whiskeyfortheages, Author at Whiskey for the Ages

Booker’s 2019-03 Country Ham Review

Posted on 16-February-202027-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Booker’s 2019-03 Country Ham Review

Original review written February 8, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

A little on the baking flavors side for a Booker’s, Country Ham perfectly combines sugary sweetness with an explosive spiciness. As it stands, this is my favorite bourbon I’ve ever tasted. Read my full Booker’s 2019-03 Country Ham Review here! 97/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery; Master Distiller: Fred Noe
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: 6 yrs. 4 mo. 2 days
– Mash Bill: Corn=77%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=10%
– Casks: New charred oak; Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 63.35% (124.7 proof)
– Price: $84.95 USD in Idaho

– *From Master Distiller notes: Country Ham is made from 364 barrels produced on a single day stored in two different rickhouses/warehouses (WH) and sourced as follows:
51%: 7th floor of 9-story WH H
44%: 4th floor of 7-story WH P
5%: 3rd floor of 7-story WH P

*Find more information at bookersbourbon.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This bourbon could be enjoyed anywhere you feel at peace, as long as you have some whole wheat toast and jam at the ready to complement the spicy and fruity warmth that you’ll find in the glass. Dig in!

Photo by Frame Harirak on Unsplash

NOSE:

Though there is a distinct Booker’s alcohol nose, this is still surprisingly mellow for something nearing 125 proof. There is almost a red wine/cabernet essence to it, with subtle tannins and dates mixing with the grape-y-ness.

As I continue to let it warm, there is a sweet aroma of milk chocolate that kicks in, blended with a touch of chili and rye for spiciness. The chili is only very apparent on deep inhales, which comes with a stinging alcohol bite, so be cautious.

More nosing coaxes out a fresh maple syrup and dark brown sugar, like gingerbread. For wood, I get an indistinguishable spicy barrel feel.

Overall, it’s a sugary, but deep and rich nose that has me eager to sip.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Textured. I’d like to pitch a tent in one of those rich flavor pits.
– Balance: Amazing. I love the seamless transition between sweet and spice.
– Visual: Burnt amber in color, there is a weak crown, with few to no legs.

– Taste: Upon the first sip, I am immediately reminded that this is a high proof bourbon. I get a spiced, dark fruit component overwhelming the tongue, but it’s difficult to identify exactly what it is, beyond that it is dried. If I had to pick, I’d likely stick to the dates from the nose, but there are figs here too as well as dark chocolate covered raisins. Perhaps it’s meant to be more of a dark, dried fruit medley as opposed to any one fruit in particular having a leading role.

Flavors continue to develop with bursts of cloves and cinnamon to pair with light caramel and chopped, unsalted peanuts that have been frozen (think of a drumstick ice cream cone). I’m struggling to get much for grains, but the oak is sweet and chewy, and it keeps me going back for sip after sip.

A Kentucky chew scalds the tongue with cinnamon and black cherries. Even though this hurts, I want to do it again just for those flavors.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Very long. That warmth settles into every nook and cranny, along with pleasant flavors that wrap themselves around my molars.
– Between Sips: Rye, cinnamon, caramel and a hint of juicy dates keep me company between sips, though the waiting time for that is a little short.

– No More: This stays warm and rich with the dark fruitiness all throughout the glass, and I could not be happier. This is just a really fantastic bourbon, easily among my favorites of all time.

The empty Glencairn is a dry oak with some fig hiding just as the back. YUM-YUM-YUM.

WORTH THE PRICE?

We are approaching the $100 mark here, so hesitation reaching for a bottle is understandable. However, if you are a Booker’s fan or like fruity, hot bourbons, you’d be remiss to not grab at least one bottle. Since it is my among my favorites, I will pay the $85 price for this bourbon.

RATING: 97/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 97/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Booker’s.

