. I get all the raspberry and peanut flavor inter mingling with each other. Booker's is one of the great pours in my opinion and for some reason works best early spring and on a Sunday afternoon right after church outside on a patio as it begins to warm up. This is traditional Booker and I love it.

This is my favorite Booker’s I’ve had by far ! I was done with Booker’s I don’t particularly care for the price tag especially when you can get a knob creek 12 for $55 bucks , but tried this one out at a Bar and O’my Goodness Cracker Jacks in a bottle it was amazing!