Jim Beam is one of the the most easily recognizable whiskeys in the world, filling 500,000 barrels of whiskey a year to start aging. With Jim Beam white label being the most recognizable of all, it is their flagship. In 1980, the first small batch bottles of Booker’s were given as Christmas gifts from Booker Noe, the master distiller at Jim Beam. In 1992, Booker’s became available to the public, and started the Small Batch Bourbons. All Booker’s is aged between 6 and 8 years, and a couple of batches are released every year. Booker’s website says the bourbon “tells us when it’s ready, and then we’ll let you know” while explaining why each batch is different proof and age.
Upon retiring, Booker Noe passed along the master distiller role to his son, Fred, with one request. “Fred, make sure they don’t mess with my Bookers.”
One of the batches from 2016 is Bluegill Creek, and that is what we are reviewing here today.
Some Notes:
Proof: 128 (64% Alcohol by Volume)
Age: 6 Years, 5 Months, 28 Days
Color: A dark Amber color on this bourbon.
Nose: While there is a good amount of alcohol on the nose, there is also lots of oak, cinnamon and spices, with notes of vanilla and brown sugar. There are some dark fruit/dark cherry hints there as well.
Palate: There is a good amount of heat on the sip, which would be expected from such a high proof bourbon. However, there are tons of flavors cinnamon, vanilla, brown sugar, and touches of tobacco and peppercorn that come through as well. The finish is full of oak and lingers for a while.
With a few drops of water:
Nose: The alcohol smell fades really giving way to the vanilla and brown sugar notes. Still a good amount of dark fruit and oak as well. Very enticing
Palate: The sip opens up a lot with just a couple drops of water. The heat is still present, but the sweet flavors come out a lot more, hitting you with vanilla, brown sugar, and tobacco. There are also some dark cherry flavors that really grow. The finish is full of oak and sweet/spicy notes that lingers at the back of your mouth/on your throat for a long time.
Ratings:
A: 85/100
Z: 94/100
O: 90/100
Often counted as the original small batch, this is definitely a product worth picking up. Can’t wait to review more batches of the Booker’s in the future!
