whiskeyfortheages, Author at Whiskey for the Ages

Elora and Booker’s 2022-01 Ronnie’s Batch

Posted on 21-June-202228-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah here! And introducing the third sipper of the family and guest writer, Elora Dawson. Elora has been sipping with Dad and me since she turned 21 two years ago, and she’s even practiced writing many a review with us! To celebrate this year’s National Bourbon Day (excuse our tardiness), we all thought it was time to include her in our posting adventures. This week, she stars as a guest reviewer on The Sip, and perhaps we will see more of her in the future. For now, enjoy reading her thoughts on a Booker’s Batch (yep – she sips with the best of them ;)).

Elora and Booker’s 2022-01 Ronnie’s Batch

Original review written June 7, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Booker’s Ronnie’s Batch is a great bourbon that has many sweet and earthy tones. However, it should NOT be taken lightly; its heat can give Kentucky hug if you are not careful.

VITALS:

Elora and Booker's 2022-01 Ronnie's Batch

– Made In: Clermont, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: 6 yrs. 11 months, 22 days
– Mash Bill: Corn=77%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=10%
– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 62.15% (124.3 proof)
– Price: $89.95 USD in Idaho in 2022

– From Master Distiller’s Notes: Ronnie’s Batch is made up of barrels that were aged in 5 different locations/warehouses (WH)… Breakdown is as follows:
48%: 5th floor of 7-story WH Z
26%: 5th floor of 7-story WH Q
15%: 5th floor of 7-story WH 1
7%: 4th floor of 9-story WH D
4%: 3rd floor of 7-story WH 5

Find more information at bookersbourbon.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed my bourbon neat in a Glencairn glass along with my sister and dad.

Check Hannah’s and Brian’s reviews here!

MUSIC SELECTION:

Booker’s Ronnie’s Batch should be shared with close friends and family and should be used to create happy memories. Poor Man’s Poison’s “A Place for Friends” provides comfort to the listener while encouraging them to revisit those sentimental moments with a nostalgic smile.

Video found on YouTube.com under PoorMansPoison Channel from Friends With the Enemy (2011)

Numerous flavors can be detected in Booker’s Ronnie’s Batch, and while it is easy to note the sweet tones that make the drink shine, it is also grounded by the deep fruity and earthy essences. Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity” from his The Planets showcases these traits, with the high strings and woodwinds representing the sugars and the low strings and headstrong brass portray the depth and heat.

Video found on YouTube.com under Nicks Channel – Performance by James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (2008)

NOSE:

This bourbon at first carries several sweet tones, notably caramel, marshmallow, and the artificial essence of cinnamon from Red Hots. However, the mellow scents of white bread and wine ground these strong sugars. There is also a hint of star anise, toffee, peanuts, black licorice, sweetened butter, and pastry that is laced with honey, much like the Latin-American dessert, sopapillas. Fruity aromas, such as apricot jam, grilled pineapples, figs, marmalade, granny smith apples, and rainier cherries counter the other sweet flavors. It is also worth mentioning that herbs and other earthy scents balance the other notes in the dram, and these include dry grass, soil, spear mint, dust, petrichor (the smell of rain), and bibliosmia (the smell of books).

PALATE:

Feel: The dram is thick, dry, and hot as it settles comfortably in the chest.

Balance: Everything within the drink blends incredibly well, almost to where discerning distinct flavors is difficult.

Visual: The color is mahogany, and there is a defined crown with long legs that stick to the glass

The bourbon carries a more nutty and fruity tone with subtle hints of the sweet flavors listed above. Honey, sopapillas, marshmallow, peanuts, soil, apples, marmalade, butter, and caramel once again can be detected in the taste. Other flavors, while subtle, shine through in the drink, which include notes of artificial grape essence, sunflower seeds, vanilla, pear, banana bread, poppyseed, maraschino and bing cherries, charred oak and graham cracker.

Some bourbons in my experience have differing scents and palates, which can strongly affect how I like them. I am a person who usually wants to be able to taste the flavors that I get in the nose, and if I come across one that has a strong difference in aroma and taste, I will most likely not gravitate towards it. This, fortunately, cannot be said about Booker’s Ronnie’s Batch because I was able to find numerous connections between the taste and aroma. Because of this, I was easily able to enjoy this sweet beverage.

FINISH:

The dram has a long finish in both the palate and the feel. Peanuts, apricots, cherries, charred oak, grassy herbs, and a surprising hint of boiled chicken linger in the mouth. It settles snugly in the chest and warns of the possibility of a Kentucky hug if not taken seriously. After a Kentucky chew, hints of warm, sweet sugar and brine present themselves for a generous second before returning to the finishing flavors.

BUY AGAIN/WORTH THE PRICE?