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Booker’s 2019-03 Country Ham Review

Posted on 15-February-202028-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Booker’s 2019-03 Country Ham Review:

12-February-2020

BOOKER’S 2019-03 COUNTRY HAM REVIEW:
NOTE: The review below was done from the first juice in the bottle, the “neck pour” (G1) and again a few days later to compare my findings (G2) …
G1: The nose of Booker’s 2019-03 Country Ham betrays what is to come. Country Ham’s subtle aromas are well blended and makes me salivate. But this is a hot juice. So hot, many flavors are masked and challenging to discern.
G2: In the second tasting, the much diminished heat allowed more flavors to come forward, making for a more enjoyable sip. This batch of Booker’s finishes long and warm.

BOOKER’S 2019-03 COUNTRY HAM VITAL STATS:
– Region: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam, Master Distiller Fred Noe
– Classification: Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Mash bill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
– Casks: New Charred Oak
– Barrel Char: #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– Age: 6 Years, 4 months, 2 days
– ABV: 62.35% (124.7 Proof)
– Price: $79.95 USD in Idaho (2019)

Country Ham is made from 364 barrels, produced on a single day and stored in two warehouses:
– 51%: 7th floor of 9-story warehouse H
– 44%: 4th floor of 7-story warehouse P
– 5%: 3rd floor of 7-story warehouse P

Learn more at https://www.bookersbourbon.com/

LABEL INSPIRATION:

From the Booker’s website …
“The third release in the Booker’s® Bourbon 2019 Collection is called Booker’s Batch 2019-03 Country Ham. My dad, Booker Noe, enjoyed the art of curing – and tasting – country hams almost as much as he enjoyed his bourbon. It was one of his favorite things.

“Some might say Dad’s love of country ham was inherited alongside his love for distilling. My great grandfather Jim Beam would hang and age ham inside his own smokehouse in the backyard, which still stands today. When Dad later moved into Jim Beam’s house, he followed suit. He would hang up to 50 country hams from the rafters of the smokehouse at a time, smoke them for a few days, wrap them up in newspaper and let the curing magic carry on for one year to eighteen months. He was so passionate about his ham that he was known to keep one in the trunk of his car. Once, he even brought it into a fine dining restaurant to show the chef what real Kentucky country ham should taste like.

“Just like his bourbon, Dad had high standards for his ham. And he liked to keep things simple – his bourbon neat and his country ham paired only with a cracker or biscuit. As you’re getting ready for the fall season, take a note from Booker and try a nice ham alongside a glass of Booker’s Bourbon. You won’t regret it.”
– Fred Noe, Beam Family’s 7th Generation Master Distiller

ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed several ounces neat from a Glencairn with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah, and again a few days later when preparing this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOSE:
G1: The first wafts are subtle, yet straight up Booker’s. Even before my brain is in review mode, I’m salivating. The inviting aromas offer little alcohol but I do detect a bit of carefully spiced mulled wine tannin. Continued sipping brings on a stew of faint cinnamon-apple compote, prunes, and currents pressed into apricot fruit leather. Hints of dusty grain and faint, undefined citrus blend spices of ginger and white pepper which play hide-and-seek with sweet graham dust, simple syrup and woody caramel. In the sniff before the first sip, an earthy nuttiness balances hazy smoke-sweetness with dry sawdust. Even though there are a few distinct aromas, the juice is so well blended they are almost masked.
G2: The nose of the second pour is so much more. Now roasted corn is evident as is a pronounced chocolate covered dark cherry aroma. The other fruits lay in the background as well, but they’re still there. But now sweetness abounds in brown sugar caramel, and the juice’s earthiness is so much deeper.

PALATE:
G1: What a bite! Booker’s 2019-03 Country Ham is hot and the alcohol burns as the 124.7 proof asserts itself on the roof of the mouth and tongue. Even though assaulted, my taste buds demand more. As I struggle to get past the heat, tannins from the nose blend in dusty corn and dark fruit (maybe blueberries???), but the alcohol burns any distinct fruits away. Spices of cinnamon, black pepper, and rye rise above the dram’s subtle brown sugar sweetness as the prominent heat reigns. While not gentle, there is an oak barrel earthiness in the heat which makes me think peanut butter.
G2: The second tasting of Country Ham is dramatically different. While the alcohol is noticeable, the juice is now warming allowing dark ripe blueberries and dark sweet cherries in cinnamon to come through. The dram is so much sweeter in the second tasting and its earthiness brings in peanuts and heavy oak.

