Until then, get in on the ground floor right here. 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. This was a fleeting release this summer. These releases never fail to wow and this year was no different. Clay is Editor at Large of The Bourbon Review. The nose then leans towards a woody spice matrix of cinnamon sticks soaked in cherry syrup next to a slight note of anise thats more absinthe green than licorice dark. Still, this was a great whiskey that I want more of and thats what this list is about. The first release in this line for 2016 is here: Booker's Bluegrass batch. Theres this body of nutmeg that leads towards a light vanilla pound cake full of candied and dried fruits with a soft Niederegger marzipan center. Boston batch is a reference to the first distilling site where Booker Noe workedin Boston, Kentuckybut it wouldnt be a surprise if it was also in reference to the finishs Boston cream filling finish. Were including them all anyway! 1. The whiskey in the bottle is generally at least 12 years old and bottled with no cutting down to proof or filtration whatsoever. Heres Our Review Of Cocaine Bear: Oh Hell Yes! The taste runs deep with vanilla leading the way next to a touch of apple and pecan crumble. This is really fruity. The whiskey is aged for at least ten years. Four Roses Single Barrel. In addition to variations in proof and age, Bookers batches can also be differentiated by what floors and warehouses their components come from, and how those differences create variations in flavor. The high proof guarantees a harsh alcoholic bite on the palate right off the bat, so the brand recommends adding water to it or serving it on the rocks. This years release is a whiskey that was warehoused in spring 2007. The palate has a pecan pie vibe with the maple syrup turning into Caro syrup as the oak gets a little toasty, with rich buttery toffee and a dollop of creamy vanilla pudding. Enjoy looking through our list of best Bourbon whiskey brands. Beyond that, this was a Travelers Exclusive up until the pandemic. But mines a pretty evolved palate, too just ask the guests on Expression Session. The tasting for VinePair's 2023 edition of our annual bourbon roundup offered great insight into how broad and deep the category has become. The end softens the leather as the dark chocolate lingers the longest on your senses with a final touch of almost peppery spice. Distilled back in the fall of 2009, this barrel-strength bourbon skips the Minnesota rye and instead uses North Dakota wheat with that NoDak barley and Kentucky corn. This brand new bourbon from Heaven Hill celebrates the five brothers who started the distillery back in 1935. The finish is long but doesnt overstay its welcome. The palate dives into a dark plum jam with a spicy edge of allspice and nutmeg. He actually coined the term "small batch." You get a quick upfront hit of the sugars from the wood, along with hints of vanilla and raisin. His own offspring are now running things at the Jim Beam-owned distillery that bears his name, making for at least 7 generations in the bourbon business. "Noah's Mill is a 114 proof bourbon coming from the Willett family again. The breakdown of barrel storage for Booker's "Pinkie's Batch" is as follows: 47% came from the 3rd floor of 7-story warehouse Z 36% came from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse 1 11% came from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse X 6% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Q The juice is aged in Ozark oak for four years and then finished in oak from Minnesota for another year, all under that blazing West Texas sunshine. 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 leans into a dry-yet-almost-sweet oak with a touch of an almond shell and dry grass coming in at the very end. Over two centuries, the icon has churned out incredible releases, been named the best distillery in the world and even managed to create its own line of cigars.Sure, the distillery is known for producing legendary drams like Pappy Van Winkle and WL Weller, the . Booker's Bourbon Whiskey $17.04 - $799.99 Booker's Little Book Bourbon $84.99 - $799.99 Booker's Bluegrass $176.99 - $199.00 Booker's Bourbon Noe Secret $139.89 - $199.99 Booker's 30th Anniversary Bourbon $143.74 - $7500.00 Booker's 2017-02 Blue Knights Batch Booker's Front Porch Batch Booker's Bourbon Batch 2017-04, Sip Awhile $149.99 - $189.00 Speaking to Master Distiller Fred Noe earlier this year, he explained that, well, thats the whole point. Blanton's SFTB is one of the few bottles on the market that could give George T. Stagg a run for its money. Instead, I found myself going back for more and more sips just to capture some additional flavor. While the team at Pursuit United doesnt release the Tennessee distillery name, we know the juices from Kentucky and New York are from Bardstown Bourbon Company and Finger Lakes Distilling, respectively. The bourbons are two, five, and 15 years old. Either way, the juice goes through Michters bespoke filtration process before a touch of Kentuckys iconic soft limestone water is added, bringing the bourbon down to a very crushable 94.4 proof. Plus, were looking at a one-off single barrel for around $50. While Booker's may have been the first mass produced barrel proof bourbon to hit the market, barrel proof bourbons are more common