“Now that’s a bourbon.” Those words were spoken by one of our tasters after our first sampling of Booker’s Small Batch Bourbon. And the man was quite right. Booker’s is quite a bourbon.
A little history. Booker’s bourbon was created in 1988 by Booker Noe, the grandson of the legendary Jim Beam, and the master distiller at the whiskey maker until his death in 2004. The bourbon was originally only presented to friends and family as a gift, but the recipe was so successful it was put into production.
Booker’s Small Batch Bourbon is unique in many ways. First, it is bottled straight from the barrel, uncut and unfiltered. This means that the whiskey is bottled with no additional water or chill filtration, allowing all of the flavor carriers in the bourbon to remain. It is then aged from 6-8 years. The end result is a high alcohol content bourbon (121-127 proof).
When first opened, Booker’s emits aromas typical of a bourbon – oak, vanilla, caramel, molasses – as well as a distinct fruitiness. Next comes the taste – and that’s what gave our testers a moment (or three) of pause.
Booker’s is an intense bourbon. You’re hit right up front with concentrated doses of spices and flavors, including caramel, coffee, chocolate, barrel char, vanilla and fruit.
And then there’s the finish – probably the highlight of Booker’s. It was long and intense (yes, still intense) and clean. Light notes of pepper and nuts emerged as the spirit flowed down the chest. It leaves an almost sweet coating in the mouth, slightly chewy and warm. Awesome.
Booker’s is a great bourbon. The high alcohol and uncut/unfiltered recipe make it a bold and unwavering whiskey – all in a good way. We recommend taking Booker’s neat, but don’t be afraid to add a splash of water or an ice cube (or two) if the intensity is a little overwhelming.
You can get a bottle of Booker’s Small Batch Bourbon for about $50.