Booker's Bourbon Batch 2020-03 "Pigskin Batch"

Nose: That classic biscuity, nutty Beam profile. Booker's tends to live within a 10-15% margin for me and this is no exception. Oak-forward, caramel, and vanilla. It's worth noting that the vanilla here is a little less pronounced than usual, something I actually enjoy but I know isn't for everybody. The proof keeps this big and bold, though this isn't jumping out of the glass at me like some prior editions. Chocolate covered strawberries and those chocolate covered cherry cordials. There's also an herbal quality - mint, thyme, etc, along with black pepper and clove. Cinnamon is present, along with other classic baking spices. Palate: Big and chewy. Again, this doesn't rock the boat. Caramel, oak, and vanilla. Red hots. Peanut M&Ms. The same herbs and spices from the nose are all here, too. This leans more into the sweetness, but otherwise remains consistent. The barrel bite and proof make this feel "big", and the tannins and lactones help reinforce that, with a bitterness that's helping balance everything else. This hits largely on the back and middle palate, with pronounced mid-range and highs. Mouthfeel is medium-heavy. Finish: Big ol' ethanol pope, then charred oak, vanilla, and then suddenly a swell of cinnamon candy. Think red hots or red tamales - rarely does a particular note match this strongly for me. The vanilla is here, but still quite mellow. Things quickly drop off and mint and thyme show up but are still buried in the leftovers of everything else. We fade out of some quite lovely canteloupe, apricot, and banana. Medium length, but while it's here it's mo. Other notes: It's Booker's. A relatively consistent and high quality release from Beam. If you've had a few, you know what to expect. While I try to not mention price save for those instances where I feel it notable or relevant, I would be remiss if I didn't join the larger discussion about the recent hikes on line. While I've been relatively shielded in my neck of the woods (there are some local retailers that confuse Booker's and Little Book, and have been selling both at sub-SRP prices), it's disappointing that others haven't been so lucky. I do know that this year netted 1 fewer release of this line, with quality not meeting expectations at the distillery for a particular batch if memory serves. I can only imagine that the recent price hikes are to make up for this lack of a release. I hope (however naively) that this will be temporary - we've seen other distilleries remove and add back age statements, or others announce proof changes only to later capitulate to customer demands and retain the original proof, all without influencing price. I would wonder if Beam might be willing to reconsider the recent price changes and roll back a few. Then again, if the line continues to sell just as well, that likely won't happen. Personally, it'll give me pause - I'll still likely buy one bottle of each batch, but I'll definitely be more hesitant to re-buy any of them. And I'll certainly struggle to suggest it as strongly as I have in the past. As always, cheers!

If you are looking for a lot of pepper and oak. This is your bourbon.