Booker's 30th Anniversary Bourbon

Just had this after 2019 GTS. It’s not quite there but holds its own. It’s what you would expect... spicy, hot, a little sweet, a little oily and oaky. Delicious.

Damn. Another one that I almost wish wasn’t so good, given it’s complete lack of availability. The nose is full of intense, rich caramel, rye spice, roasted peanuts, and barrel char. There’s also a slight underlying note of stewed apples, and pralines. The palate is incredibly complex, opening into creme brûlée, espresso, honey roasted peanuts, dark chocolate, and the slightest hint of peanut butter cups. While quite oaky, the oaky tones are perfectly balanced, presenting as toasted sugars and black coffee, with the slight bitterness perfectly complementing the sweet sugared notes present throughout. There is a slight, but quite pleasant astringency rolling into a rich, nutty, toasty, caramel filled finish and a warm Kentucky hug. Truly phenomenal.

I could wear this as cologne, smells amazing. Real hot as expected with the proof, but overall amazing.

Nose of caramel and oak. Taste develops from wood to coffee and chocolate to a finish of leather. Superb.

Nose is sweet with peanut very little alcohol. Nose reminds me of a snickers bar. Taste is very hot with a good amount of oak. A little sweetness and vanilla balances it out some. Mouthfeel is nice and oily, finish lasts for days. Overall, happy I tried this and I really enjoyed it, but a tad hot for me. I probably would have liked this more if I had some distilled water, but the bar didn’t have any.

I love bourbon, and this is the only time I have ever opened a bottle, smelled the pour, tasted the pour, and said, "that's the best bourbon I've ever had". From front to back, it delivers on all fronts. The nose is wonderful, vanilla, cherries, oak. The palate is solid, and the finish, oh man the finish. Its that wonderful, sweet oak with full body but not the ethanol burn. Even at the price point, this bourbon delivers fully.