BOOKER’S SHOWDOWN Booker’s “Beaten Biscuits” 2019-04 Booker’s “Mighty Fine Batch” 2023-03 Continuing to work through spirits in my collection that I’ve yet to review, or perhaps yet to review in a batch (I have reviewed “Beaten Biscuits” (7/22/22), but not “Mighty Fine Batch,” so I decided to group them together for another Showdown). Booker’s was my first foray into barrel-proof bourbon. I’ve had a few older bottles prior to the “Beaten Biscuits” here, including “Maw Maw’s Batch,” “Bluegill Creek,” and others. But frankly, Booker’s has taken something of a back seat over the years; not necessarily by intention, but rather as a function of my exploration of other barrel-proof bottlings. I remain a fan (fair warning). Booker’s “Beaten Biscuits” 2019-04 Color is a clear and deep burnt orange, corresponding to Pantone 159. Black licorice, currants, vanilla, banana bread, oak, rosin, and some alcohol on the nose. Slightly viscous mouthfeel; oatmeal with light maple syrup and cinnamon on the palate. Gentle burn on the back end, but the proof is well integrated. The finish begins with oaky vanilla, with a nice touch of bitterness manifest as both sugared espresso and the black licorice that reappeared from the nose, resolving again to gentle vanilla. I overrated this on my last review (4.75; July 22, 2022). “Beaten Biscuits” is very good, but not 4.75-good. The differentiator for me is the way the bitterness on the finish—which is not subtle—is positive and complementary rather than the more-common bitterness that is simply driven by exposure to oak tannins. Each release of Booker’s is typically priced somewhat above what I see as its main competitor (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof) and can usually be found for around $90. Would I buy it again? Yes. But not every release each year. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. 63.05% proof. Aged 6 years, 6 months, 19 days. Uncut and unfiltered. Booker’s “Mighty Fine Batch” 2023-03 Same clear burnt-orange Pantone-159 color as the “Beaten Biscuits.” The complex nose evokes savory and tangy barbecue sauce, cigar box, toasted marshmallows, chocolate-covered cherries, smoked meat, buttered cornbread, and apple pie, along with a cooling menthol element. There’s a light glycerin on the palate, and the buttery diacetyl note on the nose continues, along with sweet corn. Charred oak, cinnamon, and vanilla are predominant on the finish. Wow. “Mighty Fine Batch” lives up to its billing. The roughly $90 retail price for present-day Booker’s releases is not cheap, but due to the high proofs and consistently robust flavor profiles represents relative value in today’s bourbon market. Would I buy it again? Yes. Mighty fine, indeed. 4.5 on the Distiller scale. 63.3% proof. Age 7 years, 1 month, 10 days. Uncut and unfiltered. Booker’s, a brand owned by the Beam Suntory Behemoth, is generally released four times per year (in 2020, during Covid, there were three releases). Collectors like to collect, but it’s difficult to justify buying all four releases each year—assuming that you can find them. It’s hard enough to get the three annual releases of ECBP, and now there’s the three releases of Larceny Barrel Proof to contend with as well. When is Buffalo Trace going to join Beam and Heaven Hill in the three-times-per-year party? Details about each bottling, including percentages obtained from specific floors of specific warehouses, can be found on the brand’s website (https://www.bookersbourbon.com/batches#). N.B.: All spirts tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.