Booker's Bourbon Batch 2019-02 "Shiny Barrel Batch"

BACKGROUND: Every year, the Jim Beam distillery releases four high-proof batches under the Booker's brand, honoring the former master distiller Booker Noe. Booker's son, Fred Noe, personally selects the bourbon for each batch and gives it a name and origin story. The "Shiny Barrel" batch is a 124-proof bourbon aged 6 years, 5 months, and 1 day, sourced from different warehouse floor levels. The "Shiny Barrel" name comes from a practice where distillery workers, carrying "mules" (plastic tubing), would steal a taste from aging barrels. If a worker's belly rubbed against the barrel while reaching for a taste, it would polish the barrel, making it shine. Some believed a shinier barrel meant sweeter whiskey, and these were often found in the center of the rackhouse where conditions were optimal. I was excited to try this bottle, and it delivered. NOSE: Like many of its products, this Booker's has the typical "Beam funk" on the nose, but it also has a glorious aroma of a rickhouse (oak, mustiness, and age despite being only six years old). Vanilla is present, a flavor Booker Noe reportedly insisted his best bourbons had. The nose is also heavy with ethanol, making my eyes water slightly on the first sniff, even using the open-mouth nosing technique. PALATE: The bourbon tastes and coats the mouth like thick, syrupy molasses, offering a wonderful mouthfeel. Predominant flavors include oak...oak...and oak, with a hint of citrus perhaps in the background. Despite the alcohol-heavy nose, the first sip doesn't deliver an intense alcohol punch. FINISH: While the initial palate lacks strong alcohol, the finish provides lasting heat and warmth. Rich caramel flavor develops on the finish, though not on the palate. The characteristic Beam peanut taste also makes an appearance on the finish. FINAL ASSESSMENT: It's remarkable how much this bourbon transforms from the front of the mouth to the back of the throat. While many Booker's enthusiasts have found the first two 2019 batches disappointing and preferred the "County Ham" and "Beaten Biscuits" releases, I found "Shiny Barrel" to be a delightful treat. Although I usually drink bourbon neat in a glencairn glass, I might experiment with water or ice in Shiny Barrel to see how it evolves further. Shiny Barrel is another excellent bottling in the impressive Booker's lineup. I rate it four-and-a-half cork pops out of five.

Rating: 19/23 It's been a while since I last sampled this. Initially, it seemed a bit potent, but its richness became more appealing over time. I'm surprised I still have two-thirds of a bottle left. Let's see how time (and exposure to air) has altered my perception. Nose: There's something rather bold here. Wood notes with peanut and a slightly tangy funk. A hint of tart floral fruit in the citrus or apricot spectrum. I appreciate the balance, though the complexity isn't remarkable. I'd prefer the nose of Booker's Country Ham over this. Palate: Ohh, that palate, though! This is significantly fuller and richer than Booker's Country Ham. It's a little harsher as well, unfortunately, but it's spicier with a richer apricot (or perhaps orange peel) fruitiness and more wood, bordering on 80% dark chocolate and coffee notes. The peanut is definitely present, but the other flavors are more dominant. Finish: The wood with its coffee flavor is more prominent. I detect a touch of tartness that suggests floral fruit. I'm struggling to identify more than a hint of peanut here, but what I do get enhances the finish. - Conclusion - So, this isn't the most intricate dram, but it's bold and indulgent. I wouldn't label it excellent, but I would happily consume it. It's another instance where Booker's is a good whiskey at a price that's difficult to justify, but this is likely my favorite so far. It's bolder than Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8, but less complex. I feel they are comparable, though. This is a very good bourbon. This also strikes me as superior to Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve (batch 22). The Belle Meade somehow tastes younger with a more off-putting caramel note. This has that slight Beam emptiness and its flavors aren't as distinct, but it comes across as more mature and distinguished. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B520 is substantially better than this, however. The Elijah Craig maintains similar maturity and distinction while significantly increasing the complexity. I don't see how this could score less than an 18. I can even envision it reaching a 20. A 21 seems a bit improbable, and a 22 is out of the question. I'm considering it in the 19 to 20 range now. Booker's truly delivered with this one! I nearly bumped it to a 20, but I'll stick with a 19. It's quite a good bourbon at either rating, though!

As followers of my notes know, Booker's is a favorite. This particular release took me some time to get to, but I've finally sampled it. It's worth noting this is the lowest proof Booker's I've had at 62% ABV. Nose: Peanut brittle, peanut oil, and cocoa. Notes of dried apricot and golden raisin. Vanilla and orange peel. Hints of green. Abundant spice: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak. A strong introduction. Palate: Butterscotch and toffee. Caramel, vanilla, and cocoa. Orange peel and dried apricot. More cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak spice. A touch of allspice. Tobacco leaf. A powerful yet very enjoyable drink. Finish: Dried apricot, golden raisin, and butterscotch. Continued cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. It lingers satisfyingly in waves. It lives up to the Booker's reputation. While it has the lowest proof I've encountered, the flavor is certainly not diminished. It doesn't offer the breadth of notes found in some of my top picks, but each flavor is intensified here. Even at 62% ABV, this is a substantial spirit. While enjoyable throughout, the finish is what stands out most. This batch provides one of the best finishes from this line, which is surprising given its lower proof. It delivers spice in perfectly spaced waves; it's truly impressive. Perhaps bottling at a lower proof more frequently would be a good idea for Beam, as the finish here is excellent. I initially overlooked this bottle until I read a review from another user. It was difficult to locate, and I paid $100, the most I've spent on Booker's. In my view, it was well worth it. Fans of Booker's or high-proof Bourbon should consider trying this. A superb example of the 2019 Booker's lineup. This was the only batch I bought from that year; I'd appreciate any other recommendations. Regarding this one, purchase it without hesitation.