With water …
G1: Due to the heat, I added a couple of drops of distilled water. The bite and heat mellowed, making the juice sweeter and help the blueberry hold in the mouth. With water, peanuts and the bourbon’s oakiness are more pronounced.
G2: As the heat was less pronounced in the second tasting, no water was needed.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
G1: Booker’s Country Ham is well blended but its heat overpowers most flavors. It is big, bold and oily but at the same time rough and gritty. In the Glencairn, its ill defined inverted crown of droplets fall in long, fast legs returning to the burnt amber colored pool.
G2: In taste two, the fruit mixture expands and mixes with its earthiness to entertain the palate. This is a phenomenal bourbon!

FINISH:
G1 & G2: Country Ham finishes exceptionally long as its bite and heat linger on the tongue and throat. But in its finish, dark cherry fruit and simple sweetness become more caramel-like as the juice is drawn down. In the empty Glencairn sweet and hazy smoke and seasoned oak waft in the final nosings.

MY RATING: 92/100
Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 92/100 to access other whiskeys with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Booker’s.

WHISKEY TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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How to Taste Whiskey

Posted on 08-February-202026-April-2023 by whiskeyfortheages

How to Taste Whiskey

For an updated version of this article, check out our Podcast: S01E03 WftA – How to Taste Whiskey featuring Eagle Rare.

Let me start with a very broad disclaimer: There is no wrong way to taste whiskey. Confusing, right? Especially given the title of the article?

But, believe it or not, it is the truth. When we’re talking about enjoying and dissecting the flavors within your glass, what you taste is completely subjective, and more importantly, correct.

There are standard flavors which are generally more detectable than others, depending on what you’re drinking. For instance, the nuances of the barrel or the grains are among the easiest flavors to identify.

What about the more elusive flavors? If you read our reviews, you’ll see some pretty specific stuff, maybe maraschino cherries or even orange sponge cake. Where does that come from?

“… practice.”

The simplest answer is practice. The first time I ever had a glass of whiskey (yes, a bourbon), I remember only the sting of intense alcohol and my eyes watering. I couldn’t begin to understand why anyone would want to subject themselves to this intense burn that didn’t have any distinct or enjoyable flavor.

It wasn’t until Christmas 2017 when my family opened a bottle of Weller Antique 107 that things changed. It had been after our big dinner, and we were laughing and having a good time. The alcohol didn’t burn as much. The whiskey was warm. And the flavors inside the glass actually complemented the aftertaste of the food.

So, if there were any “rules” or “how-to’s” as to how you should taste your whiskey, it has to start here:

“Be in good company.”

Be in good company. In my opinion, it will always be the best way to enjoy a whiskey. The glass and what’s inside is an experience, a conversation, a moment.

Okay, well what if I want to actually, you know, taste something?

Alright, if we’re pushing past the sentimental, I must first say that “tasting” isn’t going to be restricted to the sip itself. There are multiple dimensions to a tasting that are going to offer unique flavors, and it all starts at the pour itself.

Step 1: Warm or cold?

The ability to taste certain flavors will greatly depend on the temperature of your whiskey. When whiskey is on ice, the cold shocks the whiskey, causing some of the more subtle flavors to shrink in on themselves and they will be harder to detect. It’s not impossible, but it will be more challenging. Flavors are also liable to change as the ice melts and your whiskey begins to dilute.

If you’re not drinking it on the rocks, I recommend your glass to be warm before taking tasting. A warm whiskey is a talkative whiskey, and a lot more of the flavors are going to bloom when given the opportunity.

Step 2: Neat or with water?

