whiskeyfortheages, Author at Whiskey for the Ages

Booker’s 2018-01 Kathleen’s Batch Review

Posted on 25-November-201928-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Booker’s 2018-01 Kathleen’s Batch Review:

written on 19-August-2018

BOOKER’S 2018-01 KATHLEEN’S BATCH REVIEW:

Booker’s 2018-01 “Kathleen’s Batch” is a fine bourbon with a pleasing bourbon aroma, taste and finish. Its sweetness belies its 127.4 proof. Its taste would fit well with robust smoked foods, but it is still a nice sipping bourbon. Booker’s 2018-01 batch is good, and I look forward to what is coming next.

BOOKER’S 2018-01 KATHLEEN’S BATCH VITAL STATS:

Booker's 2018-01 Kathleen's Batch Review

– Category: Small batch bourbon
– Region: Clermont, KY, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam
– Mashbill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
– Cask: New Charred Oak
– Barrel Char: #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 63.7% (127.4 Proof)
– Age: 6 Years, 3 Months, 14 Days
– Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered
– Purchase Price: $69.95 USD in Idaho (2018)

LABEL INSPIRATION:

Jim Beam makes four Booker’s releases each year, and each release is given a name and special labeling. This batch first batch of 2018 is named after Kathleen DiBenedetto who has been with the company for almost 30 years. She was key in launching Booker’s, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s and Baker’s alongside Booker Noe and even became the first brand manager of the Beam Small Batch Bourbon Collection.

Keeping true to Booker Noe’s small batch practices, barrel sourcing for this bottling break down as follows:
30%: 5th floor of 9-story warehouse H
25%: 7th floor of 9-story warehouse H
19%: 4th floor of 9-story warehouse H
13%: 6th floor of 9-story warehouse H
6%: 4th floor of 9-story warehouse F
4%: 5th floor of 7-story warehouse ONE
3%: 7th floor of 9-story warehouse F

Learn more at https://beamsuntory.com/

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I drank this spirit neat, from a Glencairn glass.

NOSE:

Alcohol on the nose but only after a hard full draw. The alcohol diminishes the longer the dram is left open. Sweet simple syrup with caramel undertones. Fruit and baking spice. Dusty grain and woody.

PALATE:

Booker’s 2018-01 is a warming bourbon but even at 63.7% ABV, the alcohol is not overpowering. Earthy and sweet with spice, dark fruit with slight hints of stone fruit accompany honey and cinnamon. There is a touch of vanilla and oak as well.

Balance, Body, Look, and Feel:
Good balance of flavors, full and round body but no oily mouth feel, possibly due to the high ABV.

FINISH:

The caramel and oak finish lingers accompanied by dark fruit, spice, and roasted corn.

MY RATING: 89/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}.

Click 89/100 to access other whiskeys with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Booker’s.

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Basil Hayden’s Review

Posted on 25-November-201927-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Basil Hayden’s Review

written on 22-November-2019

BASIL HAYDEN’S REVIEW:

Beam-Suntory offers an impressive lineup of fine bourbons – Knob Creek, Baker’s and Booker’s. While I can sense this is a Jim Beam product, the others are much better. So much so, if this was my first bourbon I might never have given whiskey a second thought. But don’t misunderstand, it’s not bad, it’s just not on par with its big brothers.

BASIL HAYDEN’S VITAL STATS:

– Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Region: Clermont, KY, USA
– Distillery: Basil Hayden’s (Jim Beam)
– Mash Bill: 63% Corn, 27% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
– Barrel Char: #4
– Barrel entry proof: unpublished
– Age: nas
– ABV: 40% (80 Proof)
– Price: $39.95 USD in Idaho

https://beamsuntory.com/

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, I shared the juice neat from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOSE:

On the nose Basil Hayden’s presents dry and herbally with a strange mix of dusty grain and mint. As I am accustomed to much higher proof whiskeys, I drew hard and got an unexpected hit of harsh and intense lemon cleanser. I put down the Glencairn to clear my head. When brought back to my nose, I sensed faint lemon rind and spices of powdered ginger and rye and a little undefined candy. But in the end this bourbon is mostly earthy and mellow.

PALATE:

In the mouth, Basil Hayden’s offers no bite or warm (probably due to the low ABV). The herbalness sensed on the nose comes through as bitter citrus, pepper, and rye with a little bittersweet chocolate sneaking in. With a long mouth-washing swish, the liquid becomes an earthy and musty concoction with a smokey barrel char foundation.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
As noted above this is a disappointing and unbalanced dram. It is smooth owing to the low proof. In the Glencairn small broken droplets give way to short legs which fall quickly back into a tawny pool.

FINISH:

Basil Hayden’s finishes exceptionally short. While trying to coax out flavours and after many a big mouth-washing swish, caramel peeks in then is gone just as fast.

MY RATING: 75/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? No
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

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Stagg Jr Batch #10 Review

Posted on 24-November-201929-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian Stagg Jr Batch #10 Review

written on 25-November-2018

STAGG JR BATCH #10 REVIEW:

The whiskey in this bottle (which is full of high proof bourbon heat) was challenging for me to review however I like this earthy bourbon. The nose and pallet are complex, revealing difficult to discern aromas and flavours on each attempt. But make no mistake, this is an enjoyable sipper.

STAGG JR BATCH 10 VITAL STATS:

– Batch 10* (Released in the Spring of 2018)
– Category: Small Batch Bourbon
– Region: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Buffalo Trace
– Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1 (low rye <10% rye)
– Cask: New charred oak
– Barrel Char: #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– Age: nas (but recognized as a blend of 8- to 9-year-old barrels)
– ABV: 63.2% (126.4 Proof)
– Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered
– Price: $52.95 USD in Idaho

Learn more at https://buffalotracedistillery.com/

*NOTE: Buffalo Trace releases batches of Stagg Jr sporadically throughout the year. Batch numbers are not written on bottles so the only way to tell which batch is on the shelf in your local store is to check the ABV/Proof numbers.

Check the The Bourbon Exchange website for information on other Stagg Jr batches.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I drank this spirit neat, from a Glencairn glass.

NOSE:

The nose tickle on this batch of Stagg Jr.’s is pronounced, but not offensive or overwhelming, and is woody and sweet with typical Buffalo Trace spice and dark fruits making this an aromatically aggressive bourbon. There are traces of citrus mixed with raisins and apricot fruit leather before maple sweetness punches through the dark which is then masked by deep charred oak.

PALATE:

Stagg Jr.’s earthy palate is similarly aggressive. Traces of raisins mix with tart pie cherry sweetness and blend well with a light bit of cocoa and elements of toffee. The back and forth struggle gives way to simple and maple syrup, baking spices and graham cracker. When the concentration of flavours melt away, an oaky woodiness remains.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
There is decent balance despite the heat, with full body and a silky but not oily mouth feel. Quick legs drip down the inside of the Glencairn to the burnt amber colored bowl.

FINISH:

Batch 10’s lingering flavors become masked by hazy oak-wood char as its heat lingers on for only a moment.

MY RATING: 90/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 90/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Stagg.

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