Booker's Bourbon Batch 2015-03 "The Center Cut"

Taste: 2 oz pour neat in glen cairn and then 4 drops spring water. Nose: (4.75) It is luscious and seriously Booker's. Let's you know right away that this is going to be a monster pour. Caramel, corn, a bit of maple, oak, apple, and that peanuttiness that comes from quality Jim Beam hits you right in the nose. It isn't a Mike Tyson type I am a brawler and knock you down punch, but more of a Muhammad Ali in his prime type I can dance and then knock you out type of a nose. There is ethanol but once it clears.... hello! Taste: (5.0) peanuts turn to peanut butter with the nice buttery coating. The front palate reminds me of every thing good about a taffy apple. Midway it give up maple syrup, and then the backend is oak. The palate stages like a rocket trip. I say this because it is not necessarilly a flavor bomb, but better. It is all that is good about vanilla, caramel, apple, peanuts, and then musty, tannic oak. There is also a chewiness in this that really makes it interesting. Finish: (5.0) Hugs you, cuddles you and then kicks you in the ass as if to say, "get some." The finish is long, luxurious and like watching Ali finish off an opponent after he ropa-doped him. A barrel proof of this skill belongs on my shelf. Overall: This lives up to the praise. This is what I look for in bourbon! It is strong but not rough. It is polished but not afraid to take it to you. It floats like a butterfly but stings like a bee!. Glad a Minnesota friend got me 2 bottles at $59 because I will not give them up for double.

This one was a damn lucky find. I popped my head into a liquor store right before it went out of business. Slow product turnover is bad for them, but great for collectors like me. I was able to score this 2015 Booker's, which Distiller has listed as a rare bourbon. Nose: Standard Booker's. No real deviation here; it's simply damn fine. Roasted nuts, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar. Big oak. Black tea as well. This one sits at 63.6%, yet the alcohol is masked by richness and complexity. Great nose. Came back to it months later. Getting a prominent sweet maple note. Only makes it better. Came back to it again at the end of the bottle. It's been open for about 8 months. I'm now getting almond, cherry, and leather in addition to those original notes. So impressive how this has evolved. I'll miss this one. Palate: Rich and vibrant. Sweet and spicy. Vanilla, cola, caramel, brown sugar, but also tobacco, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and oak spice. Peanut brittle. And this could just be the power of suggestion (and it probably is) but I could swear I'm getting a chewy ribeye steak note. It could even just a note akin to what you'd get with a quality steak sauce. Either way, it conjures up this image in my head. Top notch. Months later, I'm getting the same maple note I now found on the nose. Great touch. Finish: Very long finish. Very spicy as well. Black pepper, cinnamon, oak. The basic bourbon notes of vanilla and caramel make themselves known before this finally fades away. Maybe even a bit of tobacco or black tea. I'm a Booker's fan boy. This one confirms this for me. This is my fourth unique bottle and I've absolutely loved each one. This one ranks in my top 2; if you put a gun to my head, I'll probably take Kentucky Chew. But this is by no means a step down and the palate here my even be superior. This was a great find. For $80, this was easily worth the price of admission. I'm sure that some places still carrying this one will realize that they can milk the rarity of this batch. But if quality is your only concern, don't waver for a second. I'm glad I've had the chance to cross this one off the list. If you like Booker's, buy with confidence. Well done, Beam. And months later, as I return to this one, I've gotta say it's better than a remember. And I already had it pegged at 5 stars.

Sharp at first. Good flavor but not so smooth.

I was a little afraid of the 63.6% alcohol but decided to have it without water to really taste it. love it! the sweet and heat slowly expands and covers your whole mouth. alot of caramel up front. wonderful finish. drink this slowly, small sips, and feel it warm you as it goes all the way down.