Booker’s 2021-03 Bardstown Batch

Brian’s Booker’s 2021-03 Bardstown Batch Review:

reviewed on 03-November-2021

BOOKER’S 2021-03 BARDSTOWN BATCH BOURBON REVIEW:

Booker’s 2021-03 Bardstown Batch is the best release of 2021 and in my opinion, the best of all Booker’s batches I have enjoyed. My first was 2018-01 Kathleen’s Batch and I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy each release since.

Bardstown Batch is dark, with few fruit notes but equally balanced spice, sweet and woody aromas and flavors. As I was enjoying the final sips, I poured a small amount of 2021-02 Tagalong (a GREAT bourbon) to compare. Bardstown fits my profile even better. If I see another on store shelves, the bottle will have a new home in my bunker.

BOOKER’S 2021-03 BARDSTOWN BATCH VITAL STATS:
Booker's 2021-03 Bardstown Batch

Category: Small Batch Bourbon
Region: Clermont, Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam, Master Distiller Fred Noe
Small Batch: 2021-03 Bardstown Batch
Mash bill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Casks: New Charred Oak
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel Entry Proof: 125
Age: 6 yrs., 5 months and 0 days
ABV: 62.75% (125.5 Proof)
NABCA CSC#: 16906
Price: $89.95 (Idaho, 2021)
Availability: Allocated, limited, released quarterly/tri-annually

MASTER DISTILLER NOTES:

Barrels from four production dates, aged in five different warehouses make up Batch 2021-03. The breakdown of barrel storage for Booker’s Bardstown Batch is as follows:

▪︎27% came from the 5th floor of 9-story warehouse H
▪︎24% came from the 6th floor of 9-story warehouse D
▪︎19% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse I
▪︎11% came from the 8th floor of 9-story warehouse J
▪︎11% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Z
▪︎8% came from the 2nd floor of 9-story warehouse H

LABEL INSPIRATION
Booker's 2021-03 Bardstown Batch

“The third release of the Booker’s Bourbon  2021 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2021-03 ‘Bardstown Batch’. This batch honors the homeplace of not only my dad, Booker Noe, but several generations of Beam family members, including myself and my sin Freddie.

“Dad was born in Springfield, Kentucky, but spent a good amount of time in Bardstown visiting friends along with his grandfather, Jim Beam. After going to college, he moved to Bardstown full-time to join the family business.

“Dad lived in Bardstown for more than 50 years and was well known in the community for his infectious personality. He was the ultimate host, always inviting people over to the house for drinks and dinner parties. These events became well known across town, especially when Booker was serving his country ham that he would smoke right in the backyard – a practice he learned from his grandfather and one that 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe continues to this day.

“Today, I live in the same house in Bardstown that my great-grandfather Jim Beam lived in, and Freddie is right next door with his own family. Though Bardstown may be called the Bourbon Capital of the World, to us this special place is simply home. Bardstown Batch represents all of the happy times we’ve shared here, and I hope you are able to enjoy this batch along side close family and friends.”

— Fred Noe, Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller

Learn more at Booker’s Bourbon.

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

Taken out of the newly opened bottle, the first one and a half ounces mixed with the bourbon in our Infinity Bottle Project. Then, by alternating pours, four once review amounts went into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

BOOKER’S 2021-03 BARDSTOWN BATCH NOSE:

Booker’s 2021-03 smells dry and has just a touch of alcohol to tease the nose. I sense herbal roasted corn, drying grain and a faint hint of rich pipe tobacco mixed with dried currants dusted with spices of faint crushed clove, white pepper and rye. The sweets are scant as well coming through as dark brown sugar caramel, molasses and rich toffee. The woody aroma is in balance both the spice and sweet as strong, heavy old oak and hazy barrel char rise from the glass. The earthy aromas seem to build on a musty theme of leather buried in potting soil. This bourbon smells good.