Waited ages for this one. Comes in a wood container featuring a clear lid, enhancing the bourbon's unique character. Served neat, the aroma is unexpectedly quiet. Notes of hazelnut, caramel, cinnamon, dried chocolate, and wood are present, yet the alcohol content is hidden. Yes, there's ethanol, but not as much as anticipated. A lovely Maypo cereal taste I adore is also detected! As it sits, notes of baked spices (like nutmeg and clove) emerge, and the nutty elements become more prominent. The taste is decadent and smooth, showcasing incredible polish and class for its high alcohol level. Bursts of caramel and almond mingle with spicy cinnamon, liquefy butterscotch, genuine maple syrup, and roasted wood, but everything settles into a refined quality usually found in top-shelf scotch. I haven't tried Pappy, but this is how I envision it, given all the buzz. The texture is slick and wonderfully viscous, carrying through to the end. Lingering cinnamon, caramel, and zesty wood combine with cocoa dust, maple butter, and high-quality nuts for a long, fulfilling conclusion to this triumph. It improves with every serving as more tastes are revealed and its complexity grows. It's extraordinary, behaving like a 90-proof deception. The flavors are potent, but the velvety smooth delivery is unmatched. This particular batch is genuinely superb bourbon in my opinion... 95/100... the absolute pinnacle, as a famous actor once stated in a film... the dominant nutty caramel butterscotch characteristic, balanced by ideal wood, is incredible, and the absence of heat at 124 proof is astonishing. Be mindful, it will hit you hard even if your glass empties easily. Highest possible endorsement... Savor this; initially, I estimated a score around 94, but it continued to evolve and develop until I recognized this as pure bourbon perfection... I'm getting another bottle of this batch before it disappears, no matter the cost, perhaps two or three; heck, if I can score a case, I'm doing it.

A big thank you to a friend for this sample dram. This is one I sought out because it sounded appealing from other reviews. Appearance: Amber color with medium oiliness. Coats the glass but no real legs. Nose: Leather, peanut butter, alcohol burn in the nose but not too strong as long as you don't inhale deeply. Brown sugar, smoke, orange with clove, like a relative used to make for holiday decorations and scent. Texture: Medium fullness, tangy. Flavor: Peanut butter cookies, brown sugar, vanilla, smoked meat, hot on the tongue, spices from everywhere, from cinnamon to clove to nutmeg and so on. Pumpkin pie spice flavors. Butterscotch, baked goods, WOW, this is incredible! This right here, this is my kind of bourbon! I think I've found my true favorite. It's sweet but spicy, and there's enough complexity to keep it engaging. Each sip reveals new flavors I adore. Adding a cube: Definitely makes the texture creamier, which I love. I feel if anything was lacking in this pour, it was the texture. I've experienced creamier and I prefer that feel, but with a small cube, it becomes more apparent. Flavors become more prominent with less sweetness and more heat for me, which I don't prefer as much. I like the flavor better before the cube. If I had to choose, I'd stick with the original texture for the sweeter flavor and skip the cube entirely. Conclusion: My ONLY criticism is that the texture isn't creamy enough. Especially considering the otherwise creamy flavors. Yet, it has a wonderful balance of sweet and spice with many of my favorite flavor notes. This is a 5 because I must have it in my collection. Thank you again to that friend for this beautiful sample!

This 2019 Booker's release comes from barrels selected from the center of rickhouses and is bottled at barrel proof without chill-filtration. It's said that upon Booker Noe's retirement, his son Fred was asked to preserve Booker's as is. There's some confusion regarding when this expression first appeared. Booker's own website claims Booker Noe originated the term "small batch" in 1992. However, the final batch from 2018 was a 30th Anniversary, suggesting a 1988 start date. Records show batches as early as 1979. "Shiny Barrel" is a nickname for barrels frequently sampled by rickhouse workers, based on the saying, "the shinier the barrel, the sweeter the whiskey." Each Booker's batch includes a label detailing the batch name, number, age, proof, and ABV. On the nose, Shiny Barrel is potent with notes of dried berries, the characteristic Jim Beam peanut essence, charred oak, leather, and vanilla. The palate is robust, featuring flavors from the nose along with cinnamon brown sugar, toffee, significant barrel char, and a hint of black pepper. The finish is quite long and pleasing, with chocolate, candied orange peel, and nutty notes, accompanied by a gentle warmth spreading through the chest. This batch is impressive!