Bourbon Whiskey Archives – Page 38 of 78

Booker’s 2021-01 Donohoe’s Batch

Posted on 24-May-202128-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Booker’s 2021-01 Donohoe’s Batch Review:

Review of Booker’s 2021-01 Donohoe’s Batch written 18-May-2021

BOOKER’S 2021-01 DONOHOE’S BATCH REVIEW:

Booker’s 2021-01 Donohoe’s Batch (Booker’s 2021-01), the first release of 2021, is a fine bourbon. In my opinion, it is the best since the 2019-03 Country Ham release. Its fruit, spice and sweet aromas foretell what is to be tasted on the palate. And best of all it has the signature peanuttiness of Booker releases of old. I’m sure there will be detractors, but for me, I’m on the lookout for another bottle.

BOOKER’S 2021-01 DONOHOE’S BATCH VITAL STATS:

Category: Small Batch Bourbon
Region: Clermont, Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam, Master Distiller Fred Noe
Small Batch: 2021-01 Donohoe’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, 11 months, 4 days
ABV: 62.65% (125.3 Proof)
Price: 89.95
Availability: Seasonal, limited

MASTER DISTILLER NOTES:

Batch 2021-01 is made up of barrels from two production dates that were aged in six different rackhouse locations. The barrel storage breakdown for Donohoe’s Batch is as follows:

▪47% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Z
▪16% came from the 2nd floor of 9-story warehouse H
▪16% came from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse X
▪9% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse X
▪8% came from the 6th floor of 9-story warehouse H
▪4% came from the 6th floor of 7-story warehouse L

LABEL INSPIRATION

“The first release of the Booker’s® Bourbon 2021 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2021-01 ‘Donohoe’s Batch.’ This batch is named in honor of retired Jim Beam employee Mike Donohoe who was also a close friend to my dad, Booker Noe. Without Mike, Booker’s Bourbon wouldn’t exist today.

In 1982, Mike joined the Jim Beam Company as a sales manager in Chicago – a ‘suit’ as Dad would say – after retiring from a seven-year career in the NFL. Mike first met Dad on a company trip to Kentucky. After taking a liking to Mike, Dad invited him to his office for a glass of bourbon. It was unlike any Jim Beam Bourbon he had tasted before. Booker let Mike in on his secret – he’d been playing with something different, and he’d share a bit of it with friends from time to time.

A few years later, Mike approached Booker with the idea to give bottles of his special stash as holiday gifts to their most important distributors and industry partners. With little time and almost no budget, Booker sourced wine bottles from a warehouse in Bardstown and wrote the labels himself to get the job done. Based on the hundreds of letters they received raving about that uncut, unfiltered whiskey, it’s safe to say the rest is Booker’s Bourbon history.

Dad always had the final say when it came to his Booker’s, but he trusted Mike to help him build it into the brand that it is today. ‘Mike gets it,’ he used to say. Now, I’m proud to honor Mike with a batch of his own.”

— Fred Noe, Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller
Visit Booker’s Bourbon to learn more.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, alternate amounts were poured into Glencairns after 1.4 ounces were removed from a newly opened bottle. The removed sample was added to our Infinity Project. The bourbon was enjoyed neat with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

BOOKER’S 2021-01 DONOHOE’S BATCH NOSE:

Booker’s 2021-01 nips the nose with a strong but manageable ethanol bite. Once acclimated, fruit tree blossoms and roasted sweet corn blend with red berry nectar, Rainier cherries, plums, and gourmet raisins. With continued nosing, soft allspice and a faint nutmeg mix with white pepper. Then come buttery pie crust, graham crackers, vanilla custard, and sweets of maple sugar candy, buttery caramel, and peanuts bathing in light maple syrup. For a Booker’s, this is not a wood dominate bourbon. But I do get a little light sweet oak, and some toasted barrel aromas. Rounding out the freshness, I get a nice foundation of soft leather.

BOOKER’S 2021-01 DONOHOE’S BATCH PALATE:

Booker’s 2021-01 tastes much like it smells and it gives the tongue an aggressive alcohol tickle when held. Continued sipping brings on roasted sweet corn and an herbalness which plays well with the flavors of red berries, Rainier cherries, and plum nectar blended in a spice mixture of light cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper. Then come sweets of brown sugared pie crust, faint but rich vanilla, buttery brown sugar caramel, and peanut filled toffee. As on the nose the wood flavors of fresh oak sawdust, toasted wood and light barrel char are there, but don’t dominate. And when all the flavors begin to fade, a nice leatheriness comes through.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Booker’s 2021-01 is a solid bourbon. While it gives the palate a tickle, it has an oily mouthfeel. After each sip, a veil forms in the Glencairn gives way to evenly spaced long, thin legs returning the liquid to the mahogany colored pool. Left behind is a thin crown with only a few small clinging droplets.

