Booker's Bourbon Batch 2015-03 "The Center Cut"

What a stroke of luck finding this bottle. I happened to stop into a shop just before it closed down. While slow inventory is usually bad for a business, it's fantastic for people like me who collect things. I managed to get my hands on this 2015 Booker's, which is noted as a hard-to-find bourbon. Nose: Typical Booker's. Nothing surprising; it's just excellent. Toasted nuts, toffee, vanilla, and brown sugar are present. Heavy oak notes. Also, some black tea. Despite being 63.6% ABV, the alcohol is hidden by its richness and depth. Wonderful aroma. I revisited it months later and detected a strong sweet maple scent, which only enhanced it. Upon returning to it near the end of the bottle, after it had been open for about eight months, I noticed almond, cherry, and leather alongside the initial scents. It's amazing how it developed over time. I'll really miss this one. Palate: Full and lively. Sweet and zesty. Vanilla, cola, caramel, and brown sugar are there, along with tobacco, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and oak spice. Peanut brittle. And maybe it's just my imagination (and it likely is), but I detect a flavor similar to a juicy ribeye steak, or perhaps something like a high-quality steak sauce. Regardless, it creates that image in my mind. Outstanding. Months later, the same maple note that appeared on the nose is now on the palate. A great addition. Finish: A very prolonged and spicy finish. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak are noticeable. The classic bourbon notes of vanilla and caramel appear before it finally disappears. Possibly a hint of tobacco or black tea. I'm a huge Booker's enthusiast. This bottle solidified that for me. This is my fourth distinct bottle, and I've adored every single one. This one is among my top two; if forced to choose, I might pick Kentucky Chew. However, this is absolutely not a lesser option, and the palate on this one might even be better. It was a fantastic find. For $80, it was absolutely worth the cost. I'm sure some places still with this bottle will try to profit from its rarity. But if you're only concerned with quality, don't hesitate. I'm happy I had the opportunity to try this one. If you enjoy Booker's, buy it without doubt. Well done by the distillery. And months later, as I try it again, I have to admit it's even better than I recalled. And I had already rated it five stars.

Taste: 2 oz pour neat in glen cairn and then 4 drops spring water. Nose: (4.75) It's luscious and strongly reminiscent of Booker's. It immediately signals that this will be a powerful pour. Caramel, corn, a touch of maple, oak, apple, and that characteristic nuttiness from quality Jim Beam hit your nose right away. It doesn't present as a brute force punch, but rather like a skilled boxer who can move fluidly before delivering a knockout. There's ethanol, but once it dissipates... hello! Taste: (5.0) The peanuts transform into peanut butter with a pleasant buttery coating. The initial taste evokes everything wonderful about a taffy apple. Midway, it yields maple syrup, and then the finish is oak. The palate unfolds like a rocket launch. I say this because it's not just a flavor explosion, but something superior. It encompasses all that's good about vanilla, caramel, apple, peanuts, and then musty, tannic oak. There's also a chewiness to this that makes it particularly intriguing. Finish: (5.0) It embraces you, comforts you, and then delivers a powerful impact, as if to say, "have some more." The finish is long, luxurious, and akin to watching a masterful opponent finish a match after being strategically weakened. A barrel-proof expression of this caliber deserves a place on my shelf. Overall: This lives up to the acclaim. This is what I seek in bourbon! It's potent but not harsh. It's refined but not timid. It floats like a butterfly but stings like a bee! I'm glad a friend from Minnesota secured two bottles for me at $59, as I won't part with them for twice that price.

Recently sampled some bourbons: Eagle Rare 10 years - enjoyable but excessively sweet for my preference, rated 3 stars. Four Roses Single Barrel - closer to my taste but not quite there, rated 3 stars. Weller's Antique - A pleasant surprise - it possesses the expected sweetness of a wheated bourbon but is balanced by a spicy kick, rated 4 stars. I didn't take detailed notes as, for me (a scotch enthusiast), bourbons tend to taste quite similar... until now! This marks my first truly astonishing bourbon experience! As expert reviews suggest, it has smoky meat notes on the nose that transition into charred herbal notes on the palate. Outstanding! I rate it a solid 4.5 stars, rounded down to 4 stars as it doesn't quite reach the level of my 5-star rated scotches.

So, I acquire a couple of bottles of this brand annually. It's 2020 now, and I've had this 2015 center cut set aside. No particular reason, I've just been drinking the more recent releases as they were more readily available. Incredible! You would assume every batch is virtually identical, wouldn't you? Apparently not. This is likely my most cherished bottle to date! I could have profited significantly, but what's the point. I'm savoring it after a demanding week. It appears more robust in flavor than most. At $80 a bottle, this remains an exceptional value for a premium bourbon. AND it's accessible. I'm in Indy, and it's available everywhere. Found it at Kroger for $72. Fortunate I set this one aside inadvertently. Happy to be enjoying it rather than just preserving it.

Stunning ruby brown hue, with a dense aroma of maple (from a distance); this bourbon coats your palate with a fiery, spiced liquid—offering notes of woody spices, aromatic pipe tobacco (reminiscent of your grandfather), dried fruit; a few drops of water amplify the praline sweetness, introducing vanilla and melted butter; the finish is musty, peppery, and carries the herbal/medicinal quality of molasses; you need to scrape the astringent, barrel-induced mouthfeel from your tongue, followed by an intense cinnamon finish. Perfectly complemented by a locally sourced Brie burger from Barrel + Rye, adorned with grilled pears and caramelized onions.

This batch is fantastic, possibly surpassing the 2015-01 release. It presents a delightful aroma of maple and nuts, followed by a robust barrel strength whiskey scent. Flavors include toasted nuts, hints of vanilla, and dried apples, leading into a brief alcohol intensity that mellows into a lingering finish of cinnamon and clove. Despite its high alcohol content, the burn is remarkably mild, allowing it to be enjoyed neat, which is quite a compliment given that other barrel strength favorites like 2015-01 and four roses private selection OBSQ necessitate dilution. I'm contemplating buying a case before it sells out.