Booker's Bourbon Batch 2020-01 "Granny's Batch"

A side note: it's kind of satisfying when you put together your tasting notes without looking at any others on this site, and then when you prepare to post, you discover some similar flavors have been noted. Bravo, taste buds! Neat. Glencairn. The aroma is very similar to Knob Creek single barrel. The alcohol content hits hard, like cayenne-dusted corn. There's a lot of hay and musty barn wood, peanut brittle, and a touch of oak and barrel char. It's fitting for a bourbon of this type, but it doesn't really excite me. On the palate, it's substantial. It's certainly lively but pleasant straight. The first wave is intensely dusty peanut shells, which then nicely sweetens into honey water with cinnamon and char iodine. There's a bit of vegetal capsaicin and mint. It leaves a pleasant tingle and aftertaste, like an oak-flavored cinnamon red hot. It seems to boost the sweetness after sitting for a bit. Generally, it's not incredibly intricate, but it's a rather enjoyable corn syrup for adults. Attempting to describe this as an event, it's akin to the upscale high-proof bourbon version of stumbling into a Texas Roadhouse, bypassing the steak, and instead licking peanut shells off a wooden floor, biting into a jalapeño, and then devouring an entire ramekin of that cinnamon honey butter with a scorching hot yeast roll. If that sounds like your kind of celebration, I'd suggest getting a pour if you can still find it! The main drawback is the significant price increase for a bottle of Booker's.

I've wanted to sample one of the Booker's collection bottles for quite some time, so when I encountered this one last year, I purchased it. Having finally finished enough opened bottles in my collection to justify opening a new one, here it is… My first impression upon smelling it is that it's definitely a Knob Creek product. The aroma is fantastic. Anyone mentioning peanuts or peanut brittle is absolutely correct! It smells wonderful. I tasted this immediately after a Calumet 14, and this significantly surpassed it. The flavor delivers everything you'd anticipate and desire from a Beam product. It's very comparable to the KC 120 bottles, but in my opinion, it's a step above. If you wish to indulge and acquire the fancy packaging and bottle with wax to impress your non-whiskey-drinking companions, go for it. To me, this is a superb whiskey, but the price is a little higher than I prefer to pay for a bottle. I typically aim to spend between $60 and $70, but this had been on my list to try for a considerable period, so I'm pleased I treated myself. Recorded on 4/4/22.

Tasted during early autumn, which felt fitting – this bourbon evokes "autumn in Kentucky." It has heavy oak, granny smith candy apples, dry roasted peanuts, churros, vanilla ice cream, and tobacco. Significant apple pie character is balanced by a solid amount of dry oak. A thick, chewy consistency carries a genuine spicy burn, truly reflecting its proof, yet with minimal ethanol. The finish is dry and lingering. Compared to Country Ham, Beaten Biscuits, and Boston Batch, I believe this is the best of the four. Its flavor profile is quite unique, and while it shares some similarities with other Booker's, I haven't encountered anything quite like it. It's among my favorites.

Nose - The description of peanut and brownie brittle is spot on. It might even be toffee brittle. Candied peanuts or pecans are also noticeable. The creamy peanut butter aroma is exceptionally smooth. Palate - Spearmint is the first flavor I detect, followed by cinnamon candy. It has a very thick mouthfeel and a peanut flavor that intensifies, much like more peanut butter. The intense barrel char is present but is complemented by the peanut butter taste and sensation. Finish - The finish is hot and prolonged. The nutty flavor persists throughout, providing a pleasant roasted quality to the finish.

I'm finally finishing this bottle after having it for over a year. I wasn't sure about it, especially since I was a big admirer of Country Ham, which truly impressed me. This one heavily features a boiled peanut note, and I didn't enjoy it initially. However, the more I experienced this bottle, the more I realized it was one of my preferred Booker's selections due to its distinctiveness. The baking spice and nuttiness truly stand out.

I previously stated that this was the best batch I'd experienced in quite some time. When directly compared to 2018-04 and 2019-03, more floral notes emerge, truly showcasing the depth of this bourbon. Compared to my previous notes, I'm still getting peanut brittle but not fried apple fritters or candied orange. Brown sugar is still present, along with abundant complexity. This time, there are also notes of wafer biscuits.