THE ADDITION OF WATER

Water can often tame big, bold whiskeys and the addition of 2-4 drops will not radically drop the proof of the pour. Rather, water may help open the spirit allowing the aromas and flavors to bloom. So, three evenings after the initial tasting, distilled water was added to Booker’s 2021-01 to learn its effect.

Two drops were added to 1.5 ounces, lowering the proof to 124.93 (down from 125.3). Two drops do little to calm the heat and the roasted sweet corn and herbalness as well as the black pepper remain. A fruit element can be sensed but it is less defined and I still get brown sugar, peanut toffee and a small amount of char. To me, two drops have a negligible effect on Booker’s 2021-01.

After enjoying the two drop sample, four drops were added to another 1.5 ounces lowering the proof to 124.57. Four drops dampen the heat ever so slightly and for my taste, the flavors begin to wash together. The herbalness is gone as are the peanuts and individual fruits. And while I like wood, it begins to dominate the sweet, leaving the black pepper to stand alone.

While everyone is different, for me, I’ll not be adding water to my pours of Booker’s Donohoe’s Batch.

BOOKER’S 2021-01 DONOHOE’S BATCH FINISH:

Booker’s 2021-01 finishes long, warm and herbal. Faint plum nectar and a feeling of allspice and pepper coated citrus zest fade into rich vanilla and buttery caramelized peanuts. And like the nose and palate, the woodiness is faint with only a little char to note. When the last dram is downed, sweet brown sugar and seasoned oak is easy to draw from the empty Glencairn.

MY BOOKER’S 2021-01 DONOHOE’S BATCH RATING: 93/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Booker’s 2021-01 is a solid bourbon and for my profile the best of the last few batches. I will admit to the fact I am a Booker’s Fan and am always on the lookout for Booker’s offerings.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

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BOOKER’S 2021-01 DONOHOE’S BATCH TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Elijah Craig Small Batch 2019 Idaho Batch #2 Review

Posted on 10-May-202128-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Elijah Craig Small Batch 2019 Idaho Batch #2 Review

Original review written May 4, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

If you like wood-forward and grain in your bourbon, Idaho Batch #2 would be great for a collection. It’s a little bland otherwise, but it’s still palatable.

VITALS:

Elijah Craig Small Batch 2019 Idaho Batch #2 Review

– Made In: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: 12 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=78%; Rye=10%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125 proof
– Barrel Serial Number: #25164391
– Warehouse: KK-4 (Schenley)
– Vintage Year: 2007
– ABV: 47% (94 proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho (2019)

Visit heavenhill.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat with my sister, and father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Brian.

Check out his review of this bourbon here!

SETTING:

I feel like this bourbon invites contemplation. Sit on the step of a stairwell, leaning against the railing in utter quiet, and let the simplicity of Batch #2 surround you in your peace.

Photo by Serhat Beyazkaya on Unsplash

NOSE:

I get a caramelly, fruit bouquet on the first inhale, with figs and prunes being particularly pronounced. There is also a dash of black pepper that makes for a bit of spice and heat, while there is a strong element of dusty and roasted corn too. Deep inhales coax out a deep vanilla, a pastry and perhaps some pecans, though they are subtle. I wouldn’t rule out other nuts either, though I’d say they were soft. It’s even possible that it could be a brown butter that is contributing to the nuttiness.

Batch #2 is quite complex, and the alcohol seems a bit more intense than just a simple 94 proof. It’s welcoming and warm, and certainly very Heaven Hill-esque.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Silky, but also slightly watery. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.
– Balance: It’s a wood and grain forward bourbon, and while I’d like a bit of spice or fruit to back it up, I wouldn’t say it’s unbalanced. … just a little one-hit-wonder.
– Visual: Honey in color, there are long, fat legs that drop into the pool quickly, but the trails linger for some time.

– Taste: Grain comes across the palate first, and not just in a corn variety, but also in a just plain grassy way. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is surprising given that there was such an abundance of sweet flavors on the nose. The fruit is here, but it seems light and not like the figs originally found. In fact, it seems more like green grapes now. The vanilla and pastry are gone, now replaced by a simple syrup instead. An argument could be made for a white breadiness, but it’s not sweet at all – rather more chewable.

I will say, there is significantly more wood here than there was on the nose. The oak is soft and yet still forward, mixing with a sprinkling of white pepper. The white pepper isn’t hot, and the bourbon doesn’t bite. A Kentucky chew makes the grass and grain more raw in flavor, but there is a sudden, quick burst of cherry here. It disappears quite quickly though.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. I’m not convinced the warmth lingers very strongly, but the aftertaste does stick around for a while.
– Between Sips: There is a distinct taste of white bread between sips and some more of that grain. It does seem a little flat and one-dimensional, but it isn’t bad.

