Booker’s 2020-02 Boston Batch Review: Doesn’t taste at all like a Booker’s and while it’s decent, it seems overpriced and not what I personally love or look for in a Booker’s. 79/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Kentucky, USA – Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery – Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch – Age: 6 yrs. 3 mo. 10 days – Mash Bill: Corn=77%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=10% – Casks: Char #4 – Barrel Entry Proof: 125 – ABV: 63.25% (126.5 proof) – Price: $84.95 USD in Idaho
– From Master Distiller’s Notes: Boston Batch is made up of barrels that were aged in 4 different locations/warehouses (WH)… Breakdown is as follows: 33%: 5th floor of 9-story WH G 29%: 5th floor of 7-story WH Z 27%: 6th floor of 9 story WH H 11%: 3rd floor of 7 story WH 5
Given the lack of complexity found in this pour, I think Boston Batch would be most enjoyable in or around an ice cream parlor or diner, where one can order a Boston shake to enjoy on a warm, summer day. The smells of the small restaurant can cloud the senses and fill you with pleasant, innocent happiness and make you feel a bit lighter in heart and in mind.
Floral notes and vanilla come out of the glass first, with a very inoffensive alcohol burn. There is a dry, sweet spice here too, but it isn’t very distinct flavor-wise, rather acting as a binding scent for other flavors. There is a dark fruit here, but it is gentle, perhaps like figs or another stone fruit. I find a pastry element here also, something cake-like, but slightly overbaked – nevertheless sweet and tasty. There isn’t a distinguishable wood here either, which is surprising for a Booker’s. Overall, this bourbon’s nose is full of baking spices, albeit a far cry from any Booker’s nose I’ve ever experienced… still, of course, very inviting.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Creamy with just the slightest tickle. – Balance: Blends well but it’s not jaw-dropping. – Visual: Carrot in color, there is a short-lived crown that turns quickly into clinging droplets.
– Taste: Carrying on from the nose, the palate of Boston Batch is unlike any other Booker’s I’ve ever tasted, even on its first sip. The alcohol is incredibly tame and barely burns while I decipher flavors – a true feat for a 126+ proof offering. While I may have been expecting baked goods, instead, I find almost an herbal quality to this profile, with grassy notes coming through in a soft, light way. There is a fruit that wants to come out underneath the grass, maybe the stone fruit from the nose, but it’s struggling to do so.
Age in a dusty, leathery way emerges the longer I let it linger on my tongue and maybe a sweet oak, but it’s minimal. This tastes fine, but admittedly, it tastes nothing like traditional Booker’s and never would I guess so in a blind tasting. (If anything, maybe an elevated Basil Hayden’s.)
A Kentucky chew wakes up the alcohol and a bit of pepper (undefined) that does burn, but no other flavors to be found.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Long: There’s warmth that settles everywhere, along with a bit of an aftertaste. – Between Sips: There’s leather and dirt and even a subtle eucalyptus (like in a cough drop). It’s not necessarily unpleasant, but I’d rather it not stay on my palate too long.
– No More: Wood chips are becoming more apparent the more I get into the glass and the eucalyptus lingers strongly with it at the back of the palate.
The empty Glencairn is a sweet, warm oak that reminds me of the original nose, but still not at all of the taste. It’s disappointing, simply because if the pour itself drank as how this empty glass smells, it would have been phenomenal.
WORTH THE PRICE?
As a Booker’s product, I expect a great deal more from the line as a whole, and paying $85 for an elevated version of Basil Hayden’s (a bourbon I already think is overpriced as it is), I’m disappointed, and don’t think Boston Batch is worth this kind of money.
For me, Booker’s 2020-02 Boston Batch tastes like what a high proof Basil Hayden’s might be, definitely not what I’ve come to expect from a bottle of Booker’s. The aroma is good; the typical fruit, sweet and nut flavors I look for are missing. It’s not bad, in fact Boston Batch would be a pretty good $40-$45 bourbon. The trouble here, Booker’s is priced as a premium bourbon. Boston Batch does not meet the expectations of my palate or wallet. Fred what have you done! Dad told you, “… don’t mess with my Booker’s!”
