Review by: Raygun

It appears I haven’t had Booker’s for a while. Nearly three years and 30 reviews ago. This one is a little older at 7 years, 8 months, and 7 days. It consists of barrels from four different warehouses: 10% from the 6th story of warehouse Z, 11% from the 6th story of warehouse 1, 42% from the 6th story of warehouse 3, and 37% from the 3rd floor of warehouse J. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 10 minutes.

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Distillery: Jim Beam  

Bottler/Brand: Booker’s  

Region/style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey

ABV: 65.15%. This is a hefty one. 

Age: Said to be 4-5 years 

Cask type: New oak    

Color: 1.7 burnt umber

Price: Around $90

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Nose: Big and spicy. Root beer and vanilla, but also a good bit of cinnamon and nutmeg. Wood shop. More baked goods with time.      

Palate: Very rich and again on the spicy side. Frosted cinnamon rolls, root beer, and bread pudding. A little anise flavor, too. Packs some heat, as expected. Water calms some of the alcohol heat without losing flavor.   

Finish: Good length. Root beer, bread pudding, and now a little peanut butter. The cinnamon is somewhat milder, but the anise is still clear.       

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Conclusion: Very good. I thought it might be too spicy the way it presented initially, but some rest time helped and brought out other flavors. I might put it a hair behind the last batch I tried, Pigskin from 2020, but it’s been long enough that I don’t trust my memory to be very precise. What’s clearly different now is the price. In my last review in 2023, I noted that $150 is the best price I found nearby. Now I could go out and get a bottle for $90 before tax. I’m not looking for more bourbon right now, but that’s a fair price.  

Score: 82

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Stagg Jr batch 12)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (new))
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Pikesville Rye)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Wild Turkey 101)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Maker’s Mark)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Grandad 114)
• 0-49: Blech. (High West Yippee-ki-yay)