Booker's Bourbon Batch 2015-02 "Dot's Batch"

This is Batch No. 2 from 2015. I previously considered the third batch that year, Center Cut, to be among the absolute best Booker's batches ever, and I enjoy them all. This one is 7 years and 18 days old, bottled at 63.95% ABV. Most of you are likely tired of hearing me praise Booker's, so I'll get straight to it. Nose: Cherry, peanut brittle, brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla. Also notes of cocoa and orange peel. Prominent clove, nutmeg, and oak. The alcohol fumes are strong, but that's expected at this proof. A good start. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, and cocoa. Tastes like carrot cake, apricot, peach, and orange peel. Surprisingly fruity. Lots of charred barrel notes. Abundant clove, nutmeg, and oak. The palate is a slight improvement over the already good nose. Finish: Begins with some caramel and vanilla. Then it's all spice: clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, dill, rosemary, allspice, and a significant amount of oak. It has one of the longest finishes out there. Excellent stuff. As usual, I love it. I've given every Booker's batch I've tried a 5-star rating on this site. Until now. It's not a huge drop to a 4.5 rating. It's a fantastic whiskey when judged on its own merits. Compared to other Booker's batches, I found it does everything well but doesn't truly stand out from the others in any particular way. This is the oldest Booker's batch I've ever bought. Getting it all these years later for only $80 is a bargain. It's practically a collector's item now. In fact, it is exactly that. If you're a Booker's fan, buy it immediately. A strong effort here.

Still resides in my collection. After three and a half years and half the bottle consumed, this bottling still presents a powerful alcohol aroma, accompanied by leather and oak. A magnificent golden-brown color. The flavor remains dominated by alcohol, but notes of caramel and a hint of hazelnut are present, alongside a persistent oakiness and a lasting burn.

Drinking it neat: Abundant spicy cedar, musky oak, burnt caramel, cinnamon toast with butter, creamed corn, rich and decadent. It's easy to drink for its proof, very spicy like a rye. Dangerously sippable, but I'm not convinced it tastes or smells much better than Woodford Reserve or Old Grand Dad BiB.

Unbelievably... I discovered a bottle of 15-02 at a vintage liquor store in July 2018, at its standard price. It was tucked away on the back shelf. And, it's a fantastic Booker's batch. Fortunate to have found it.

I'm generally not fond of American Whiskeys, but this was a gift for a friend, and we celebrated with it! It's quite potent! If you enjoy Bourbon, I'd consider this essential; it's as unrefined and prepared as possible!

This bourbon is fantastic. I've had the 2015-01 and enjoyed both. It's very close to my top choice from the Beam collection. Exceptionally rich with a delightful, warming finish.