BOOKER’S 2020-02 BOSTON BATCH VITAL STATS:
Region: Kentucky, USA Distiller: Jim Beam, Master Distiller Fred Noe Classification: Small Batch Bourbon Batch: 2020-02 “Boston Batch” Mash bill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley Casks: New Charred Oak Barrel Char: #4 Barrel Entry Proof: 125 Age: 6 Years, 3 months, 10 days ABV: 63.25% (126.5 Proof) Price: $84.95 (August 2020, Idaho)
MASTER DISTILLER NOTES:
Batch 2020-02 is made up of barrels from three different production dates stored in four different locations rickhouses. The breakdown of the barrel storage is as follows:
33% came from the 5th floor of 9-story warehouse G 29% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Z 27% came from the 6th floor of 9-story warehouse H 11% came from the 3rd floor of 7-story warehouse 5
“This will be a history-making batch of Booker’s Bourbon since I selected this batch with the help of my son and 8th generation Beam Distiller, Freddie Noe. The color is a rich, light brown that reminds me of the beautiful horses throughout Kentucky. The aroma contains vanilla, tossed nuts and some hints of baking spices. The flavor is full and has a finish that can be enjoyed neat. We enjoyed tasting it and selecting the barrels on an unseasonably cool and rainy day. This batch is special to me since I created it with my son on my father’s legacy and his distillery location. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed selecting it.”
LABEL INSPIRATION:
“The second release of the Booker’s® 2020 Collection is Booker’s® Batch 2020-02 “Boston Batch.” This batch is named after the production site where my father, Booker Noe, first started his distilling career.
The distillery, newly renamed the Booker Noe Distillery, is located in the small community of Boston, KY, and was purchased by the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in the early 1950’s as a second distilling location to increase production capability at the time. Because Boston was removed from the day-to-day of our flagship Clermont, KY distillery, Dad was able to experiment with whiskey a bit more and truly master his craft and style as a distiller there. Some may say this is where he found his love of experimentation.
If you ever wanted to find my Dad, Boston is where he’d be. That plant was his life for more than 40 years. He hired a bunch of folks from the Boston area and made it like one big family over there. Mom always said the Boston distillery was Dad’s first baby and I was his second.
I hope this latest batch of Booker’s finds you in good spirits and that you enjoy it.”
For the evaluation, I poured into Glencairn glasses from a previously opened bottle. The pours were sipped neat with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.
The aroma of Booker’s 2020-02 Boston Batch hints of greatness. Like most Booker’s offerings it starts dry, offering a quick burn of alcohol and just a trace of ethanol. After all, this is a 126.5 proof bourbon. Subsequent nosings bring an aire of light fruit tree blossoms, sweet corn and dusty grain with a trace of minted tobacco. While difficult to discern, there is a dark fresh fruit component; maybe blackberries or currants and even a bit of blood orange, but all are quite muted. Allspice, cinnamon, powdered ginger, and yeasty rye, almost bready waft with prolonged nosing. (I want to take my first sip.) Yet I detect little sweet or the nuttiness I’ve come to expect from a Booker’s – maybe a trace of vanilla taffy or caramel corn tailings found in a near empty snack bag. But where the fruit, spice and sweets are subdued, woodiness of seasoned dry old oak, toasted wood, even heavy and hazy barrel char abound.
PALATE:
I was salivating from the aromas and held the first sip long, letting it tickle my tongue. My second sip included a Kentucky Chew before the swallow. Booker’s 2020-02 Boston Batch doesn’t drink like 128.5 proof, but unfortunately this is the only trait which follows other Booker’s bourbons I’ve enjoyed. Boston Batch’s flavors are fleeting: dusty grain, orange zest, dark fruit leather and an essence of eucalyptus – not cough drop harsh, but unexpected just the same. I detected no sweetness and none of the trademark Jim Beam nuttiness to counter the pepper and rye. But there is an abundance of dry oak, toasted wood and hazy barrel char … almost ashy on the tongue. All this barrel influence nearly overpowers the faintness of rubbed leather as each sip is downed.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look: The dry finish of Booker’s 2020-02 Boston Batch is long and offers a lingering warm bite to the back of the tongue. The bourbon is silken, creamy and seemingly well blended yet each taste is unexpected; almost to what a high proof Basil Hayden’s might aspire. In the Glencairn, the liquid veil breaks into a curtain of fat legs which return quickly to the auburn colored pool. I wish this whiskey offered more.
