• Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

Booker's Small Batch Bourbon

AVB

Jesus of Cool, I'm bad, I'm nationwide
Joined
Nov 14, 2003
Messages
22,975
Booker's Small Batch Bourbon, 6-8 years old (8yr-5mo for this one), standard tall bottle, wood box/display case, 750ml, wax seal, 126.8 proof, about $45 here in PA.

Bookers.JPG


The Mayor very nicely asked for a review of Booker's last week and since I didn't have anything else planned or voted on it seemed to me to be as good a choice as anything else to review this week.

My last 4 days have been computer hell with a "Driver_IRQL_Not_Less_Or_Equal" error. All because of a combination of a corrupt driver and installing some new cards. I won't go into the details but after working on PC's since 1978 when I built my first, this was by far the most difficult problem I have run across. Needless to say, once I got everything working today I was ready to comsume mass quantities of something and Booker's fit the bill very nicely.

One of the four "Small Batch" bourbons (Baker's, Knob Creek & Basil Hayden being the other three) put out by Jim Beam, Booker's is the most likely the best of the them although Baker's or Knob Creek have their moments too. Even for me 126.8 proof is a bit much and the alcohol hides some of the exceptional flavors in this bourbon. My fix is 2 shots of Booker's and a bit less then 1 of water to knock the proof down to about 90 give or take.

The nose is huge! Full of vanilla, maple sugar, and a Bar-B-Que from far away. Full strength your nose will tingle from the alcohol and will certainly cut down on the enjoyment of nosing. The taste is a bit floral riding over the sweet oakiness and vanilla of a really good bourbon. Even cut down the finish is long and very full with a brunt of spices lasting until the very end.

Not cheap by bourbon standards this is one of the better bottles you can buy and since most will cut it back like I do that will bring the cost per serving down making it a the same as a $30 bottle. Well worth finding, buying and drinking! :thumbs:
 
thanks for the review, i appreciate your thoughts. i agree, its a powerful drink, i usually drop a cube of ice in it. the first taste is definately a big floral explosion paired with vanilla, exceptionally smooth. im a big fan of the small batch collection, i gave the basil hayden's a bit more credit than your review, and this ones no doubt at the top. for a special occassion or to cap off a perfect night, Bookers is always the choice.
 
I had a bottle of this not to long ago. Very tasty. :thumbs: Adding a little water really opens the flavor.
 
is it not odd how computer work drives people to drink? :) thanks for the review as always AVB
 
Well, I've had Knob Creek :thumbs: and Basil Hayden :thumbs:, I've not moved on to try bookers or bakers. Guess Booker's will be next on the buy list! Great job AVB :thumbs:
 
As far as "real" bourbon goes, I think Knob Creek is the only one I've every really had. I have gone through about 2.5 bottles of it over the past several months. I really enjoy it with full-bodied cigars. Sometimes I drink it straight, but most of the time I add roughly a teaspoon of water to every shot of Knob Creek. Never tried it cold though.

I am hesitant to spend the $$ for a bottle that I'm not sure I'll like, so I've been sticking with Knob Creek for a wihle. With that in mind, do you think that this may be a bottle that I would enjoy? Any other suggestions that aren't too pricey? I know tastes differ from person to person, but any suggestions here would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help!
 
I've done 28 bourbon and Rye reviews, admitedly some are on the very high end but there are some at the normal end of the price scale too. Take a look here for the list. Offhand I'd say try the Old GrandDad 100 proof.

bchem said:
Any other suggestions that aren't too pricey?
[snapback]232664[/snapback]​
 
I wanted to comment to this thread because today I received a bottle of Booker's. This might not sound special, but it is for me. I can't get it in Finland and ordering over the internet is very expensive, not to mention the trouble with the customs. My friend brought me a bottle of this, and a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's 20 yo. I have yet to try the latter.

I like Booker's straight. I take a small sip and let it rest on my tongue. It might be partly the high proof of this, but this is unlike any bourbon I've tasted before. I can't even begin to separate all the flavors in this, but it's amazing. There are so many. The taste is simply superb. It also gives me a warmth like no bourbon before. I wanted to buy something good, so I have a point of reference for the future. I think I'm on the ball with this choice. After all, I did make these two choices of bourbon based on AVB's reviews. I guess this will have to be a special occasion drink.
 
If you like the Booker's, you will love the Pappy.......
 
Aside from the alcohol content, how does this match up with the Four Roses Small Batch? Which is the only bourban i've tasted and gone through. Tia!
 
As I have never tried the Four Roses Small Batch, I can't compare them :( I have only tried the Four Roses Single Barrel, which is very nice. But I have to comment, that for me, the higher alcohol content brings out more flavors.
 
The Booker's is better then the Small Batch but not as good as the Single Barrel IMO. I think my reviews suggest that and it still seems that way to me.

Aside from the alcohol content, how does this match up with the Four Roses Small Batch? Which is the only bourbon I've tasted and gone through. Tia!
 
The Booker's is better then the Small Batch but not as good as the Single Barrel IMO. I think my reviews suggest that and it still seems that way to me.

Aside from the alcohol content, how does this match up with the Four Roses Small Batch? Which is the only bourbon I've tasted and gone through. Tia!
At the price of $25 Bookers sounds like a gimme, thanks Ray. :thumbs:
 
Hirsches single batch bourbun aged 16 years and last bottled in 1974...worth every penny if you can find it!
 
Hirsches single batch bourbun aged 16 years and last bottled in 1974...worth every penny if you can find it!

A H Hirsch 16 year old, yes this whiskey was distilled in 1974 not bottled(add 16 years to the distillation date). Bottled with a Blue Wax seal (Black wax export). The rest of this bourbon was dumped into stainless steel and some years later they released it again (limited production and not all the 1974 bourbon was bottled), this release had Gold wax sealing the top of the bottle. The current release on the shelf has a gold foil seal and had spent many years in stainless tanks before bottling, while having all three of the currently open on the bar, I will say they are all very good and a great piece of bourbon history, though the Gold foil or last release is a bit flat in comparison to the first 2 releases. Worth over $200 a bottle, tough call! You can buy multiple bottles of many other great bourbons for that price! When this was $69.99 sure good stuff, now that they are down to the last few thousand bottles they want to make a killing and I just don't see it!

Tony
 
When this was $69.99 sure good stuff, now that they are down to the last few thousand bottles they want to make a killing and I just don't see it!

Tony

You are spot on Tony. If you know someone that has it then by all means try it, however, with bottles going anywhere from $140 to $300 (which will increase) I would buy a couple bottles of Pappy Van Winkle 15 or Lot B before dropping cash for another one.

Jason
 
Hirsches single batch bourbun aged 16 years and last bottled in 1974...worth every penny if you can find it!

Too bad this isn't a thread about Hirsches. It's a review of Booker's and everyone's thoughts on Booker's, otherwise if you think Hirsches is great then start a thread about it, or find the thread about it and not derail this one. :angry:
 
Top