BOOKER’S 2021-03 BARDSTOWN BATCH PALATE:

After the 15-20 minute nosing, I took the first sip. Each taste of Booker’s 2021-03 warms the palate and throat. Herbal roasted corn provides a backdrop for dark dried fruits of Montmorency cherries flavored with spices of savory ginger, pepper and rye. This bourbon is more spicy than it is hot. The sweets are in balance as well. Buttery dark brown sugar caramel, play off of dark molasses and bittersweet chocolate covered toffee. And like on the nose, heavy old oak blends with hazy char along with a touch of earthy leather. Not one flavor overpowers but each compliments the other.

Booker's 2021-03 Bardstown Batch

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Booker’s 2021-03 is well balanced as individual aromas and flavors do not dominant and the first sip is much easier to hold than one might expect from a high proof bourbon. The liquid is viscous and its oily character helps blend the subtle flavors. At the end of each sip, a thick veil breaks into many thin fast falling legs, transporting the wash back to the terracotta pot colored pool. And as the remaining crown fades, a few drops remain in the glass.

BOOKER’S 2021-03 BARDSTOWN BATCH FINISH:

The roasted corn sensed on the nose and palate gives its faint good-bye as does the sensation of the juice of dried Montmorency cherries with a touch of cinnamon and pepper. There is the slight sweetness of dark toffee but what I feel most is strong musty and rich old oak. Booker’s 2021-03 Bardstown Batch teases with heat but in the end, has a warm medium-long finish as the aroma of an oak laden lumberyard wafts from the empty Glencairn.

THE ADDITION OF WATER

Water can often tame big, bold whiskeys and allow aromas and flavors to bloom. The addition of 2-4 drops will not radically lower the proof of the pour. Re-evaluation of Booker’s 2021-03 occurred using measured pours and precise amounts of distilled water to measure the effect.

Adding two drops to 1.5 ounces of this bourbon reduces the proof to 125.13 (down from 125.5). The water seems to enhance the aromas of roasted corn, dried fruit, rye, dark brown sugar, caramel, molasses and rich toffee. With the water, the woodiness comes through and the flavors of cherries and ginger blend with the buttery dark brown caramel. The water softens and smoothens each sip … Can it be true!?! For me, two drops of water make Bardstown Batch better!

Adding four drops to 1.5 ounces of bourbon lowers the proof to 124.77 (a 0.58% reduction from the bottling). The aromas sensed with the two drop pour seem to have blended together. Not one aroma truly stands out. At the same time I get more of an alcohol nip. Upon taking the first sip, I feel let down, yet I do like how it warms my throat. While still a good bourbon, too much water takes away from Booker’s 2021-03’s complexity.

MY RATING: 94/100;
… with two drops 95/100;
… with four drops 92/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 94/100 to access other whiskeys with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Booker’s.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Booker's 2021-03 Bardstown Batch
Booker's 2021-03 Bardstown Batch

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Booker’s 2021-03 Bardstown Batch Review

Hannah’s Booker’s 2021-03 Bardstown Batch Review

Original review written November 3, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Bardstown Batch ticks all the boxes for me, and I am quite happy to have it in the bunker. Rich, deep, oily, fruity – yes, please and thank you! 94/100

VITALS:
Booker's 2021-03 Bardstown Batch Review

– Made In: Clermont, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: 6 yrs., 5 months, and 0 days
– Mash Bill: Corn=77%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=10%
– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 62.75% (125.5 proof)
– Price: $89.95 USD in Idaho

Booker's 2021-03 Bardstown Batch Review

– From Master Distiller’s Notes: Bardstown Batch is made up of barrels that were aged in 5 different locations/warehouses (WH)… Breakdown is as follows:
27%: 5th floor of 9-story WH H
24%: 6th floor of 9-story WH D
19%: 5th floor of 7-story WH I
11%: 8th floor of 9-story WH J
11%: 5th floor of 7-story WH Z
8%: 2nd floor of 9-story WH H

Find more information at bookersbourbon.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed this spirit neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This bourbon begs to be enjoyed with some Italian, French, or even just garlic bread. Pour out some olive oil, sprinkle in some ground pepper and peppercorns and enjoy. I can imagine everything would complement and only make the other better. (Trust me, I’ll be creating an opportunity to try this.)