FINISH:
There’s so much more on the nose of Booker’s 2020-02 Boston Batch than can be found on the palate or finish. The finish is long and lingering with a dark indistinct and almost offensive fruit leather aftertaste. My tongue and throat are warm, almost hot as bourbony pepper and rye dominate. And as found on the nose and palate, dry oak toasted barrels and hazy char linger. When emptied, the Glencairn smells of sawdust from fresh sawn oak plywood.
MY RATING: 86/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? HARD NO As a Booker’s fan, I’m disappointed. While certainly a solid “B” level bourbon, at $85 there is no value. Is it possible the three releases of 2020 (rather than the typical four) were because of this batch? Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 86/100 to access other whiskeys with this score. To access other whiskies from this brand, click Booker’s.
After reading the lead-in to this post, some of you may be thinking, what is an Infinity Bottle Project, and just maybe, do I need to start one? Well curious friend, read on …
On New Year’s Eve, 2020 Hannah and I enjoyed a bourbon which ticked nearly all my boxes. It was deep, had dark fruits on the nose, and a whole lumber yard of seasoned old oak. The palate was similar to the nose, but with far more depth with an added bit of dark toffee sweetness. This bourbon had plenty of proof (120+) but it wasn’t hot in the mouth, yet I knew the alcohol was there. And the fruit and wood sensed on the nose and in my mouth lingered on the finish long after the sip was downed. Best of all, this pour smelled and tasted old.
There’s not another bottle like this in the world; the whiskey inside exists only in our bunker, and next time we pour it will likely taste much different. What is this magical elixir you might ask? It’s our own Whiskey for the Ages Neck Pour High Proof Solera Bourbon blend!
INFINITY BOTTLE PROJECTS
I first heard of Infinity Bottle Projects shortly after publishing our What Bottles do You Have Open? post back in March 2020. A business acquaintance following our blog noted the open bottles in the post, and asked, “How does your Infinity Bottle look?” Until the query, I’d never encountered such a thing. (Thank you Greg.)
With a little research, Hannah and I decided an Infinity Bottle Project would be fun and maybe even a little rewarding. Maybe the experiment would evolve into a living history of our bourbon conquests … encapsulated in a single bottle. And, as additions were made and samples taken, we could share the project with our subscribers and followers. Think about it – Who wouldn’t want to blend their own whiskey?
So, I joined a couple of on-line Infinity Bottle Project social groups to get a better grasp of what infinity bottles are all about. I soon learned how some spirit producers use the old Solera process to age rum, sherry and whiskey for stability and how infinity bottles have adapted the principle.
INFINITY BOTTLE BASICS
Surprisingly, I discovered blending a personal bottle is simple and pretty much up to the project owner. There are no rules for infinity projects, just a few basics and some simple guidelines most experimenters follow:
▪Basic #1: When building an Infinity Bottle Project, it’s your bottle. Do what you want. ▪Basic #2: Unless the project is scrapped, the bottle shouldn’t go empty. It’s not an infinity bottle if it is restarted from empty. ▪Basic #3: There are no rules when working on an Infinity Bottle Project.
Beyond these three basics , I learned an Infinity Bottle Project …
… is a marathon, not a sprint. Many Infinity Bottles are years old and may contain donations from hundreds of whiskeys. … may include multiple bottles in various stages of fill. Some scientists have a rye, a Scotch and a bourbon Infinity Bottle going at the same time. … has consistently portioned additions, with 1.5-2 ounces being typical. Blenders may add first pours, or the last dram or two from a favorite bottle. … donation pour is seldom duplicated. … blender doesn’t worry about contribution mashbills. If a whiskey is enjoyed, it gets added to the bottle. … gets additions which are up to the blender. (Basic #1.)
INFINITY BOTTLE CAUTIONS
In addition to these guidelines, many experimenters offer the following cautions:
Strong flavors will dominate. Be careful of mixing ryes, peaty Scotches or flavored whiskeys in the bottle.
Add only favorite whiskeys to the mix. It is unlikely a good pour will come from a blend of whiskeys which don’t smell or taste right to the person doing the blending.
The whiskey in an Infinity Bottle tastes the way it does on the day it’s poured. New additions create new whiskey.
Drink from the bottle in rotation with other pours. Regular sips can help the blender decide what to add next.
Or, wait until the bottle is full before taking the first pour. Then drink from the bottle to make room for new additions. There’s something to be said for the surprise of a new pour.
