Tastes

Coming off the heels of my first Booker's the 2020-02 "Boston's Batch," coupled with the recent priced increase of Booker's, I was hesitant to purchase another batch but finally gave in after continuously hearing good things about Bardstown Batch along with the other 2021 releases. Nose: Sweet and oaky. A balance between caramel sugars and bold, dry oak. Behind the note, which can even be found without knowing this is a Booker's, is that peanut note, which in the 2020-02 was astringent, but here plays nicely with the sweetness to almost be folded into a peanut butter or peanut brittle. Palate: Thick and rich mouthfeel. A ton of maple syrupy sweetness that coats the palate first leaving behind a trail of oak and spice. This drinks surprisingly lower than it's proof point which is the opposite from the Boston Batch, but seems to be the consensus of the tastes I've read on it. Finish: Long finish. The sweetness settles nicely into the middle of a tingly drying oak blanket and the two notes dance around the palate as it fades. Overall the Bardstown Batch feels like a simpler whiskey as far as complexity goes but really delivers a ton of flavor and drinks older than its age statement at around 6 and a half years, and lower than it's proof at 62.75% ABV. Really glad to have picked up this bottle to have experienced a great Booker's batch. Hard to justify spending $100 on it though. Rating (t8ke scale) - 8

Named after a whirlpool the bottle reads and rightfully so! Nose: This nose is extremely fragrant. Filled with meaty smoke and deep, rich red fruits. A ripe plum coated in coastal brine, all wrapped inside a whirlwind of apple wood smoke. Palate: A viscous mouthfeel and a burst of flavor. Aggressive smoke and black pepper give way to sweet, sugary plum. The proof is perfect for this pour, the palate is just as rich as the nose. Finish: A medium long sweet and salty finish. 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2,478 Bottles, 62.17% Abv Nose: Warm sugar cane sweetness. Some rum funk. Not really finding any red fruits. Vanillas and caramel. Palate: Good mouthfeel. Sweet and spicy. It's a sweet note I've not found in a bourbon. The only familiar tasting note is vanilla. Finish: Medium finish with a good amount of syrupy sweetness that settled nicey on the tongue. Overall the rum casks in this dram throw me off a little bit.

Batch: 4C Bottle: 1662 Nose: Very fragrant. Caramel and oak. Campfire marshmallow. Pecan and honeycrisp apple. Palate: Medium light palate. Caramel, maple syrupy sweetness backed by oak spice. Some citrus too, lime juice. Finish: Medium short finish. Drying oak and citrus. Overall the nose of this whiskey is beautiful, just wish the palate had more juice to it.

Nose: Dusty corn funk. Oak, leather and brown sugar. Palate: Good mouthfeel. Spice turns to sweetness. Honey and wood spice. Finish: Medium long finish of spice and drying oak.

Nose: Creamy vanilla sweetness. Cinnamon roll. Palate: Black and white cookie. Mild amount of spice at the back on the palate. Finish: Medium length finish. Great balance of sweet and spicy. Maple syrup resides on the tongue.

Nose: Banana cream pie. Palate: Great mouth feel. Creamy vanilla. Finish: Long finish. Banana bread and brown sugar.

Batch No. 15C01 Nose: Baking spices amongst cinnamon sugar. Baked apple pie. Palate: Good mouthfeel. Good balance of sweet and spicey. Brown sugar and cardamom. Finish: Spice is left on the middle of the tongue and is surrounded by honey citrus sweetness.

Nose: Sweet corn. Dust and caramel. Palate: Overwhelming candy sweetness. A hint of spice in the background but mainly this dram tastes like liquid candy. Finish: Spice turns to subtle sweetness.

Nose: Heavy brown sugar. Toasted marshmallow. Good amount of oak spice underneath. Stone fruit specifically apricot. Palate: Great mouhtfeel, full palate. Rich cherry syrup and the toasted marshmallow gives way to dry oak. Finish: Medium long dry finish settles nice and evenly on the tongue.