National Bourbon Heritage Month 2022 30 Bourbons in 30 Days Challenge
posted Tuesday, 30-August-2022
Welcome September – And as Bourbon Aficionados we should be partying! In fact, back in August 2007, the U.S. government thought we should all celebrate. You see, in the previous decades Kentucky citizens throughout the state had been enjoying Bourbon Festivals in downtown Bardstown. So Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning introduced a Simple Resolution to the 110th U.S. Congress …
… Now, therefore, be it …
(1) That the Senate, designates September 2007 as “National Bourbon Heritage Month”,
(2) recognizes bourbon as “America’s Native Spirit” and reinforces its heritage and tradition and its place in the history of the United States, and
(3) recognizes the contributions of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to the culture of the United States.
— S. Res. 294, 110th Congress¹
RESOLUTION CONFIRMATION
The 110th Congress of the U.S. Senate passed S. Res. 294² by unanimous consent. Sadly, as a simple resolution, it was not law and non-binding and the legislation was never renewed. Still, the Commonwealth of Kentucky celebrates Bourbon Heritage Month every September.
Those of us who enjoy bourbon can still join in the party. We should make September our Bourbon Heritage Month. To which, Hannah, Elora and I are issuing our second 30 Bourbons in 30 Days WhiskeyfortheAges.com Challenge …
30 BOURBONS IN 30 DAYS CHALLENGE
Anyone can join along and the guidelines are simple:
National Bourbon Heritage Month 2022 30 Bourbons in 30 Days Challenge – September 2021
No ryes, scotches or other whiskies … only bourbons.
Enjoy a different Bourbon every day. No duplicates … 30 different bourbons in 30 days.
Unique bourbon iterations are okay (I.e.: Maker’s Mark and Maker’s 46 or Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A121 and B521).
Open your bunker. Select your bourbons at random or develop a structured plan. (We are enjoying Idaho State Liquor Division Picks this year!) Make the challenge your own.
We’ve compiled our 30 Bourbons in 30 Days WhiskeyfortheAges.com Calendar like this …
This year we’ve chosen bourbons selected by the Idaho State Liquor Division (ISLD). These bourbons were exclusively available to Idaho residents and liquor store patrons (think Store Pick whiskies).
Mondays will be our review days … We will be selecting a more mainstream Bourbon from our bunker, prepare our reviews, then post them when ready later in the week. In addition, we will be sharing our thoughts on what we are drinking throughout the month in various Social Media platforms. It is our hope others will join in our conversations as well.
From the first waft, I could tell Booker’s 2022-01 Ronnie’s Batch (Booker’s 2022-01) is something special. Mouthfuls give an almost hot burn but are full of fruits, spices and sweets. Take heed of the note, this batch is hot, from the nose, all the way through to the finish. While this bourbon may not be for everyone and definitely not for the uninitiated, I am actively seeking a bottle or two for the bunker.
BOOKER’S 2022 – 01 RONNIE’S BATCH VITAL STATS:
Category: Small Batch Bourbon Region: Clermont, Kentucky, USA Distiller: Jim Beam, Master Distiller Fred Noe Small Batch: 2022-01 Ronnie’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 22 Days ABV: 62.15% (124.3 Proof) NABCA CSC #: 16906 Price: $89.95 (Idaho, May 2022) Availability: Booker’s Bourbon is quarterly or tri-annual release.
MASTER DISTILLER NOTES
This batch is from of four production dates and was aged in five different warehouses. The breakdown of barrel storage for Booker’s “Ronnie’s Batch” is as follows:
4% came from the 3rd floor of 7-story warehouse 5 7% came from the 4th floor of 9-story warehouse D 15% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse 1 26% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Q 48% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Z
LABEL INSPIRATION
The first release of the Booker’s® Bourbon 2022 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2022-01 ‘Ronnie’s Batch.’ This batch is named in honor of Ronnie Land, a longtime employee at the Jim Beam Clermont and Boston, K.Y. plants, when my dad, Booker Noe, was master distiller. During his 40 year career at Jim Beam, he worked his way up to the Warehouse Manager position. Ronnie was always known to shoot straight with Dad, and Dad put a lot of trust in him because of that.