I personally enjoyed Booker’s Ronnie’s Batch because of the plethora of flavors I was able to detect in both the nose and palate. While $90 may seem like an expensive purchase, I would say that it is worth it and should be included in a bourbon collection. Therefore, I would be more than happy to buy it again.

ELORA AND BOOKER’S 2022-01 RONNIE’S BATCH RATING: 92/100

To access other whiskies from this brand, click Booker’s.

Music has always been a part of my life, whether I am playing or listening to it. Since I started appreciating bourbon, I have been trying to think of possible songs that would be compatible with the dram. There isn’t a single genre that I gravitate to the most, but there are several songs that I love. As a new reviewer to Whiskey for the Ages, I want to be able to provide at least a couple of musical excerpts; one will be representing my musical career in a classical setting, and the other will be from more mainstream genres. I hope you’re able to enjoy these bourbons with my music selections!

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Elora and Booker’s 2022-01 Ronnie’s Batch
written June 2022 by Elora Dawson
Writer, WhiskeyfortheAges.com

Blade and Bow Bourbon

Posted on 21-June-202221-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Blade and Bow Bourbon Review:

reviewed 14-June-2022
National Bourbon Day!

BLADE AND BOW BOURBON REVIEW:

Blade and Bow smells of light fruit tree blossoms, freshly shucked sweet corn and faint a wheaty presence. Subtle fruit aromas of plum, banana and plucot nectar pass to the palate as do allspice, sugared cinnamon, old pepper, rye and sweets of vanilla, simple syrup, and buttery caramel. This bourbon is fresh and light with a nice finish of drying oak and toasted wood.

BLADE AND BOW BOURBON VITAL STATS:

Category: Infused/Special Finished Whiskey, Solera* Aged Bourbon
Region: Louisville, Kentucky
Distillery: DSP-KY-16, Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company (reopened in 2014) and other distilleries
Company: Diageo
Mash Bill: undetermined
Barrel Char: undisclosed
Barrel entry proof: undisclosed
Age: undisclosed
ABV: 45.5% (91 Proof)
Price: $59.99 (California, 2022)
Key#: 4

* Solera, or Solera Aging is a fractional aging and blending method. A young wine or spirit joins with older stock, often employing tiered barrel storage, allowing the liquids in each level to mingle, marry and age together.

As new product ages, some is transferred from top aging barrels to middle tiers and then after more aging, again until some of the top contents reaches the lowest barrel level. After more aging in the bottom level, a portion of the contents are removed for bottling. As barrels are never completely emptied, younger stock is always in contact with older whiskey.

Solera Aging provides consistency, while preserving and providing a small amount of original stock to the consumer. Solera Aging has been used by cognac, port, Madeira and sherry producers for nearly four and a half centuries. Other than Hillrock Estate Distillery, not many whiskey producers employ a Solera Aging System.

THE KEYS

^{Named after the two parts of a skeleton key, the blade shaft and the ornate bow, the Blade and Bow brand is a tribute to the five keys that once hung on the door of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery.
These keys represented the five steps of crafting bourbon—grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation and aging.
_{— Blade and Bow}}

Learn more at Blade and Bow Distillery.

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

BLADE AND BOW BOURBON NOSE:

My first waft of Blade and Bow is familiar, like something I’ve had before. Yet, I cannot place it. I smell light fruit tree blossoms, freshly shucked sweet corn and a wheaty presence. There are subtle fruits here too … fresh apple, apricot, mellon, and faint banana but none really dominate my senses. The allspice, sugared cinnamon, and white pepper are all but concealed in sweet aromas of yellow cake, vanilla custard, simple syrup, and buttery caramel. This bourbon is fresh and light with only a light scent of new-cut oak.

BLADE AND BOW BOURBON PALATE:

The first sip of Blade and Bow is warm and soft with herbal notes of sweet corn and wheat. Further sipping brings soft plums, bananas and an intriguing plucot nectar blended together with allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, old pepper and rye. I taste light vanilla, simple syrup, buttery caramel and faint pecans along with dry oak, toasted wood, and char.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Blade and Bow is gentle and well blended. In my mouth it is mellow, viscous and oily and each sip is easy to hold. Even after an aggressive Kentucky Chew all I get is a simple tickle at the back of the palate as the whiskey trickles down my throat. As the Glencairn is lowered, evenly spaced long clinging legs transport the liquid back to the tawny pool, leaving behind many clinging droplets in the inverted crown.

BLADE AND BOW BOURBON FINISH:

Blade and Bow has a warm medium finish filled with a potpourri of fruit tree blossoms. The mouth and throat feel as though I have just drank a wheater or four grain whiskey as I get mild sensations of apricot fruit leather, a bit of pepper and a little rye. There is a touch of simple syrup, some faint walnuts, and char as well. And as I down the last drops, the empty Glencairn smells herbal, with layers of drying oak and toasting wood.

