Brian’s Booker’s 2022-04 Pinkie’s Batch Review:
reviewed 28-September-2023
BOOKER’S 2022-04 PINKIE’S BATCH BOURBON REVIEW:
Booker’s 2022-04 Pinkie’s Batch (Pinkie’s Batch) is a complexly rich and earthy pour. There are multiple layers in its aroma, flavor, and finish. Blackberries, plum, raisin, dark berries, and stone fruit as well as allspice, nutmeg, and rye are common throughout the tasting experience. Sweet brown sugar, dark maple syrup, and vanilla stand with new and toasted oak, barrel spice, and oak sawdust to make this batch a delicious pour. Please pour me another finger more.
BOOKER’S 2022-04 PINKIE’S BATCH VITAL STATS:
Category: Small Batch Bourbon
Region: Clermont, Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam, Master Distiller Fred Noe
Small Batch: 2022-04 Pinkie’s Batch
Mash bill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Casks: New Charred Oak
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel Entry Proof: 125
Age: 6 Years 10 Month 10 Days
ABV: 61.2% (122.4 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 16906
Fair Price: $151.56 (BoozApp, August 2023)
Paid: $89.95
MASTER DISTILLER NOTES
This batch is made up of four production dates that were aged in four different warehouses. The breakdown of barrel storage for Booker’s “Pinkie’s Batch” is as follows:
47% came from the 3rd floor of 7-story warehouse Z
36% came from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse 1
11% came from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse X
6% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Q
The color of this batch is a rich, golden amber that really shines when you hold it up to the light and admire the glass you’ve poured. The aroma is balanced with brown spice and vanilla notes, which gives you a preview of the taste. When you first sip it, your mouth is filled with Booker’s signature vanilla flavor, and it leaves you with a lingering well-rounded finish. I know my dad and grandad would have enjoyed this batch over a football game, and I’m very proud to name this batch in honor of my granddad, Frederick Booker Noe.
LABEL INSPIRATION
The fourth release of the Booker’s® Bourbon 2022 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2022-04 “Pinkie’s Batch.” Frederick Booker Noe, better known as Pinkie to his family and friends, was my grandad. To this day I’m actually not sure where Pinkie got his nickname from, but one thing I do know is that he was someone who always followed his passions, just like I do with whiskey making.
A lot of people thought that Pinkie was in the bourbon business – a good assumption to make about someone in our family – but he worked as the vice president of the local bank. That’s not to say he didn’t enjoy drinking bourbon – he actually was a big fan – but the bourbon business just wasn’t his thing like it was for Dad and is for me and my son Freddie. When Pinkie wasn’t running the bank, he also loved to golf. I remember as a little boy that golf was a big part of his life, and he tried to play as often as possible. So much so that he had an indent in his hip from the golf balls he’d keep in his pocket. Pinkie was also an outdoorsman, with a passion for hunting that he passed down to Booker. He often brought Dad along with him to hunt quail, and I know those were always bonding experiences for them.
While Dad and Pinkie had some different interests, they would bond over what brought them together, like hunting or watching a football game. As you try Pinkie’s batch, I invite you to raise a glass to the original Frederick Booker Noe and hope you enjoy it as much as he would’ve. Cheers!
— Fred Noe, Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller
Learn more at Booker’s Bourbon.
ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:
On Day 28 of the 2023 30 Bourbons in 30 Days Challenge, the first one and a half ounces of a newly opened bottle mixed with the bourbon in our Infinity Bottle Project. Then, by alternating the pours, four once review amounts went into a Glencairn and a Weck. After posting on social media, my daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat as I prepared this review. About 30 minutes had gone by before my first sip.
BOOKER’S 2022-04 PINKIE’S BATCH NOSE:
The aroma of Pinkie’s Batch is warm with notions of mild alcohol and sherry difting from the glass. As I breath in I am reminded of a garden in bloom. Then sweet corn roasting on the BBQ adds harmony to the layered fruit richness of blackberry, faint tart apples, plum, and raisin. Allspice and nutmeg pair nicely with the compote, while rye adds a subtle spice. In the aroma, I perceive the essence of a freshly baked pie crust with a whisper of light vanilla. As I continue to nose deeper, simple syrup, brown sugar, honeycomb, and maple sugar add more sweetness for almond undertones. In between the sweetness, new, fresh-cut and toasted oak adds a touch of depth to the simple aromas.
BOOKER’S 2022-04 PINKIE’S BATCH PALATE:
Upon taking the first sip of Pinkie’s Batch, I feel a bite of alcohol followed by a gentle burn. Then I taste soft sherry with a subtle hint of herbal roasted corn. As I continue, dark berries, and stone fruit, fresh plum, and dried prune emerge to create a dark and fruity medley. Allspice, ginger, black pepper, and rye add complexity for a lively and tingling sensation on my palate. Sipping on, I taste the richness of vanilla blended in brown sugar, honeycomb, and dark maple syrup which add sweet depth. With a soft Kentucky Chew, toasted pinenuts provide a surprising twist and ready the palate for old oak and barrel spice with a hint of char to mingle with soaked leather.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
From its prominent fruitiness, and well-measured spiciness, to the touch of sweetness the palate, and woody depth, Pinkie’s Batch is a reasonably balanced pour. Initially, it may feel slightly rough on the gums, roof of the mouth, and tongue, but once acclimated, get a creamy, viscous mouthfeel. When poured into the Glencairn, a broken inverted crown with fast-falling droplets appears. After each sip, a thick curtain hangs in the glass, then eventually breaks into long, flowing legs to transport the liquid left behind back to the flame-colored pool.
BOOKER’S 2022-04 PINKIE’S BATCH FINISH
The finish of Pinkie’s Batch is complex and deep, and lingers long and warm on the palate. I feel subtle herbal notes and a hint of dusty field corn in my throat which add an earthy dimension. Hidden in each sip, dark stone fruit, plum, raisin, and prune evolve with the aid of allspice, nutmeg, and rye to provide additional darkness. As I enjoy the flood of sensations between sips, rich vanilla and woody caramel counter the faint bitterness of raw walnuts. The foundation of entire pour is built on the heavy, robust influence of oak and a hazy barrel char while the essence of leather adds a touch of rustic charm to the finish. And as I raise the empty glass to my nose, the aroma of oak sawdust and the memory of the pour attests to the complexity, making me wish for another sip.
MY RATING: 91/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 91/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other reviews from this brand, click Booker’s Bourbon.
WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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