Ronnie was responsible for keeping inventory of aging barrels, a key part of the bourbon-making process. Back then, we had to track barrel quantities and locations by hand – no computers for that! – and Ronnie knew it all by heart. He also knew exactly where Dad preferred to store his namesake Booker’s barrels and, in time, he was trusted to prepare the samples for Dad to evaluate for the next batch.
Once, Ronnie sent me home with a box of small Booker’s samples for Dad to taste. When Dad saw the samples, he said they weren’t big enough to get a proper sense of the whiskey, so what did Ronnie do? He went back into the warehouses and prepared samples that were notably bigger! Dad was more than pleased and that became the standard sample size Ronnie gave us from then on – and still the size that Freddie and I use today! — Fred Noe, Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller
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 the pours, four once review amounts went into two Glencairns. My daughters and I enjoyed the bourbon neat as we prepared this review.
Alcohol nips at the nose, more so than other Booker’s batches I’ve enjoyed. There are fruit tree blossoms and roasted corn and dusty grain here blended with a masked berry nectar or syrup, some dark cherry, plum and juicy gourmet raisins. This nose is fruity for a Booker’s, but are enhance by dark allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and rye. With careful nosing I detect some faint bittersweet chocolate chips, then rich vanilla infused buttery dark brown sugar caramel with hints of dark honey and light molasses drizzled over soft nuts. The alcohol, fruit, spice and sweet aromas are blend well and have a solid foundation of sweet air seasoned oak, hazy barrel spice and new tooled leather. This aroma makes me salivate.
BOOKER’S 2022 – 01 RONNIE’S BATCH PALATE:
Mouthfuls of Booker’s 2022-01 give a warm almost hot burn. Upon acclimation, roasted corn and dusty grain mix with a dark berry syrup blend of dark cherries and gourmet raisins. As on the nose, dark spices of ginger, black pepper and rye compliment rich vanilla, more cinnamon, this time more like red hots and sweet and woody brown sugar caramel and a hint of light molasses. There are toasted pecans here too, along with sweet seasoned oak, hazy barrel spice, leather and lots earthy depth.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look: Each sip of Booker’s 2022-01 is viscous, rich and oily and incredibly easy to hold for as long as one might wish. But when swished and aggravated, the liquid is capable of giving the mouth an almost hot burn. As I note above there are many aromas and flavors, yet all in balance with one another. When I lower the Glencairn after each sip, many long clinging legs break from the syrupy curtain to return the dregs to the mahogany colored pool. Then inside the glass one can see a thin ring with only a few droplets in the inverted crown.
BOOKER’S 2022 – 01 RONNIE’S BATCH FINISH:
Booker’s 2022-01 Ronnie’s Batch has an exceptionally long finish. It is firey hot in the throat and wants to hug on nearly every swallow. As the heat subsides, fruit tree blossoms trade with sensations of roasted corn, berry syrup, dark stone fruits, and the juice of raisins. Buried in the cinnamon and black pepper heat, rich vanilla and brown sugar soothe the throat and allow the earthy depth of potting soil and leather to take this bourbon home. And when the last drops are gone, the empty Glencairn smells of hazy barrel spice and damp oak.
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 2022-01 was done 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 123.94 (down from 124.3) but alcohol still nips at the nose. I get an earthy depth coupled with floral notes in each inhale. The spices of cinnamon and rye and caramel sweetness seem diminished on the nose, but not significantly so. The aromas and flavors of roasted corn, dusty grain and blend of dark cherries and gourmet raisins come through as do the red hots and brown sugar caramel. And the air seasoned oak, hazy barrel spice and new tooled leather are present as well. If anything, two drops reduce the heat a bit.
Adding four drops of water to 1.5 ounces of Booker’s 2021-01 lowers the proof to 123.58. Four drops subdues the alcohol on the nose. The blossoms, roasted corn and dusty grain serve to enhance the earthy aromas. The berry aroma becomes dark cherry nectar dusted with allspice, nutmeg and rye. Four drops makes Booker’s 2022-01 sweeter, and allows the buttery dark brown sugar caramel and dark honey to take center stage. In the mouth and throat the heat is more manageable and makes the seasoned oak, hazy barrel spice and leather more defined. Four drops doesn’t really hurt this bourbon but does shorten the finish.
