Booker's Bourbon Batch 2019-03 "Country Ham"

N: Apricot, menthol, cinnamon, and nutmeg P: Coffee cake, nutmeg, brown sugar, hint or oak, hint of vanilla, and classic Beam dry peanut. F: medium and slightly spicy I can definitely see why this batch is a favorite among most. Like Fall or Christmas in a bottle.

Rating: 17/23 Wow, I just looked back at my last (and only) tasting and I sure didn't say much. How did I get halfway through this bottle with so little written about it? Seems totally out of character. N: Peanuts for sure. Kind of rich and sweet. A little bit of some sort of fruit (apricot?) starts coming in with some mustiness and spiciness that that reminds me of Thai food a little when combined with the peanut. It isn't a super complex nose, but it's very balanced and I really like it. I'm expecting a super hedonistic whiskey here. P: Somewhat spicy with a dry peanut flavor. The proof burns, but I wouldn't call this harsh. There's a nice richness here, but it could use a bit more fullness. I do start to get the faintest whiff of apricot, actually. I wonder if that was always there or if it's an artifact of this bottle having been half full for about 16 months. There's also a little bit of mineral, but not very much. It certainly isn't as full as Booker's Shiny Barrel though. The balance is very good, but it has that usual Jim Beam problem of not quite having the fullness of flavor I'd like. I get some tartness from the apricot along with vanilla, adding a bit of a floral note. Some of that sour Beam character is identifiable. It's a good palate, but the nose led me to expect greater things. It certainly isn't as hedonistic as expected and it doesn't strike me as super complex either. Maybe that's the usual Beam subtlety at play. F: There's still some spicy peanut and apricot with a dash of woody must, but there isn't a ton of complexity or richness. Gradually, some tartness gets added to the apricot and some floral flavor comes in, helping to show off the remaining vanilla. - Conclusion - This is a really solid bourbon with the standard Beam problem of being overly subtle while not being full enough. It's enjoyable, but nothing I'd go out of my way to track down and there are definitely better offerings for this price. I feel like a lot of the appeal here is coming from the proof. I appreciate a higher proof spirit, but this one seems like it might be over-playing that aspect a bit. Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 is more complex than this and it also stands up on its underlying flavors better than this, which tastes more like it's being propped up by its ABV. This definitely is more viscous, from its ABV, but it's not really fuller otherwise. Still, I think there's a balance to this that stands up well against the Wild Turkey. Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve (batch 22) on the other hand shows more maturity, less harshness, and greater complexity. I briefly considered going as low as a 15 for this, but I quickly came back to the 17 to 18 range. Booker's Shiny Barrel is better, but both are in the general ballpark of Wild Turkey Rare Breed. Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve (batch 22) also strikes me as an improvement over this, so there's no way I'm going as high as a 19 here. I'm thinking a 17 to 18. It'll be a 17 because it's just kind of light and young.

Sweeter notes, mild vanilla

Bookers is always a great high proof pour

Cinnamon forward and spicy finish

I don't know if the name is playing mind tricks with me or not but it actually tastes like a cured smoked ham. Doesn't drink anywhere near 62% and is delicious.