Booker's Bourbon Batch 2023-03 "Mighty Fine Batch"

BOOKER’S SHOWDOWN Booker’s “Beaten Biscuits” 2019-04 Booker’s “Mighty Fine Batch” 2023-03 Continuing to work through spirits in my collection that I’ve yet to review, or perhaps yet to review in a batch (I have reviewed “Beaten Biscuits” (7/22/22), but not “Mighty Fine Batch,” so I decided to group them together for another Showdown). Booker’s was my first foray into barrel-proof bourbon. I’ve had a few older bottles prior to the “Beaten Biscuits” here, including “Maw Maw’s Batch,” “Bluegill Creek,” and others. But frankly, Booker’s has taken something of a back seat over the years; not necessarily by intention, but rather as a function of my exploration of other barrel-proof bottlings. I remain a fan (fair warning). Booker’s “Beaten Biscuits” 2019-04 Color is a clear and deep burnt orange, corresponding to Pantone 159. Black licorice, currants, vanilla, banana bread, oak, rosin, and some alcohol on the nose. Slightly viscous mouthfeel; oatmeal with light maple syrup and cinnamon on the palate. Gentle burn on the back end, but the proof is well integrated. The finish begins with oaky vanilla, with a nice touch of bitterness manifest as both sugared espresso and the black licorice that reappeared from the nose, resolving again to gentle vanilla. I overrated this on my last review (4.75; July 22, 2022). “Beaten Biscuits” is very good, but not 4.75-good. The differentiator for me is the way the bitterness on the finish—which is not subtle—is positive and complementary rather than the more-common bitterness that is simply driven by exposure to oak tannins. Each release of Booker’s is typically priced somewhat above what I see as its main competitor (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof) and can usually be found for around $90. Would I buy it again? Yes. But not every release each year. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. 63.05% proof. Aged 6 years, 6 months, 19 days. Uncut and unfiltered. Booker’s “Mighty Fine Batch” 2023-03 Same clear burnt-orange Pantone-159 color as the “Beaten Biscuits.” The complex nose evokes savory and tangy barbecue sauce, cigar box, toasted marshmallows, chocolate-covered cherries, smoked meat, buttered cornbread, and apple pie, along with a cooling menthol element. There’s a light glycerin on the palate, and the buttery diacetyl note on the nose continues, along with sweet corn. Charred oak, cinnamon, and vanilla are predominant on the finish. Wow. “Mighty Fine Batch” lives up to its billing. The roughly $90 retail price for present-day Booker’s releases is not cheap, but due to the high proofs and consistently robust flavor profiles represents relative value in today’s bourbon market. Would I buy it again? Yes. Mighty fine, indeed. 4.5 on the Distiller scale. 63.3% proof. Age 7 years, 1 month, 10 days. Uncut and unfiltered. Booker’s, a brand owned by the Beam Suntory Behemoth, is generally released four times per year (in 2020, during Covid, there were three releases). Collectors like to collect, but it’s difficult to justify buying all four releases each year—assuming that you can find them. It’s hard enough to get the three annual releases of ECBP, and now there’s the three releases of Larceny Barrel Proof to contend with as well. When is Buffalo Trace going to join Beam and Heaven Hill in the three-times-per-year party? Details about each bottling, including percentages obtained from specific floors of specific warehouses, can be found on the brand’s website (https://www.bookersbourbon.com/batches#). N.B.: All spirts tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Wow, a bottle of Booker's in Ohio? Maybe things really are changing... Or not. $10 over MSRP secured this bottle, which, although infuriating, isn't as high a markup as almost most other allocated bottles (which seem like most bottles in this state), and it's already hard to find Booker's as it is, even in other states. Jim Beam really should produce more of this, but then it wouldn't quite be the Booker's experience. However, if it weren't for my already strong connection to the Beam brand, I'd write this off as a near impossible-to-acquire "Buffalo Trace" type sales gimmick. Still, I've always thought Booker's to be the ultimate "concentrated" bourbon, giving the most flavor for quite the mild amount of total aging. A particular distillery in Newport, KY seems to be the craft equivalent of this, the grandchild to what Booker's has mastered over the many years of their similar, yet noticeably different batch blends. I've always loved the stories that accompany each batch, but I especially love the simplicity and family ties that this particular batch cites, while still exciting me for classic Booker's, cask-strength, concentrated whiskey flavors. The batch notes mention one of the darkest colors in a Booker's batch (if not the darkest, it wasn't specifically spelled out), and I must agree that the deep burnt sienna reflects the brand line quite well, and is slightly darker than some other memorable batches. The nose is not as powerful as the ABV would have you suspect, but has prominent notes of a salty, briny savoriness; reminds me greatly of the country hams Booker Noe is known to mention. Beneath this there is the familiar tobacco that Booker's is known for, with more classic barrel flavors (chocolate, vanilla, and caramel, in that order, for this case) finishing it off. The body starts off light, but also delivers flavors of saltiness from before, albeit not as focused. Chocolate and toffee spin up after this, with the spicy body beginning to really burn up the palate and gums shortly afterwards. The finish is certainly hot, and even a bit dry, and although it's iconic for the Booker's brand, is honestly a little light and flat for the usual expectations. A small amount of nuttiness and an even smaller note of cinnamon both arise after a few more sips and some development time. Ah, Booker's. I said it up front and it's almost entirely proven after this batch: although expectations were technically met here, at the end of the day it's an overpriced, underproduced bourbon that, with just a bit of research, can be rivaled without breaking the bank. The stories are fun, the box is a great decoration, and the over-specificity of the blending percentages are all very unique, but those are all pieces that should be part of competitive marketing, whereas with this brand, it continuously feels like these are all costs that are passed along to the customer in a fairly unfair manner, instead of just letting the whiskey speak for itself. If you've not had a bottle of Booker's before, I would without a doubt recommend you go for it (at MSRP, of course), especially because the differences between each batch are usually very minute. However, it you've had one or two and are chasing the single barrel spread on your shelf, I would choose a different, more affordable and available brand to chase.

