I'm always excited for a new Booker's batch! I'm playing a little bit of catch up as I was away on a little hunting trip earlier this week. This review was actually live on my Instagram first. Let's get into this one.
Company on Label: James B. Beam
Whiskey Type: Bourbon
Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley
Proof: 125.5°
Age: 6 years (5 months, 0 days)
Further identification: 2021-03 Bardstown Batch comes bearing a dark pink rose label in a wooden box with a batch information card
Nose: Dusty cherry and slightly nutty on the first nosing. Syrupy and punchy with pepper, plum and birch bark. Musty but in a light way like a mellow cigar. Post sip has good oaky vanilla to it. There are lovely hints of citrus through the heavy older oak. Slightly malty and meaty later in the glass now, that was a surprise change in this glass. Now we are back to a smooth vanilla texture. The empty glass smells of chocolate covered peanuts.
Palate: Syrupy cherry, plum and prunes. Very nice fruit forward profile. It's definitely powerful at this proof point but not overly hot. After a few sips the black pepper comes back in strong. There's plenty of caramel notes but they are very faint and light in intensity. Flashes of cloves gives this a good level of complexity. The major vibe of this pour is dusty oak and syrupy cherry. There is a slight linger of faint peanut butter on deep exhales. Very approachable pour even at 125.5 proof; I really like this barrel proof sipper. Towards the end of the pour I start to experience a little bit of proof imbalance which is surprising. The last sip is very oaky with plum, vanilla and sharp pepper that all lingers long in a tingly mouth feel.
Rating: 4/5
Another solid Booker's batch with this one! I love when these batches get fruit forward. I like this one much more than 2021-02, 2020-03 and 2020-02 of recent memory.
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