Booker's Bourbon Batch 2016-01 "Booker's Bluegrass"

My history with Booker's is well-documented; I'm a big fan. Discovering an older, unopened bottle typically means an immediate purchase. So, spotting this Booker's Bluegrass in an unexpected small shop was a no-brainer buy. This represents the first of six batches from 2016. It's a rare find now. Bottled at 63.95%, it's just shy of the highest proof Booker's I've encountered (Kitchen Table and Bluegill Creek were higher). It's exactly 6 years and 11 months old, a bit older than average for what I've tried previously. Enough with the details, let's get to the tasting. Nose: A dominant presence of baking spices hits first. Layers of nutmeg, clove, and allspice. Hints of pumpkin spice and maple. Following that are cinnamon and ginger, the latter being a novel sensation for me with Booker's. Classic Beam peanut brittle and caramel notes are present, alongside cocoa, brown sugar, and vanilla. Fudge and milk chocolate emerge. There's some cherry and the scent of new car leather. A whisper of pipe tobacco, cocoa, and, as usual, a generous amount of oak. An excellent beginning. *The empty glass held notes of apple pie. Palate: The initial taste is all leather. Beyond that, more peanut brittle, brown sugar, and caramel. It's incredibly rich. All the spices remain; it's another wave of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and allspice. A touch of ginger and black pepper. In addition to peanut, there's also walnut and toasted almond. Apricot. Carrot cake. Black cherry. Perhaps even bitter/sweet dark chocolate. Nougat and fudge. And, naturally, abundant oak. It's a powerhouse, potentially overwhelming if unprepared, but as intricate and captivating as any other bourbon I've experienced. Finish: Cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, and allspice. Fudge. Coming in waves. It's a true spice explosion. I also detect some cocoa, caramel, and brown sugar. Finally, peanut brittle, carrot cake, and oak. The finish is exceptionally long. It's been 2-3 minutes, and I'm still experiencing intermittent spice and oak sensations. It's astonishing--in a positive way. What a discovery. I feel fortunate to have found this piece of history. For $71, I'd happily buy it repeatedly. Sadly, I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity to purchase another. 5 stars. It's on par with any Booker's batch I've had. I compared this directly to the Center Cut batch before finishing the latter. That was the most distinctive and engaging Booker's I had tried up to that point, and, overall, this Bluegrass matched it evenly. Each batch offers something unique. These are all near-perfect pours. I enjoy the bold, spicy, and oaky character it possesses. Buy it if you see it, everyone. Edit: A year on, I'm nearing the end of the bottle, and it has only improved. While I haven't directly compared it to Center Cut since, I might now rank this as the top Booker's release. It's firmly in my top 2. Outstanding. Second edit: Opened a new bottle nearly three years later. It's as remarkable as I recalled, with a few new nuances. A stunning bottle.

I found a bottle of the 2016 vintage at my local store and couldn't resist. This is my first time trying Booker's, and I'm hopeful it's a good experience. Appearance: Booker's presents as nearly brown, a very dark amber with slight yellow tinges at the edges. The proof and age are evident in its color. When swirled in the glass, there aren't many alcohol legs, but some are visible, with lacing that seems to defy gravity. Nose: Even without bringing the glass close, I can detect a pleasant aroma. Abundant sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla, giving off a very sweet impression. Placing my nose in the glass reveals more spice, but not peppery; rather, a sweeter clove, a hint of cinnamon, followed by a pleasant, milder oak. Palate: The initial taste is that sweet sugary flavor, which quickly shifts to spice and oak. After the oak, I experience more sweetness, possibly cherries. Finish: Wow, for the first three seconds, I thought this was a lower-proof bourbon, and then the heat truly arrives. More so than after swallowing, the heat intensely impacts the tongue and mid-palate. The finish consists of cherry and oak. Overall: I had high expectations for this, considering the price Beam charges for these bottles, and they were largely met. You get a high-proof bourbon with substantial flavor, and while the burn is intense, it's not as extreme as I might have anticipated. It's definitely worth picking up.

I must confess, this is too intense for my preference. At 127.9 proof, a little more time aging might make it quite pleasant. Straight from the bottle, however, it's overwhelming. Even with a few drops of water, the heat remains extreme, masking the flavors and leaving your tongue feeling abused. Is it enjoyable? Yes, but in the way that jumping into a pool with all your clothes on is enjoyable – because you have a change of clothes and won't have to deal with wet chafing soon. You want the laughs, the reaction, and the memories, but also want to dry off quickly. With this bourbon, you want the laughs, the reaction, and the memories, but also want the drinking experience to end its assault sooner rather than later.

The first time I tried this, its potency and intense flavor surprised me. Overwhelming, but so... good. Five months later, my appreciation has grown. The nose has roasted nuts, wood, vanilla, and alcohol heat. The proof is certainly noticeable, but the flavor is equally robust. It's the Beam flavor profile amplified. Nuts, honey, and spice on the palate. The finish is all leather. The warmth travels down to the stomach, but it's not as intense as I expected given the proof and the initial powerful impact upon sipping. Adding an ice cube made with limestone water reveals more peanut and nocino notes on the nose, moderates the heat, and slightly enhances the sweetness on the palate. However, I suggest drinking it neat. It's a force, embrace the experience. 3/12/17

My second time tasting this, and it confirms my initial impression. This is a potent offering. Allowing it to air out and adding a little water reveals thick caramel, butterscotch, fruit (tastes like grape to me), and oak. However, it's a spicy, rye-forward sip right from the start, not to be taken lightly. Beginners will dislike it due to its strength. It's a dram for experienced drinkers that requires time to fully appreciate. It's not an everyday bourbon; it's a powerhouse and an excellent barrel-proof selection. It's about as close as you can get to drinking straight from the barrel. It has that rugged, frontier whiskey character. I enjoy it, I don't exactly love it..... I'd like more of it.

Let to rest for 10 minutes. Served straight in a Glencairn. On the nose: plum, cherry, vanilla, with a slight sting at the end. On the palate: delivers a dark chocolate cherry punch, baking spice, oily texture that coats the palate, paving the way for the finish. Finish: If a chocolate red hot existed? Haha. That's what this would taste like. A pleasant lingering finish that leaves you wanting more. It's really good, but it's missing some of the depth I look for, which will prevent it from being among the best I've experienced.