Booker's Bourbon Batch 2017-02 "Blue Knights Batch"

This is the first batch of Booker's I've tried, and it's quite enjoyable. The nose has so much cherry sweetness, a real Cherry Vanilla Coke aroma to it. There's a tiny bit of oak, but not as much as I'd want. The full proof doesn't really rear up and smack me in the face, which surprises me a bit given its relatively young age of slightly over 6 years. Must be good barrel selection. The palate has a heavy tannin presence, and is where the oak appears in force. It's a teethcoater for sure, with a rich, luxurious flavor and an almost waxy texture. The finish is really nice, dark stewed fruits, almost like a cherry pie, mixing in with the heat from the proof and loads of cinnamon and oak. After having about half of it, I dropped some water in, which brought vanilla cream to the fore, and made the palate a bit more vibrant. The finish unfortunately doesn't benefit from water; I get honey and some citrus tartness, and the astringency from the wood becomes too pronounced. I have a hard time seeing them successfully pushing the price of this line all the way up to $100, because it's a clear cut or two below Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (which is still $70-80) in my book.

I'm a huge Booker's fan. I may have gotten a bad bottle. Sadly, it has a very musty nose and musty palette. I can tell the greatness of the flavors behind those problems.