Hannah’s Booker’s 2021-01 Donohoe’s Batch Review
Original review written May 18, 2021
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
If you like grain, wood, and earth, this may just be the bourbon for you. While I like it, I don’t think it matches my profile quite right and likely will not be repurchasing. 84/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: 6 yrs., 11 months, 4 days
– Mash Bill: Corn=77%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=10%
– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 62.65% (125.3 proof)
– Price: $89.95 USD in Idaho
– From Master Distiller’s Notes: Donohoe’s Batch is made up of barrels that were aged in 4 different locations/warehouses (WH)… Breakdown is as follows:
47%: 5th floor of 7-story WH Z
16%: 2nd floor of 9-story WH H
16%: 4th floor of 7-story WH X
9%: 5th flor of 7-story WH X
8%: 6th floor of 9-story WH H
4%: 6th floor of 7-story WHL
Find more information at bookersbourbon.com
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn with my sister, and my father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review for this bourbon here!
SETTING:
This bourbon I could see enjoying on a crisp morning in the middle of a field, surrounded by rolled straw bales and dewy grass. It’ll warm you up and match the grittiness and rawness of the the earth surrounding you.
Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash
NOSE:
The classic Booker’s nuttiness is apparent on the first inhale, with salted peanuts being the most dominant. Roasted corn and sun-dried corn husks back up the peanuts and make the whole aroma seem that much more warm and rich. There is also wood too, but it seems more like a sturdy forest pine as opposed to oak. In this sense, it really smells like mountain air, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. I get some accompanying char with this also for an extra layer of heat. Not much fruit or spice to speak of, besides maybe a stray raisin every now and then and some indistinct pepper. The alcohol is also quite potent and can definitely sting if you aren’t careful on your inhales.
This smells very welcoming and exciting, if not a bit simple to me. The peanuts are the hero and the minimal other noted flavors are backup singers.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: There is a rough and gritty texture to this bourbon that tickles the palate. This is probably my favorite part about this bourbon.
– Balance: For the bourbon being dominantly earthy, I think there is a good balance between grain and wood.
– Visual: Mahogany in color, there is a distinct ring, but very few legs present.
– Taste: Traditional bourbon warmth comes across the palate first, with dusty grain trailing just behind. The grain, which usually is in a supporting role for most bourbons, seems to be the strongest flavor here – at least initially. And while much of the grain I’m tasting is corn, there is also an element of straw or grass too. The specific taste of peanuts isn’t here as much anymore, but I think the husk that we all have sucked on once or twice, is. The wood is here in a stronger capacity than on the nose, though more like sawdust than pine.
Again, I don’t really think there is much in the way of fruit here. If anything, it’d be a dark, dried fruit like prunes, but it is so subtle, it’s barely noteworthy. The alcohol, however, is quite strong and definitely willing to hug if you’re not careful. A Kentucky chew burns and brings out significant barrel char and the seasoned dark fruits a bit more. It fades back to grain quite quickly though.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Long. The heat sticks around for a good period of time and there is a bit of an aftertaste as well.
– Between Sips: A musty grain sits the strongest between sips along with the slightest bit of sawdust. It’s not unpleasant necessarily, but there are certainly better pauses I’ve had.
– No More: This does get better the further into the glass I get with the bourbon warmth expanding and making the grain seem somehow brighter. I still can’t really identify any new flavors, but I do appreciate bourbon warmth a great deal.
The empty Glencairn is a smoky oak that is equally warm to the bourbon itself. I think it pairs with the palate quite well.
THE ADDITION OF WATER
– This section written on May 22, 2021 –
Booker’s 2021-01 Donohoe’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 2021-01 Donohoe’s Batch to detect any potential differences:
Wow, this tastes almost like a completely different bourbon than what I tasted only a few days ago. The alcohol hasn’t been kicked back at all, but suddenly, there are fruits that weren’t here on the initial tasting. I get cherries, a dark berry, and a dark stone fruit also. There’s a bit of dark vanilla suddenly, along with a simple syrup. The earthy taste is still there, but it blends quite nicely with these new flavors too. When enjoying again, I will be adding water. (RATING: 89/100)
The alcohol bite certainly took a hit with four drops added. I can still taste the same fruit that I could with two drops, but it’s slightly more subdued. (Note that it is still more than what I could taste when I had Donohoe’s Batch neat.) The warmth remains, but I think some of the complexity from the two-drop tasting has faded. I will say that I get a new element of brown sugar that comes in to replace the two-drop fruit intensity. I think I like this batch most with two drops, but the four-drop tasting is still better than the neat tasting, in my opinion. (RATING: 86/100)
WORTH THE PRICE?
I like bourbons that smell the way they taste, and this didn’t quite do that for me. This is a decent bourbon, but for $90 USD, it is a big ask. If you’re a Booker’s collector like we are, you’ll likely buy it anyway, but I, for one, don’t think I will be purchasing again.
BOOKER’S 2021-01 DONOHOE’S BATCH REVIEW RATING: 84/100
Click to see Hannah’s rating process
Click 84/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Booker’s.
Back to…