Hannah’s Booker’s 2022-01 Ronnie’s Batch Review
Original review written June 7, 2022
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
This is not for the novice, but its depth and richness make it well worth the purchase. Certainly one of the best Booker’s I have had to date. 96/100
VITALS:
– 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 the spirit neat from a Glencairn with my sister as well as father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review for this bourbon here!
SETTING:
I imagine being in a flower garden with this bourbon. There is a lot of earth and sweet smells and warmth and just genuine joy. It’s peaceful, relaxed and everything you could want in a bourbon. I’m excited about what is coming and what is even already here. Maybe there’s buildings around you, maybe not. In any case, it’s refreshing and a place to feel totally at ease.
Photo by Acton Crawford on Unsplash
NOSE:
Booker’s traditional heat with spicy wood is immediately apparent, as I would expect for it to be. Nevertheless, while the alcohol is certainly strong, it is not as strong as other Booker’s I have had before. This nose is incredibly rustic, not just with the wood element, but there’s even a cooked meat, like grilled chicken, here. It makes the whole nose earthy on top of the traditional rich heat. I can find dark fruit like figs and a dark berry fruit leather and jam. This is coupled with vanilla and light crystalized caramel. Backing all of these flavors is fresh grain and grass which – with the definite oak – make for an all-encompassing springboard for these flavors to play off of. It’s contained aromas just buzzing around rapidly and excitedly with all of this intense energy.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Viscous. This is extremely viscous. The heat with the viscosity makes for a good balance though.
– Balance: The depth matches the heat, with each pulling each other in opposite directions, all while managing to achieve a perfect balance.
– Visual: Mahogany in color, this leaves many long thick legs – not too many drops, just thick, drapes of legs and sheets of bourbon.
– Taste: The grain is sharp and dried on the first sip, but fruit chases behind quickly to flood the palate with fruit juice – heavy and intense like concentrated juice. Rye is a harsh part of that grain line-up, doing the majority of the drying-it-out process. The alcohol is incredibly harsh on the first few sips coupled with both black and white pepper, so consider yourselves warned. It does get easier to work with the longer I sit with it, but it still has the strong potential to give a Kentucky Hug. I find earth, like dusty dirt that’s been scorched, but still somehow, it rich in nutrients – it provides depth.
I wouldn’t say that there is an abundance of different flavors to identify (do note that this is not a beginner’s whiskey – even someone as well-versed as myself, I am struggling). However, the depth of each flavor is so intense and fiery, it’s impossible to not get sucked in and absorbed in the richness. I’m a bit terrified to try a Kentucky chew with a bourbon this punchy, but when I do, raisins and black pepper rise to the surface and dominate. (And I pray I don’t get a Kentucky Hug.)
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Exceptionally long. The aftertaste may be on the minimal side, but the warmth lingers and lingers and lingers.
– Between Sips: Dark fruits and grass linger between sips, staying fresh and staying warm in every pause. It’s absolutely fantastic.
– No More: This grows more and more the further into the glass I get, and I am absolutely enamored with the heat and depth that I am finding. It’s an experienced whiskey drinker’s drink. It’s home in a glass.
The empty Glencairn is a warm vanilla and chocolate and oak, and it is absolutely addictive and lovely.
THE ADDITION OF WATER
– This section written on June 11, 2022 –
Booker’s 2022-01 Ronnie’s Batch Review: Water can often tame bold whiskeys and the addition of 2-4 drops will not radically change the proof of the pour. Rather water may help open the spirit allowing the aromas and flavors to bloom. As such, 2 and 4 drops of distilled water were added to their own respective 1.5 oz. pours of Booker’s Ronnie’s Batch to detect any potential differences:
Two drops of water take the alcohol burn back significantly, allowing caramel and vanilla to come forward. There’s still earth in the form of dirt, and ginger spice with cinnamon. It almost smells candy-like now… but a spicy candy. A sip finds that while complex, this has indeed become simpler. The grain is forward and alcohol stings across the lips like pop rocks candy (which I suppose, is congruent with the nose). I find baked apples – they’ve lost a lot of the fruity sweetness, but the cinnamon-y warmth/sweetness is still present. This still runs hot and wants to give a hug. And surprisingly, it remains pretty good. (RATING: 93/100)
Caramel is much more forward now with four drops. The alcohol is extremely diminished and dark fruit leather and maple are allowed to peek out on the nose. Ginger and cinnamon are present as well, along with black pepper being officially distinct from the proof. The complexity miraculously hasn’t been stripped from the bourbon, but the heat has been dramatically reduced. Four drops has made Ronnie’s Batch much more approachable while leaving you the sense of intensity and sugar sweet flavors. The variety of spice helps make it enjoyable too. (RATING: 95/100)
WORTH THE PRICE?
Out of all of the Booker’s, this one is among the most “worth the price” that I have ever tasted. It’s harsh at the start, but as it builds, you’re truly taken on a journey and left at the end only wanting more. I’ll pay $90 for this bottling without even blinking. And if you’re an experienced whiskey drinker, I suggest you do the same. And if you’re still new to the craft, buy it now, and leave on the shelf until you’re ready for the awakening inside. It’ll be worth it either way.
BOOKER’S 2022-01 RONNIE’S BATCH REVIEW RATING: 96/100
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