Photo by Frédéric Paulussen on Unsplash

NOSE:

This is very caramelly and vanilla-y on the first inhale, with plenty of depth and richness to immediately take note of. I catch some acidic plums, currants, and cinnamon. There is also a nutty earthiness, but I don’t think I could properly pin down the exact nut. For wood, I think barrel char is the most powerful, but gentler oaky notes can be found in this glass too. I can get corn as well, but I would say it works more as a base for the other, more pronounced flavors, rather than being a main contributor. The alcohol isn’t as offensively strong as I was anticipating – in fact, it’s relatively gentle and just gives a tickle more than anything else.

PALATE:
Booker's 2021-03 Bardstown Batch Review

– Mouth Feel: First and lasting impression: Oily, oily, oily, and oily. Absolutely love it for this bourbon.
– Balance: The flavors all stick out independent of one another, but together, they make for a quite solid blend.
– Visual: Terracotta in color, I don’t find too many legs, but there is a defined ring that clings to the glass for some time.

– Taste: I can hold it at the front of my palate for a good long while before I feel any kind of alcohol burn. However, the spice is certainly quite forward and noticeable. I find black pepper, rye, and cinnamon, but there is some fruity sweetness present as well. Especially after holding it on the palate, I can taste cherry juice, plums, and baked apples. It’s a wonderful medley that works well with all of the spice. Dark vanilla custard and some barrel char finish off the pronounced flavors, and it truly does taste just sinful.

The alcohol, as stated, isn’t unbearable, but it’s a burn I already know has the potential to hug if you’re not careful. When I do a Kentucky chew, the alcohol isn’t as intense as I was expecting, but there are definite needles-in-tongue sensations. But they are tiny, and they wake up some oak and more cherry juice, which is just delectable.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium-long. The warmth certainly lingers, and I even get a bit of aftertaste, but neither are intense as I would have imagined them to be.
– Between Sips: Cherries, and apples can be found here between sips. They lift up the end of each sip, and prime the palate for the next.

– No More: The sweetness continues to grow the further into the glass I get. There is also a growing grassy element as well. It provides a pleasant extra tickle of texture and brightens up the darkness of the glass quite well.

The empty Glencairn is sweet and oaky, and even contains a bit of honey. I really love this.

THE ADDITION OF WATER

– This section written on November 6, 2021 –

Booker's 2020-03 Pigskin Batch Review

Booker’s 2021-03 Bardstown 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 Bardstown Batch to detect any potential differences:

Two drops of water knock back a lot of the heat, and by doing so, it actually makes the pour smoother overall while not compromising the oily mouth feel too much. I find more cherries and caramel. There is also a greater sense of oak with the water drops, and it contributes greatly to the overall balance of this pour. It’s become a richer foundation in this bourbon and makes this overall, an even deeper whiskey. I’m enjoying this quite a lot, and I see myself being tempted again to add water to Bardstown Batch at times. The finish remains warm and rich. (RATING: 94/100)

Cherries are still prominent with four drops, and now I also find brown sugar. The wood has weakened, and the alcohol has mellowed out even more. It’s still smooth, and it has surprisingly retained some significant texture. I think this is still quite good, and if I hadn’t known this had water in it, I’d think this was a very decent bourbon neat. Do I think it’s worth adding four drops of water to, for extra oakiness, a loss of some of the complexity, and the weakened alcohol? No. But I’m not disappointed in having to finish this pour. (RATING: 90/100)

WORTH THE PRICE?

$90 is a big ask, but likely, if you’re already into Booker’s products, you’re wanting to give it a try. Out of the three released in the year 2021, this one sits right with Tagalong Batch, so if you enjoyed that one, and can find this one on the shelves, give it a try! And if you are looking to get into Booker’s, I do think this is a great one to whet your palate on, without feeling like you’re gambling too hard with a near $100 purchase.

BOOKER’S 2021-03 BARDSTOWN BATCH REVIEW RATING: 94/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 94/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Booker’s.

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