Baker's Single Barrel Bourbon 13 Year

Brown sugar. Corn. Caramel. Slight peanut. Finishes with rye spice. Heat with a hint of sweetness. Overall it is pretty well balanced and smooth but not very complex or unique.

Limited release from Beam. I'm a big fan of the standard 7-year expression of Baker's (the recently discontinued small batch version.) I originally saw this for $80, which seemed like a bargain considering this is the oldest (and most expensive) bourbon I've ever owned and I've paid more for younger bottles. I didn't buy on sight, and by the time I realized just how limited it was, it was already gone. When I finally found it again, it was $150. Oh well. I won't let that dampen my expectations for this one. Nose: Lots of brown notes: brown sugar, caramel, cocoa, chocolate, big oak. Classic Beam peanut brittle. Apple, orange, raisin, toffee, vanilla. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and allspice. Plenty of barrel char. Sawdust. Tobacco smoke. It's a fairly standard bourbon nose. Extremely subtle for 107; not a trace of ethanol. Solid, clean, crisp nose. Palate: Apple, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla. More peanut brittle, now accompanied by walnut. More barrel char, as well as oak, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and allspice. Plenty of spice here. Black pepper and black licorice. Carrot cake. Fudge. A touch more of the orange citrus. Once again, it's nothing out of the ordinary for a bourbon--at least in terms of notes. But it's so clean and refined. That alone sets this apart. A much calmer and more measured version of it's younger brother. Finish: A big hit of orange citrus out of the gate. Apple, vanilla, and toffee sweetness. Caramel and cocoa. Leather. Closely reflects the rest of the experience. Barrel char, oak, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon add a hefty dose of spice and heat. This is the only portion of the whiskey that is reminiscent of the 7 year. The notes are similar throughout, but the bombastic brashness and heat on this long finish conjure up memories of the original small batch release. Great finish. So what do I think of the oldest bourbon I've ever owned, or even tasted (I've had plenty aged-stated at 12 so this isn't much of a jump)? Clean, refined, and measured. I used all of those words above, and I feel that they are the best words I could use to describe what sets this one apart from the pack. The notes themselves are standard; the presentation, however, is truly unique. The only bourbon that bourbon that I recall having a greater combination of crispness and maturity is the Weller 12. So is it worth $80. Yes, without a shadow of a doubt. Is it worth $150? Well, that's a hard call. I'm glad I bought it, at any rate. So I'll confirm that it's worthy of it's price tag. It's a departure from a lot of the characteristics I look for in a bourbon, save that beastly 53.5% finish. However, age does wonders for this one, and delivers an experience I haven't had since I killed my Weller 12 over a year ago. Next, I've got to pick up the new Baker's 7 year SB. I hope that this 13 year version becomes a periodic release. One might could view the change as Jim Beam ousting Baker's from the core lineup. Conversely, one could say that the distillery is breathing new life into its most underappreciated line. This expression is a fantastic representative of JB's 107 proof stalwart. If you can still find a bottle, I highly recommend it. Edit: Just under three years later and I’ve got to bump this up from 4.75/5. The bottle got better with time and air. I can’t believe I said this was a departure from what I normally look for in a bourbon. Even then, I was not suggesting that the profile was anything short of great—just different. But now I’m thinking that this bottle was one of few that informed my palate going forward. Top shelf bar none.

One of the best I’ve ever had. Nose: nutmeg, cinnamon. Light in the nose, but rich on the pallet. Mouth: thick, rich, and creamy. Finish: medium length and leaves a smile on my face