Even if you’re planning on adding water, consider trying your whiskey straight up/neat first. You can always add more water, but you can’t remove it. If you are adding water, we suggest using distilled water (available at your local grocery store) as ground or tap water will have minerals and other imperfections which may not react well with your the whiskey. Distilled water is as pure as it gets and may even help enhance flavors, especially in whiskeys of higher proof.

Step 3: The Nose

Sometimes aromas can be a good indicator of what the whiskey will taste like, so think about nosing your glass a little before taking a sip. Even this has its own technique, and it will take some experimenting on your part to know how best to nose, so as to not hurt yourself. A good rule of thumb though is to not breathe deeply, as you won’t get anything besides a stinging nose. Instead, take shallow breaths, even with your mouth slightly open so your whole palate is involved. Don’t be upset if you can’t pick out anything specific! Start simple: can you smell the barrel? The grain? If you had to pick a fruit, what would it be? A dark fruit? Something citrusy?

Step 4: The Taste

“Start small, and stay small.“

Here’s what we’ve been waiting for! Whether on the rocks, neat, or with water, I will always recommend taking small sips. Large sips will burn you with alcohol, potentially giving you a “Kentucky Hug.” These are not the happy, cuddly kind of hugs either. Think of a stabbing heartburn pain that takes forever to calm down. A burn in your stomach or esophagus – quite painful. If we’re trying to be flavor finders, that just won’t do. Start small, and stay small.

Try to expose the whiskey to all parts of your palate, as there are different taste sensors located throughout your tongue. Bitterness is tasted at the back of the palate, and sweetness at the front. By letting all of those sensors sample the whiskey, more flavors will come out. Again, start with focusing on the basic flavors. Is your whiskey known for its spiciness, like a rye? Did you ask your expert liquor store clerk (see How to Pick a Whiskey) for something smoky, like a scotch?

If you’re feeling brave, you can attempt what is called the “Kentucky Chew.” This requires actively aggravating the whiskey in your mouth. Push it around, provoke it, even swish it. This can intensify flavors you’ve already picked up, or it can bring out brand new ones that were hiding. Remember, the more your push it, the angrier the alcohol is going to get, and we’re not looking for one of those Kentucky Hugs. Higher proof whiskeys, naturally, will “hug” the most, so be smart and be careful.

Step 5: The Finish

This refers to noticing how long certain flavors or warmth last after you’ve taken a sip. Do they stick around or fade quickly? If there are flavors still there in that finish, are they different from what you were sipping?

Summary:

So let’s have a quick recap of how we would best recommend you go about tasting your whiskey.

Step 1: Warm or cold? Consider letting your whiskey warm up before sipping.

Step 2: Neat or with water? If adding water, use distilled!

Step 3: The Nose. Shallow breaths!

Step 4: The Taste. Small sips!

Step 5: The Finish. Are you feeling toasty? Are there any new flavors?

“Remember, whatever flavors you taste, you are correct.”

If you are wanting to get down to those specific flavors that we note in our reviews, check out our Whiskey Traits and Flavor Wheel PDF and use it for your own tastings. With 200 different flavors, and whiskey traits, don’t feel overwhelmed! Start from the center with categories like “Sweet” or “Wood” and work your way outward until you pinpoint what you’re tasting. And if you can’t get any of those options, that’s okay too. Our wheel consists of the flavors we find most often, but that doesn’t mean those are the only options.

Remember, whatever flavors you taste, you are correct. Everyone’s tastes are different, and detecting those different flavors is part of the adventure and experience! And when you get to share that experience with friends and family, it’s just that much better.

How do you taste your whiskey? Leave your method in a comment below! We’re curious! Cheers!

For an updated version of this article, check out our Podcast: S01E03 WftA – How to Taste Whiskey featuring Eagle Rare.

Written by Hannah Dawson

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“Taste Sensors on the Tongue” and “Whiskey Traits and Flavor Wheel” created by Whiskey for the Ages.