now than when Booker's was first introduced. Noah's Mill ($60) Liquor.com. If you have any question with respect to the processing of your personal data by Whiskybase B.V., please contact e-mail: info@whiskybase.com. . The crystal decanter has two eagles, one as a stopper and one that is blown into the bottom of the bottle. The whiskey is distilled and has the highest alcohol content of all other brands in the Jim Beam "Small Batch Bourbon Collection.". He has written about whiskey, food, drink, and culture for Esquire, Playboy, Men's Journal, Popular Science, Southern Living, Maxim, among others. Experience the unique blend of Booker's Noe Pinkies Batch, a premium small-batch bourbon named after Frederick Booker Noe, aka Pinkie, who was known for his love for bourbon. Theres a clear sense of those spices on the palate with a hint of dark chocolate leading back to all that fruit, a touch of marzipan, and a dash of vanilla cream pie. That fruit gives way to a spritz of orange oils next to a light touch of dark chocolate on the mid-palate that leads to a rich finish. Master Blender Dave Carpenter built this small-batch bourbon off the back of barrels of very high-rye bourbon (60 percent corn, 36 percent rye, and four percent malted barley) from MGP of Indiana. A Caro syrup-soaked pecan sweetness and nuttiness drive the mid-palate towards a cherry tobacco finish with a hint of dark cacao powder. These barrel blends from Heaven Hill are meant to highlight the precise quality of the distillerys prowess from grain to bottle. The juice spent 12-and-a-half years mellowing in warehouses C, D, K, L, and Q on floors one through three. This is classic Makers thats treated with a little less of that limestone water to let the barrel techniques shine a bit more while still holding onto the Makers vibe. Thats a shame because this is a hell of a sipper and more folks should be able to get their hands on this one. This whiskey takes Woodinvilles signature (and much-lauded) five-year-old straight bourbon and gives it a new finishing touch. But this new release just hit too many high marks to be overshadowed this year. And I really got into mixing Manhattans and Sazeracs with this one this year. That makes each release extremely unique and fleeting. It was very easy-going and makes a killer cocktail. Alcohol heat permeates this barrel-proof monster. This is another one that grew on me. Wow - is this a sweet tasting bourbonboth literally and figuratively! Booker's Bourbon is made in small batches around six times annually. That chocolate drives the taste towards a mint-chocolate ice cream vibe (heavy on the chocolate part) with small dashes of holiday spices, hard toffee candies, worn leather, and a flourish of cedar boxes full of dried tobacco leaves. The bourbon is made from a blend of corn, rye, and barley, and is aged for a minimum of six years in oak barrels. The palate really holds onto that velvety vanilla as the corn husks dry out and notes of orange-infused dark chocolate mingle with that spicy tobacco, which starts buzzing on your tongue. Michters is currently distilling and aging their own whiskey, but this is still sourced. The nose is a holiday cake with fatty nuts next to woody spice barks think anise, clove, and cinnamon with a nice dose of dried red fruits and honey-dipped over-ripe Granny Smith apples. Did the expression land this year (either as a completely new drop or this years release of a classic). The nose on this has a distinct barnyard funk tied to wet bales of straw that leads to a salted caramel sweetness with a twinge of a pine box full of cherry pits. This is one of the contenders for the best pound for pound bourbon in the world (see below to find out if it won). Theres a lot to draw you in with this nose of rich tobacco spiciness next to soft cedar, tart cherry pie filling, saffron stewed pears, salted toffee, and what almost feels like the salted water left after boiling artichokes (seriously). Youre greeted with a real sense of a corn-syrup-laced pecan pie next to hazelnut bespeckled cinnamon rolls and creamy milk chocolate. The sip ends quietly and fades quickly, leaving you with a nice touch of lemon oils next to dark chocolate powder and a hint of spicy stewed oranges. As is the case with all batches, Booker's son Fred selected the bourbon for this release personally in an effort to uphold his father's standards. This is one of those bourbons that seems to get better with each passing year. Eventually the popularity of these bottles caught on and Beam started to bottle in mass. The palate has a jammy presence with a plum compote spiked with cloves and allspice next to a touch of port-soaked cedar planks, vanilla cream, sultanas, and I want to say mulled wine cinnamon sticks. The elder Noe is better known as Pinkie to his family and friends. Those barrels are then cut down ever-so-slightly to 101 proof and bottled with their barrel number and warehouse location. The fruitiness really builds as the cherry leads towards a bowl full of ripe raspberries swimming in cream with a dusting of dark spices and brown sugar thats countered by a dose of floral tea leaves, culminating with a mildly bitter coffee bean. Brand new Bourbon from Heaven Hill are meant to highlight the precise quality of the distillerys prowess from to! 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