MY RATING: 95/100; … with two drops 95/100; … with four drops 93/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES I am a fan of Booker’s and will purchase each batch as they become available, regardless of previous ratings. Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
To date, the score of 95 is the highest I’ve ever given, a score I have awarded no other whiskey. While the finish has rough edges and each sip wants to burn, Booker’s 2022-01 Ronnie’s Batch is special. To access other whiskies from this brand, click Booker’s.
High West Bourbon (High West) formerly known as High West American Prairie Bourbon is said to have gone through changes since its first release. This review is representative of what is on store shelves as of this posting.
The aromas and flavors of High West are in balance with one another. Each mouthful is fresh and clean, gives my mouth a mild tickle yet yet has a silky feel. The aromas of dusty grain, dark fruits, baking spice and dark fruits pass to the palate and through to the finish. At $40 MSRP, this is a pleasing pour.
HIGH WEST BOURBON VITAL STATS:
Category: Blend of Straight Bourbons Regions: Indiana, Kentucky, Utah Distillery: undisclosed (MGPI, High West and speculated to be additionally sourced from Barton, Four Roses, and/or Heaven Hill) Producer: High West Distillery Mash Bill: undisclosed (Blend of 3 or more straight bourbons) Barrel Char: undisclosed Barrel entry proof: undisclosed Age: 2 years old (plus a blend of older bourbons) ABV: 46% (92 Proof) Batch: 22B25 NABCA CSC #: 18604 Price: $39.95 (Idaho, May 2020)
… [W]e have recently updated our packaging, you may receive an old bottled labeled American Prairie Bourbon. The whiskey inside hasn’t changed, so enjoy! — High West Distillery
NOTE: David Perkins, High West’s founder, blender and chemist sold the distillery operations to Constellation Brands in 2016. In addition to labeling and line changes, High West distillate is now used in the blend to meet demand. While his name still appears on the bottle label, Perkins joined Minnesota’s O’Shaughnessy Distilling as “Liquid Collaborator and Advisor” in May 2021.
ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:
Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into three Glencairns. My daughters and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.
When brought to my nose, High West seems dry with a faint potpourri of fruit tree blossoms and dusty grain. I also sense fresh orange zest with some dark raisins and figs. There is a baking spice aroma here too which comes in the form of cinnamon, candied ginger and rye biscuits. Other than vanilla bean notes, a bit of burnt caramel, and dark hazelnut toffee this is less sweet than a traditional bourbon. However most prevalent is the scent of air dried hazy oak, musty leather and an earthy depth.
HIGH WEST BOURBON PALATE:
High West tastes herbal with a potpourri of dry corn and dusty grain. I get a sensation of apricot blended with dark dried fruit then mixed with cinnamon, ginger, pepper, and rye. The sweetness is dark as well, with notes of bitter dark chocolate, vanilla extract and like I sensed on the nose, dark, hazelnut toffee. The foundation for these flavors dry and hazy oak, a bit of barrel char and old leather.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look: High West’s aromas and flavors are in balance with one another. Each mouthful is warm, silken, creamy and easy to hold. I to get a mild mouth tickle, but this is fresh and clean. As I work the liquid within the glass, swirling, sipping and tipping, long clinging legs stretch to the honey pool then break into many small rain droplets.
HIGH WEST BOURBON FINISH:
High West Bourbon has a medium-long and dry finish with a bit of a bite. Although much fainter, the herbal aromas and flavors of dry corn and dusty grain, apricot, cinnamon, pepper, rye add to the warmth. As the flavors fade, dark honey and vanilla peak in, but only for a moment, and then they drift on as well. And when gone, the empty Glencairn smells of dry old oak and leather.
MY RATING: 87/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES High West will not be a bourbon I need to have in my bunker but it would be a nice diversion to have once in a while. Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 87/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
