Playing a little catch up for Day 8 and 9 of the #12DaysofWhiskeyExchange that @bourbondipity_ put together. This pour was added courtesy of Justin Fillip for Day 9. I have always loved Booker's from the start, so I have high hopes this is one of my new favorite batches. I have a bottle at home I haven't had a chance to get into personally, so this is a great introduction for me. The story I heard:
“Off Your Rocker” is also a tribute to Dad’s larger-than-life personality that he was so well known for. He always said exactly what was on his mind – cracking jokes and surprising people – and I remember our friends and family telling him he was “off his rocker” every now and again.
Company on Label: James B. Beam
Whiskey Type: Bourbon
Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley
Proof: 129.7°
Age: 6 years (& 7 months and 23 days)
Further identification: 2016-05 Off Your Rocker comes bearing a light orange label in a wooden box
Nose: Mmm very chocolate forward on the first nosing, with nutmeg spice and crème brûlée. Almond joy and bright, well-aged oak. This reminds me a lot of the 2017 and 2019 releases I've tried. Oooh, turning really nutty now, which I love in Booker's releases. Not so much in everything, but there's something about that peanut funk that is really endearing to the Booker's brand for me. Faint citrus nuances. There's a bit of fir bough that may have come from the proximity this glass had to the Christmas tree before pouring, but I'll attribute it to the whiskey experience nonetheless. More dusty old oak and a bit of extra wood that reminds me of cedar shingles. The aroma of tiramisu gives this nose-feel some serious elegance. Lemon drop candies smell quite sweet from time to time, occasionally venturing into a perfume like quality. One of the mellower batches on the nose; little to no proof is apparent. After a sip a slight rubber aroma forms subtly; it's like an old rubber band that holds the newspaper together. Lovely vanilla swings in to remind me this is a great bourbon profile. This is coming off as a very dusty smelling batch - I'm digging this. The empty glass smells of bubblegum, wet oak, and Charleston chews.
Palate: The first sip is raisin forward with little explosions of earl gray tea and some hefty oak. Wow the second sip is a clear cut above the first with powerful cherry skins, cinnamon hots, creamy lemon frosting, nutmeg and allspice. A nice citrus and vanilla wave runs over the palate with this. It is quite warming to the body given the proof point. The linger is incredibly long with my gums tingling with effervescent lemon peel twists. My last sip is vanilla bean sweet with toasted almonds, lemon juice, and smoky oak.
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