Booker's Bourbon Batch 2015-05 "Maw Maw's Batch"

Caramel and butterscotch bomb

I'm always a fan of Bookers and i enjoyed this batch as well. However this one is quite hot and spicy; that says a lot when Bookers is an in your face full bodied barrel proof bourbon in general. Not one of my favorite batches, but fun to try a batch i haven't had before.

Taste: 2 oz. Neat in glen cairn, then with three drops. Appearance: dark amber with thicker, slower running legs. Thanks to msewell16 for sending the sample. Nose: This punches you in the face! It is strong, bold, initially heavy with ethanol, then loads of oak, brown sugar, and caramel. With a few drops of water the fruitier notes come through. Think apple pie and struesel here. Palate: when neat, the flavors are very condensed. Very oaky but a few drops of water unlock apple baked brown betty, red michigan apple peel, and vanilla all covered in brown sugar glaze. Addition of water makes this one turn from just being a strong high proofed, oaky bourbon, to making you remember apple pies cooling on a fall day with the windows wide open! Bourbon that can evoke a pleasant memory is a worthwhile bourbon in my book. Finish: warming and long. Makes you blush a bit as that warmth works its way upward. My only hit against it is that it is a bit woodshoppy on the end note. Some may like that send-off, kind of gave me splinters. Overall: I must confess I was not a big fan neat. It was just too strong, hot, full of oak, but you could tell that sweeter stuff was in there, you just had to fine tune it. 2 drops of water and this is a different bourbon entirely. It is everything you want in a barrelproof bourbon but only if you work hard at it. I find this with most Bookers and I love that challenge! If you are simply popping the top and pouring a glass you are not getting to what Booker's is really about-- choosing your own adventure and tuning in to unlock unlimited potential!

Full body, nice sipper. Hot on the finish but...64.0%