Booker's Small Batch Bourbon is an uncut and unfiltered barrel proof product from Booker Noe, who was Jim Beans grandson and also master distiller for Beam for 40+ years (starting in 1960 and until his death in 2004). Booker was a virtuoso for his ability to judge a bourbon's quality. He would select barrels of especially high quality (usually stored in the coveted center rows of the warehouse) and keep them for special occasions. As gifts of these private samples were met with increasingly positive response, he started bottling and selling it in limited quantities in 1988. It has become one of Jim Beam's flagship products.The label on the front of the bottle reads:
"The whiskey in this package is the highest grade bourbon made by me here at Jim Beam. It is uncut and bottled straight from the barrel. My grandfather Jim Beam liked his whiskey from six to eight years old"
This bottle of Booker's Small Batch Bourbon is bottled at 128.5 proof and is 6 years and 2 months old (Batch C06-K-8). Purchased for $49.99.
Color: A nice mix of honey and gold.
Nose: Sweet, molasses, brown sugar, floral, subtle fruit, intense vanilla, oak, pipe tobacco, charcoal.
Taste: Bold flavors here. Maple and salted caramel notes that quickly give way to a crescendo of black pepper, tobacco and oak.
Finish: Long and bold. Leather and black pepper.
Conclusion: We should never take for granted the years of history and expertise that it takes to produce a high quality bourbon. This is a very good product; hats off to Booker Noe for sharing it with the world.
My Rating: B+ (Very Good)
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