Share infinity bottle pours with discretion. Certain friends simply won’t appreciate your efforts – you know the ones.
Be prepared for nay-sayers. Some will say it is a waste of good whiskey (and folly as well) to believe anyone can create a spirit which is better than what is already produced. But keep in mind, many Scotches and Japanese whiskies are blended as are ALL small batch bourbons.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Occasionally after a random pour, sometimes for a taste, or maybe to make room for the next addition, the creation will be delicious … It’s both the best AND worst moment of having an Infinity Bottle Project. Consider the options:
The Infinity Bottle Project’s purpose has been realized … You have become a Master Blender! Savor the moment, boast to your friends, and keep tasting and blending.
Some bottles get really good, then later after a pour and a couple new additions those fantastic aromas and flavors are gone. It only takes a few entries to significantly change aromas and flavors. Don’t fret – add another favorite.
If it’s really good, consider bottling a sample and gifting it to a friend.
Drink the bottle down, leaving a pour or two and begin filling it again.
Start a second bottle with a donation pour, then finish the bottle.
Keep track of additions to allow for consistent and custom blends.
Use readily available whiskeys and record them upon entry. Good record-keeping can help with future Infinity Bottle repetition.
Don’t let the bottle empty … It’s not an infinity bottle if it empties.
Some projects start out flat and then become monsters. Be mindful of the cautions noted above … If the project gets away consider the following:
After a sample a pour or two, add something simple to tone the whiskey down.
Low proof entries can lower the heat. Rye adds spice and softness comes with wheated whiskeys. And fruity, sweet, and/or spicy pours can help add balance.
Sometimes it can be nice to get a bit of a shock. Even big production distilleries can and do produce misses. (We’ve all bought a bad whiskey or two haven’t we?)
BE CAREFUL OF STRONG FLAVORS … unless a peaty, cinnamon enhanced, peach-flavored, oaky-alcoholbomb is wanted!
HOW DOES ONE BEGIN AN INFINITY BOTTLE PROJECT?
Of course every project goal will be different, but Hannah and I chose to start our Infinity Bottle Project because of our tasting discrepancies and experiences…
Those of you who have been reading us for a while, know we review some pretty high proof bourbons. (I like the heat.) In the past, I’d take the first bottle pours. After we compared our review notes, we found the aromas and flavors we jotted down were completely different. But later, when we enjoyed future pours from the reviewed bottles, our thoughts on nose, palate and finish were quite similar. We had discovered the “Neck Pour” phenomenon.
To counter the sensation, and have better consistency in our 100 proof and greater bourbon reviews, we decided to take those first pours and use them in our Infinity Bottle Project. We would then document our progress and refine our entries as our bottle began to fill.
NOTE: After three years in (and seven filled bottles), we now only add bourbons over 120 proof.
For our original container, we selected a tall cylindrical bottle which held a last dram or two of Rebel Yell 10 Year Single Barrel. We eventually transferred our growing blend to an empty non-descript, labeless bottle.
Over the next several months, each time we opened a new bourbon over 100 proof, the first 1.5 ounce was donated to our bottle. Occasionally some spillage would happen but after each entry, the bottle was always swirled to mix the blend before being put back on the shelf. To keep track of the additions (and eventual pours) I drafted an Excel tracking sheet to monitor the evolving mash bill and the changing proof level of the blend. (Find the free Whiskey for the Ages Infinity Bottle Worksheet download in the “Tools” section of the side bar. Use it to track your own blend as well as see the bourbons in our mix.)
HOW DOES INFINTY WHISKEY TASTE?
Naturally, I can only relay what our Infinity Bottle Project whiskey is like as of its last tasting (surely yours will be different). Click Brian’s Infinity Bottle Review or Hannah’s Infinity Bottle Reviewfor our first comprehensive thoughts on our blend. (From time-to-time and after future samplings, tasting notes will be updated. Access each update in our respective review libraries.)
Infinity Bottle Projects can be a fun addition to your whiskey journey and are living histories of spirit drinking exploits. Along the way, one’s palate will mature, and so will the project. Enjoy your infinite journey!
*NOTE – The resources listed above do not sponsor WhiskeyfortheAges.com. Whiskey for the Ages is not compensated for their mention in this post. Please use at your discretion.