With so many whiskies and so little time, I do my absolute best to keep as many first-time purchase whiskies in my rotation. There aren’t a lot of things I go back to time and time again, but Booker’s has been consistently good to the point where I go out of my way to buy at least one batch from each year. This particular batch probably has the best distribution of any batch of any variety of bourbon I’ve ever seen. I’ll probably be able to grab it until 2027 or later, but the reviews were impressive and I decided this would be representative for 2023. Nose: Peanut brittle. Caramel and toffee. Almond butter. Maple pecan, molasses, and leather. Cinnamon Apple Jacks. Brown sugar oatmeal. Black tea. Steak sauce. Clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Barrel char. Dried apricot. Sawdust and oak. Orange rind. Black cherry/cherry cola note. Palate: Gala apple and vanilla. Heavy brown sugar. Black pepper. Barrel char. Caramel and toffee. Nougat. Carrot cake. A nice caramelized apple note. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, jalapeño. Heaps of oak. Orange rind. Milk chocolate. Finish: Carrot cake. Dried apricot. Vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Jalapeño, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Orange rind. Tobacco and black tea. Heavy barrel char. Peanut brittle. Long as they make a finish. As good as any batch in recent memory. If this was the only 2023 batch I get before it’s all said and done, I think I chose well. And the good news, this one is all over the place where I live. High viscosity, rich, dark sweet notes accompanied by spice and char. My favorite qualities of Booker’s are well-encapsulated here. At $100, this was well worth the price of entry. Booker’s market price has gone up in recent years, but it continues to be a fantastic value for a barrel proof bourbon with an age statement—albeit low. Booker’s certainly does not suffer from the thinness that hurts a younger whiskey. This is just another notch in the belt for Beam’s crown jewel line. 5/5.

My first experience with Booker's was when it was gifted to me by a friend years ago. Since then, I don't purchase it as frequently as I once did, principally because I chase other less expensive triennial barrel-proof releases from Elijah Craig and Larceny (Booker's, does, however, have much better naming conventions, such as "Bluegill Creek" or "Beatin' Biscuits," or this one, "Mighty Fine Batch," as opposed to A125, B225, etc., so perhaps I should get back on the Bookerr's bandwagon). Nose shows caramel apple, clove, smoked meat, cocoa, and spearmint. The alcohol is noticeable but reasonably well integrated. The palate has a comforting element, especially considering the 126.6 proof. Would I buy it again? Yes, I need to be paying more attention to these releases. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. Age statement 7 yrs, 1 month, 10 days.

This is from the neck pour. Nose: All caramel and cinamon. Taste: Roasted spiced nuts in the winter. Maybe some toffee at the end. Mouthfeel: A bit hot right at the start, which makes sense at this proof. Finish: Medium to long finish. Overall, I am digging this. I tend to like Bookers and think back to some of the really great batches I’ve had over the past 5 years. Country Ham is one that I could justify spending this kind of money on, but at this price I won’t be chasing Bookers all the time, when some of the Knob Creek 9 single barrels are better at a lower price.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Caramel and dark fruits, with some earthy notes. Palate: Cinnamon and clove with the same earthy notes. Finish: Very long with lots of heat. Splash: Cinnamon notes are muted and clove becomes sweeter with some mint. Overall: 9/10 - A fantastic dram that I was lucky enough to find for close to MSRP. I had heard good things about this batch and ot did not disappoint.