– No More: It does get a little sweeter the further into the glass I get, but it still isn’t anything that makes me extra excited. I think the sweetness is still coming from the bread, and maybe that’s why… fine, but not great overall.

The empty Glencairn is full of sawdust and is very warm and rich. It’s a shame that the taste couldn’t have more of this edgy wood quality to it. But it’s a solid bourbon, if not perhaps a little boring.

WORTH THE PRICE?

At $30, I don’t think we were robbed by any means. This bourbon, as it is a state pick (and one from two years ago, I must add), is exceedingly rare. But I don’t think I’d pay much more than $30 for this offering. It’s decent, but I’ve enjoyed other $30 bourbons and even ryes a bit more than this one.

ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH 2019 IDAHO BATCH #2 REVIEW ATING: 84/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

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Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel – ISLD Batch 2, 2019 Bourbon Review

Posted on 10-May-202128-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel – ISLD Batch 2, 2019 Bourbon Review

Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel, Batch 2 reviewed 04-May-2021

ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH PRIVATE BARREL – ISLD BATCH #2, 2019 REVIEW:

From time-to-time, we shuffle our bunker and find a true unicorn. Elijah Craig Small Batch Private Barrel – ISLD Batch 2, 2019 (ECSB PB – ISLD B2) is an example. One might ask, why even post a review on something no longer available, or from a bottle most people will never enjoy? Fair questions to be sure. As a store pick whiskey, it is important to be mindful of what can be had if one takes the time to look. So when you see a bottle labeled as a “Private Barrel”, take one home.

ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH PRIVATE BARREL – ISLD BATCH #2, 2019 VITAL STATS:

Category: Small Batch Private Barrel
Region: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Distillery: Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery
Mash Bill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, and 12% Barley
Barrel Char: #3
Barrel Serial #: 25164391
Warehouse: KK-4 (Schenley)
Vintage Year: 2007
Age: 12 Years Old
Barrel Entry Proof: 125 proof
ABV: 47 (94 Proof)
Price: $29.95 (September 2019 in Idaho)
Availability: Highly limited, sold out

ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH PRIVATE BARREL – ISLD BATCH #2, 2019 BACK STORY:

On occasion, certain barrels aged in Heaven Hill’s Bardstown, KY, USA rickhouses destined to become Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon outshine others. When this happens, privileged vendors are given the opportunity to purchase the contents of these special casks. The selected barrel is then dumped, bottled in personalized packaging and delivered to the purchasers account for distribution.

Cask 25164391 was one of these barrels. Made available in 2019, it was purchased by the Idaho State Liquor Division (ISLD) for exclusive sale to its Idaho patrons.

Learn more at https://heavenhill.com/.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

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

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

ELIJAH CRAIG SB PRIVATE BARREL – ISLD B#2, 2019 NOSE:

When first brought to my nose, ECSB PB – ISLD B2 has little ethanol burn, but light fruit tree blossoms, sweet corn and a fresh hit of mint come through as well. I also get apple cider, Maraschino cherries and fresh grated citrus zest mixed in light ginger, white pepper and rye as vanilla custard, hard candy, simple syrup, and candy corn blend with light oak and a slight piney woodiness.

ELIJAH CRAIG SB PRIVATE BARREL – ISLD B#2, 2019 PALATE:

In the mouth, ECSB PB – ISLD B2 has a pleasant but slight ethanol burn. The Heaven Hill herbal funk is fresh, as mint, soft apples and citrus zest mix with cinnamon, cloves, pepper and rye. Batch 2’s fresh spiciness dominates the light vanilla and sweets of hard candy, simple syrup, and cinnamon spiced almonds as dry and hazy barrel char fade.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
ECSB PB – ISLD B2 is a solid bourbon and to me much better than readily available Elijah Craig Small Batch. While it is simple, it’s buttery smooth mouthfeel and freshness is a welcome change from the bourbons I usually drink. Each sip is easy to hold and as the Glencairn is set down, irregularly spaced clinging legs transport the liquid back to the honey colored pool to leave a broken crown.

ELIJAH CRAIG SB PRIVATE BARREL – ISLD B#2, 2019 FINISH:

ECSB PB – ISLD B2 finishes short on flavors but has a nice lingering warmth. Before fading, each sip has Heaven Hill herbalness with but with enhanced fruit tree blossoms and the ever-present hint of mint and citrus zest. Cinnamon and pepper dominate, but faint brown sugar caramel plays hide and seek among dry and hazy oak barrels. And when the last dram is downed, seasoned dry oak drifts from the empty Glencairn.

MY ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH PRIVATE BARREL – ISLD BATCH #2, 2019 RATING: 89/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
While this bottling will never be on store shelves, I will buy Elijah Craig Private Barrel offerings when found.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 89/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
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ELIJAH CRAIG SB PRIVATE BARREL – ISLD BATCH #2, 2019 TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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