MY RATING: 87/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Blade and Bow is a nice addition to our bar and I will keep my eyes open for another to add to the bunker.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 87/100 to access other whiskies with this score.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Blade and Bow Bourbon Review

Posted on 21-June-202221-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Blade and Bow Bourbon Review

Original review written June 14, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This is a solid bourbon and a fun one to have in the collection for someone without regular access to it. It’s oaky with a fruity balance, if not perhaps slightly overpriced. Still enjoyable, and I’ll lament finishing it. 87/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: DSP-KY-16; Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company (reopened 2014) and other distilleries
– Classification: Special Finish/Infusion – Solera Aged Bourbon*
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: unpublished
– Casks: undisclosed char
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– ABV: 45.5% (91 proof)
– Price: $59.99 USD in California 2022
– Key #4

*Solera, or Solera Aging is fractional aging and blending method. A young wine or spirit joined with older stock, often employing tiered barrel storage, allowing the liquids in each level to mingle, marry and age together. As new product ages, some is transferred from top aging barrels to middle tiers for more aging. None of the barrels are ever completely emptied so younger stock is always in contact with older.

Other than Hillrock Estate Distillery, not many whiskey producers employ a Solera Aging System.

THE KEYS

Named after the two parts of a skeleton key, the blade shaft and the ornate bow, the Blade and Bow brand is a tribute to the five keys that once hung on the door of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. These keys represented the five steps of crafting bourbon – grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation, and aging.

Visit bladeandbowwhiskey.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian. I also enjoyed it with my younger sister, Elora.

– Blade and Bow

Check out Brian’s review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

Imagine rows and rows of jam and bourbon warmth to accompany the sweet of fruit and color. Blade and Bow is enough to cut through the sweet while enhancing the fruit all the more. The jam would, in turn, exacerbate the warmth of this pour and make it more prominent and exciting.

Photo by Paréj Richárd on Unsplash

NOSE:

This bourbon smells of dark fruit leather, molasses and soft wheat grain on the first inhale. It’s subtle, and the bourbon certainly isn’t looking to bite with any kind of alcohol heat. There are cherries that seem overly ripe – perhaps sacrificed for some baking adventure. With them is a light stone fruit jam, but they are not tart like peaches are. While old oak spice dominates, I can find a hint of nutmeg. Beyond that however, it is difficult to sense any prominent spice. Baking sweetness exists on this nose, but I cannot determine which ones (brown sugar?) are there with any kind of certainty. It’s a well-balanced aroma, if not slightly plain. The fruits existing as the lead off of this still makes me intrigued, and I am ready for my first sip.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: This is relatively smooth, but there is some tangible grip on the palate that lets the flavors really sink in.
– Balance: While simple, the balance is well-executed, and the oak isn’t left entirely to its own devices.
– Visual: Tawny in color, this falls in evenly spaced legs from a fairly well-defined crown. The legs disappear quickly; however, the crown does remain.

– Taste: Old oak, as though it’s falling apart, sweeps across the palate first, offering up bits and pieces of that Solera Aging method. I can taste all of the years and months this bourbon sat mingling with others of its kind. The plentiful fruit that is here is extremely dry, like prunes and raisins. Despite the dryness, there is a surprisingly high amount of baking spice to accompany the fruit with a strong nutmeg and overall warmth.

The palate isn’t overwhelmingly complex, but it’s deep oak and has fruity richness, and I can definitely see myself reaching for this bourbon soon. It’s a shame it isn’t found in our Idaho liquor stores; it would make a good addition.

The Kentucky chew doesn’t particularly make the alcohol more aggressive, but it does bring out the lighter dried fruits that were found on the nose. Along with those is some soft grain that tempers any attempt at heat growing.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Short-medium. There’s some aftertaste, but the warmth doesn’t linger excessively long (though it is certainly there).
– Between Sips: Oak, oak, oak, and more oak. It’s virtually all I can taste, and it’s old and it’s textured. While I don’t love intense wood essences, this time, it is welcome, and it matches the palate well.

– No More: This does grow on me the longer I sip, and I am already finding that I’ll lament this bottle when it is empty. It’s solid easy sipping, and its warmth only grows.

The empty Glencairn is pure bourbon oak. Rich, deep, and with a hint of spice. This is how an empty bourbon glass should smell.

WORTH THE PRICE?

While I enjoy this bourbon, $60 does seem slightly steep for the simplicity that you are getting out of the bottle. There are certainly other bourbons in this price range that I would rather spend this money for; however, for an experimental buy for a whiskey we’d never tried, I won’t regret it. For the first time experience and the solidity of the offering, this bottle was worth $60. The next bottle unfortunately, may not be.

BLADE AND BOW BOURBON REVIEW RATING: 87/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 87/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.

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