Swahili1
Booker's Bourbon Batch 2015-05 "Maw Maw's Batch"
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
April 17, 2020 (edited August 26, 2020)
Taste: 2 oz. Neat in glen cairn, then with three drops.
Appearance: dark amber with thicker, slower running legs. Thanks to msewell16 for sending the sample.
Nose: This punches you in the face! It is strong, bold, initially heavy with ethanol, then loads of oak, brown sugar, and caramel. With a few drops of water the fruitier notes come through. Think apple pie and struesel here.
Palate: when neat, the flavors are very condensed. Very oaky but a few drops of water unlock apple baked brown betty, red michigan apple peel, and vanilla all covered in brown sugar glaze. Addition of water makes this one turn from just being a strong high proofed, oaky bourbon, to making you remember apple pies cooling on a fall day with the windows wide open! Bourbon that can evoke a pleasant memory is a worthwhile bourbon in my book.
Finish: warming and long. Makes you blush a bit as that warmth works its way upward. My only hit against it is that it is a bit woodshoppy on the end note. Some may like that send-off, kind of gave me splinters.
Overall: I must confess I was not a big fan neat. It was just too strong, hot, full of oak, but you could tell that sweeter stuff was in there, you just had to fine tune it. 2 drops of water and this is a different bourbon entirely. It is everything you want in a barrelproof bourbon but only if you work hard at it. I find this with most Bookers and I love that challenge! If you are simply popping the top and pouring a glass you are not getting to what Booker's is really about-- choosing your own adventure and tuning in to unlock unlimited potential!
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@Swahili1 to the laboratory!! Separately, 100% agree on the KC SiB picks. Phenomenal value and flavor. A little less complex than some offerings, but there isn’t much better at the price. Darn near quaffable at 120 proof.
Thanks for the review! I've generally also found Booker's to be too hot and spicy neat, and I haven't always found that water helps. But I'll give it a shot with future batches.
@bigwhitemike water is the key, and slow addition of it at that. Too fast you get soapy taste. Not enough you get heat. What I think is that at 115- 120 proof or there about you get something like a much fuller Knob Creek. I agree on the price. It is creeping towards $100 which drives me more toward those delicious KC120 picks with 12-15 yrs on them
I have a bit of a pre-batch name 2104-07 bottle left that sometimes really sings, but in general I find bookers young and hot and aggressive. Loads of potential but a classic DIY project. I will need to exercise your patience with proofing down to the sweet spot. I feel like their journey from sub-$50 to $70+ MSRP killed the value, but I do enjoy a pour now and again.
@Swahili1 yeah , exactly—-neat Bookers is too hot, and with a large ice cube, the flavors are muted. I just need patience to experiment like you did
@PBMichiganWolverine I always try them first neat to get a feel for it and then slowly add drop by drop to dial in the notes I am looking for. It takes some work but yields some big rewards. I have tried over one large rock but I feel it actually closes things down
@Swahili1 i think that’s my issue with Booker’s—-I’ve not found that sweet spot of how much water is needed. I’m simply drinking it neat, or with a huge chunk of ice