That aside, this is just delicious goddamn whiskey. Its deeply flavored with that finishing barrel which ends up really amping up the holiday vibes. The very end leaves you with this dry cedar box that once held allspice berries, anise, and cinnamon but now holds a very dry leaf of cherry-choco tobacco. Beam Distilling Co. released the final installment of the 2022 Booker's Bourbon Collection, Booker's Batch 2022-04, "Pinkie's Batch.". The finish really takes its time as the thick juice coats your mouth, leaving you with hints of spicy absinthe, cherry tobacco, and dark roasted coffee beans. While Ive used it more in cocktails, it works well on the rocks if youre looking for something a little different. Rating: 93: Style: Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey: Produced In: Kentucky United States . These conditions apply to the use of this website of Whiskybase.com. Today, we'll take a look at the most popular bourbon brands out there, and rank them from worst to best. This much-lauded and beloved bottle from Buffalo Trace is classic whiskey making. Booker's 2022 - 03 limited release is 7th generation distiller Fred Noe's fanciful tribute to his father, Booker Noe, who enjoyed sipping water with bourbon, referring to it as "Kentucky tea". Paul Sutton is a new bourbon from an old family recipe. This years spring release is a marriage of eight-year-old whiskeys produced in the spring of 2013. The taste veers away from that with deeply stewed apples that are almost a warm apple sauce with cinnamon, clove, and allspice kicking up some heat as minor notes of marzipan, cornmeal, and cacao lurk far in the background. That being said, Booker's has been able to consistently deliver a quality product year after year. The new bottle design this year helped add to the aesthetic pleasantness of the bourbon for sure. This opens with this medley of marzipan, soft leather, prunes and dates, Gala apples, a hint of cedar, and a whisper of ripe red cherry. Freddie Noe hit this one out of the park. Bulleit Bourbon. This is one of the contenders for the best pound for pound bourbon in the world (see below to find out if it won). Booker's Bourbon is a series of bourbons started by sixth-generation Beam master distiller Booker Noe, who died in 2004. The end is long-ish, has touches of that dry pine, and holds onto both the vanilla and dried corn husks. The warmth lingers pretty long but never overpowers and almost becomes something halfway between fizzy and buzzy as it fades, leaving you with a woody, bourbon vibe and a very late wet straw note. Finally, the whiskey is vatted, proofed, and bottled. The finish really takes its time as the cherry attaches to an old cinnamon stick and the tobacco takes on a sticky chewiness with a mild savory fruit edge. The end is kind of long and really smoothes out, thanks to the vanilla and toffee as the peppery spice builds towards a tobacco-filled cedar box and a very distant hint of fresh mint. The whiskey is aged for at least ten years. Thats supported by flaked rye, rolled oats, malted barley, and heavily roasted wheat alongside a sixth, undisclosed grain. Thats likely why its the most traditional batch of the year. It's not cut or filtered. The age comes through with a big medley of dark cherries sitting in a big cedar bowl with a dark leather jacket imbued with decades of cigarette smoke and perfume next to a hint of dark chocolate orange balls. And while I dig the Cowboy Bourbon and Guadalupe, this is the one that stuck out in my mind for a heavy-duty yet accessible flavor profile that whisked me back to the dry grass plains of Texas. The finish is long, effervescent, and leaves you with this soft sense of having just eaten the best oatmeal raisin cookie of your life with just the right amounts of oats, spice, raisins, brown sugar, and crumble. This is delightful and one of the most unique expressions on this list. This really is the sweet spot for Bib & Tucker. All the barrels will come from Warehouse H (where Elmer T. Lee stored his private stash of barrels back in the day) and arrive with varying proofs. We use cookies to improve your online experience. High Wheat Bourbon . Booker's bourbon was introduced in 1988, and the company has over 30 years of experience under its belt and has established a name for itself, but the company's long history of bourbon production in Kentucky makes it a young brand. Though its very likely this is a low-rye bourbon mash. But this expression really is something special. If you're looking for something that strikes a note closer to the Booker's of old, the Booker's 2022-01 "Ronnie's Batch" would be worth checking out. Using someone else's notes / reviews to claim points. In fact, the rest of this list is the same. That whiskey is then batched, proofed down with limestone water, and bottled. The spices in that date-filled cake slowly rise after the sweet mid-palate veers into a soft and velvety finish that echoes with the woody spices but doesnt carry forward the heat from them. Whiskybase B.V. is under no circumstances liable for damages of whatever nature, in anyway resulting from the use of this website or resulting from or related to the use of information presented on or made available through this website or damages resulting from the non-availability of this website. The MGP of Indiana (now Ross & Squibb) signature bourbon is comprised of nine percent 2005 bourbon with a 21 percent high-rye mash, five percent 2006 bourbon with a very high-rye mash of 36 percent of the sticky grain, 19 percent 2006 bourbon with the same 21 percent high-rye mash, 13 percent 2008 bourbon with that 21 percent rye mash, and 54 percent 2008 bourbon with the 36 percent high-rye mash. As a result, its alcohol proof is significantly higher than the industry standard from 121 to 130.6. After completing the tasting, I added a few drops of water to my glass. Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of 2021. If you like bookers, I feel like you would like most knob creek single barrel picks. That then draws towards subtle pops of orange oils, floral honey, walnuts in buttery brown sugar syrup, and this mild touch of spiced apple tobacco leaf. Bulleit's high-proof version of its flagship high-rye bourbon was conceived as a chance to taste one of the most beloved moonshines in the country straight from the cask. So, take this being number four instead of two or one as splitting some pretty fine hairs. 62.2% ABV (124.4 Proof).Limited quantity at a suggested retail price of $89.99. That fruit edges towards dark berries with notes of worn leather, aged oakiness, and a sweet and rose-water-forward marzipan nuttiness shining through. Its a delicate balance of mixing great whiskeys to make something better than the individual parts. Michter's 20 Bourbon. New Riff always delivers. The end lasts awhile on your palate and in your senses, leaving you warmed up and wanting more. The end tends to be slow and velvety with the spice, fruit, oak, and vanilla all blending nicely until the very last. It's got the sweet, clean profile of Buffalo Trace in spades, with the added heat and punch of 125 . The end takes its time as the whole thing comes together like a rich and boozy fruit cake as little notes of leather and tobacco spice keep things interesting on the slow fade. 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I mixed it into quite a few cocktails and really got to know it. Booker . I struggled with which Garrison Brothers was going on this list. You cant go wrong investing in one of these bottles either for your vault or your bar cart. That whiskey is then married, slightly proofed, and bottled. Top 100 Bourbon of 2023. Bookers was launched in 1988 as the first mass produced bourbon bottled straight from the barrel, uncut and unfiltered. Parker's Heritage 27 Year 2nd Edition. Now, his son, Fred Noe, carries on his father's legacy with the series. This juice is a field-to-glass craft whiskey from a state thatd likely be a better spot to age rum than whiskey. The palate builds on that cinnamon spice with a touch of nutmeg and clove that ties to a vanilla pudding-esque svelte body next to little pops of dried pecan shells, faux maple syrup, cinnamon toast with plenty of butter, more of that ginger, and a touch of subtle red fruit. The lions share, 68 percent, is derived from an eleven-year-old Kentucky bourbon thats made with 75 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley. The finish takes its time as the mid-palate cherry sweetness slowly dissolves into an old wooden garden box full of fresh dark potting soil bursting with fresh mint and spicy nasturtiums. Its highly drinkable neat or with some water. Blanton's SFTB is one of the few bottles on the market that could give George T. Stagg a run for its money. For now, this bottle is contract-distilled (distilled at a big distillery based on their own recipe/concept) in Indiana from a mash bill of 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and four percent malted barley. The juice in this case is from the barrels that need no cutting with water and are perfect as-is, straight from the barrel. Booker's Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey. Booker's bourbon is one of the few bourbon brands left bottled straight from the barrel. Classic would be the best descriptor of the nose. This years LE Small Batch is a blend of four bourbons. 61% of the barrels were stored . Its a dream on the rocks when a little water really starts to open up the flavor profile. A touch of candied ginger spices things up as a fruity but dry tobacco leaf rounds out the end with the faintest touch of walnut shells. This is pretty much a perfect whiskey. Once they hit the right flavor profile, those barrels are moved to the bottom floors of other warehouses to slow the aging down. Those barrels were married and then bottles as-is with no proofing or filtration. The final blend means the whiskey is made with 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and only four percent barley. Its going to be very interesting to watch (and taste) where this bourbon goes. The whiskey in the bottle is generally at least 12 years old and bottled with no cutting down to proof or filtration whatsoever. Thats a shame because this is a hell of a sipper and more folks should be able to get their hands on this one. Maintaining a high quality bar, bold flavors, and availability, while keeping the price under $100 is a pretty big accomplishment in and of itself nowadays. The juice is then just touched with Kentucky limestone water to bring it down to a robust 100 proof. Making his long-awaited Suns debut Wednesday night in Charlotte, Kevin Durant, playing on a minutes restriction, showed flashes of the dynamic playmaking combination he can form with Devin Booker. The cask strength bourbon is obviously pretty powerful stuff, and it delivers a raw and smoky drinking experience. Right after that initial taste, my mouth was instantly warmed, as I could feel the heat of the bourbon quickly encompassing every corner of my mouth. That final barrel is bottled at cask strength, as is. Those barrels are blended and then proofed down with soft Tennessee water. At Bourbon Culture, we decided that a 10 point rating scale was the most appropriate way to grade each of our whiskey reviews . The end warms a bit with the fruitiness waning towards a spicy, choco-tobacco end. But once you start digging around in the nose and taste, you wont want to stop. 3. This is another one that grew on me. This really feels like a great place to start this list. . During that time, the barrels spend time in the Buzzards Roost at the top of the rickhouse. That dark chocolate and cherry fruit drive the palate as a hint of charred cedar lead towards vanilla tobacco with more of that dark chocolate and a small touch of honey. Part of that may be due to just spending more time with this one. I really cant find any faults in this bourbon. Booker's Bourbon is a brand named for master distiller Booker Noe, a sixth-generation bourbon maker. Paul Suttons launch this year has been a solid one. 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