About Booker's Bourbon Whiskey

Booker's is a small-batch label produced by the Jim Beam company. It is one of the small group of very high-proof bourbons that are available on the commercial market, and given its reasonable price of about $55/bottle, that makes it a gem indeed. Its excellent qualities are widely recognized, as the label has won multiple awards, including the Wine Enthusiast's Gold Medal for Bourbon.

Identification

Bourbon whiskey is distinguished from other types of whiskey by a set of characteristics specified by law. First, the alcohol must be made from a grain mix that is at least 51 percent corn. It cannot be distilled to higher than 160 proof, and it must be aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years. Bourbon whiskey does not necessarily need to be made in Kentucky, although most of it is. The limestone groundwater of Kentucky lends quality to the taste of Kentucky-made bourbon, and this is not generally found elsewhere, but it is not legally required that bourbon whiskey necessarily come from the Bluegrass State.

Types

Booker's is a small-batch bourbon. This means that it is a blended whiskey that is drawn literally from a small batch. It is not mass-produced, mass-market whiskey. Small batches are typically aged at least eight years.

Features

Booker's is a small-batch product of the Jim Beam Distillery. It is unusual in that it is very strong, and bottled between 121 to 127 proof. That makes Booker's either uncut or cut very little after it is released from the cask. However it is not a "straight from the cask" bourbon, because it is still blended. Despite its strength, Booker's is a smooth whiskey. Its nose is intense with the charcoal and oak, but its flavor is clear and mellow. Booker's is typically aged six to eight years, and the barrels are in the very center of the warehouse, where the temperature and humidity are at their best.

History

Booker's is named for the late grandson of Jim Beam, Booker Noe. Tradition has it that Noe bottled selected bourbons straight from the barrel and gave them away as gifts. The tradition was developed into a premium bourbon label in 1988.

Expert Insight

Booker's is a sucker puncher of a bourbon. It is practically straight from the cask, but is so mellow you would never know that from the taste of it. This is the sort of bourbon that doesn't give you a hint of how much alcohol you have consumed until you stand up after a double. Keep a bottle on hand for those special occasions or cold nights that merit a smooth drink that will quietly melt the edges off your senses.