Since early 2018, each spring and a new edition to the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond decanter series is released. While the age of each bottling varies, all have the Bottled-in-Bond designation.
The black labeled fall 2021 release, Old Fitzgerald 11 Year (Old Fitz 11) offers the nose a slight nip of alcohol as well as a hint of sherry wine. It is herbal with notes of roasted corn and wheat and one can smell fruits of current and plum and taste a mixture of sweet and Maraschino cherries with some allspice, light cinnamon and pepper. There are sweets of yellow cake, vanilla, brown sugar, woody honey and dark toffee as well however to me, this is a simple bourbon, and frankly, I feel a let down. For me, the aromas and flavors are too blended and it provides only a medium throat warming herbal and floral finish.
OLD FITZGERALD 11 YEAR VITAL STATS:
Category: Bottled-in-Bond Wheated Bourbon Region: Louisville, Kentucky, USA Distillery: DSP-KY-1 (Bernheim Distillery) Mash Bill*: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley Barrel Char: #3 Barrel entry proof: 125 Age: 11 Years Old ABV: 50% (100 Proof) Release Date: August 2021 NABCA CSC #: 16373 Price: $109.95 (Idaho, February 2022)
Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns from a newly opened bottle. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.
Old Fitz 11 gives my nose a slight nip of alcohol in a hint of sherry wine. As I inhale, roasted corn and wheat, and fruits of current and plum topped with allspice and white pepper drift up from the glass. With more careful nosing, fresh baked wheat bread and vanilla infused cake wafts from the glass. With heavy draws additional sweets of brown sugar, woody honey and faint light toffee drizzled over pecans waft as well. Any wood I detect is faint, as light oak and hazy toasted wood and sweet smoke fade in and out. This bourbon has a simple and gentle nose.
OLD FITZGERALD 11 YEAR PALATE:
Old Fitz 11 warms the mouth and offers faint notes of herbal roasted corn and wheat. There is also a mixture of sweet and Maraschino cherries with allspice, light cinnamon and pepper. Sweets of yellow cake, vanilla, brown sugar, woody honey and dark toffee treat the taste buds as well. With an aggressive Kentucky chew, the whiskey becomes almost coppery and effervescent with lots of black pepper and a pronounced alcohol presence. To round out the taste I sense dry oak, toasted wood and barrel char. To me this is a simple bourbon, and frankly, I feel a let down.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look: Old Fitz 11 seems blended to the point of masking aromas and flavors in my mouth. It is mellow, viscous and oily and easy to hold. After each sip, extremely long clinging legs cling as the liquid passes back to the auburn colored pool leaving behind only a few clinging droplets inside the Glencairn.
OLD FITZGERALD 11 YEAR FINISH:
Old Fitzgerald 11 Year offers a medium throat warming herbal and floral finish. With careful thought I feel sweet and Maraschino cherry juice dusted with allspice and pepper sliding down my throat. There is a soft sensation of vanilla and light brown sugar drifting on dry oak and hazy toasted wood as well. And when emptied, the Glencairn smells almost fruity with a nice dose of sugared cinnamon dusted over drying oak.
Brian’s Booker’s 2021-04 Noe Strangers Batch Bourbon:
reviewed 22-February-2022
BOOKER’S 2021-04 NOE STRANGERS BATCH BOURBON REVIEW:
For me, Booker’s 2021-04 Noe Strangers Batch (Booker’s 2021-04) is the most “un-Bookerish” release I have ever enjoyed. And enjoy is not a strong enough accolade. It may even be the best batch since my first, Booker’s 2018-01 Kathleen’s Batch, and all of the others since. Its aromas are fruity, and the flavors are full of jammy heat. The signature Booker’s nuttiness is more sensed than tasted or smelled. This bourbon would be just as good with a PB&J sandwich as it would with a slow-smoked brisket. There is no need to add water. It lessens both aromas and flavors and shortens the finish. I only wish I had several backup bottles in the bunker as I have a feeling this one is not going to last.
BOOKER’S 2021-04 NOE STRANGERS BATCH VITAL STATS:
Category: Small Batch Bourbon Region: Clermont, Kentucky, USA Distiller: Jim Beam, Master Distiller Fred Noe Small Batch: 2021-04 Noe Strangers Batch Mash bill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley Casks: New Charred Oak Barrel Char: #4 Barrel Entry Proof: 125 Age: 6 Years 6 Months 12 Days ABV: 62.2% (124.4 Proof) NABCA CSC #: 16906 Price: $89.95 (Idaho, Dec 2021) Availability: Allocated, limited, released quarterly/tri-anually
MASTER DISTILLER NOTES:
Noe Strangers batch comes from four production dates, with barrels aged in four different warehouses as follows:
39% came from the 6th floor of 9-story warehouse J 31% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Q 27% came from the 5th floor of 9-story warehouse D 3% came from the 2nd floor of 9-story warehouse H
LABEL INSPIRATION
The fourth release of the Booker’s® Bourbon 2021 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2021-04 ‘Noe Strangers Batch.’ This batch celebrates the genuine, social nature of my dad, Booker Noe, and the way he could turn a stranger into a friend for life in no time.
Take for example when Dad took a liking to the products that a salesman was selling. He would call out to Mom and say, “Set an extra plate at the table, I’m inviting this salesman to dinner!” Another time, Dad was invited to a rally for the Blue Knights® Motorcycle Club, an international brotherhood of active and retired law enforcement officers who share a passion for motorcycle riding. There he struck up a conversation with some of the members, and the next day, more than 300 of them were invited to the house for lunch.
His knack for making friends carried into his work as well. Here in Kentucky and out on the road, Dad wouldn’t leave a bourbon event until he shook hands with everyone that wanted to talk to him. He’d listen to stories from every customer he met and just like that, they’d become a fan – and a friend – for life. Dad taught us to ‘treat others how we would want to be treated’– a lesson our family holds true to this day. It’s just the way us Noes are wired.
As you enjoy “Noe Strangers Batch,” I hope you’ll think of Dad and his generous way of making everyone he met feel at home. Like we always say at the distillery: come as friends, leave as family.
— 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 pours, four once review amounts went into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.
The first wafts of Booker’s 2021-04 caught me off guard, but pleasantly so. The pour is unlike a typical Booker’s … It smells juicy, like a fruity oak aged Chardonnay, but deeper and darker. With further nosing I detect dark dried currants, and both black and blueberries with some fresh apple butter sprinkled with allspice, white pepper and rye. The aromas are sweet, like rich vanilla infused yellow cake with a light brown sugar and toffee frosting. And while I get nuts, they are more of sensation than anything specific. And when I bring the Glencairn to my mouth, I smell the toasted wood of sweet light oak BBQ smoke.
BOOKER’S 2021-04 NOE STRANGERS BATCH PALATE:
Booker’s 2021-04 has the characteristic warming high proof bourbon burn I get in most Booker’s releases. But while I do taste the typical subtle roasted corn, this one is usually jammy and full of dark berry nectar with flavors of ripe currants and fresh raisins. For me, this is the most fruit forward Booker’s I can remember – think dark berry jam with heat. Along with fruitiness, I taste cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper balanced by rich vanilla, burnt brown sugar caramel and hints of maple syrup. The sweet flavors are savory and remind me of a hearty homemade BBQ sauce. While I don’t get the typical Booker’s peanuts, I do want to sit and enjoy this with a jar of peanut butter as its seasoned oak blends with hazy toasted wood and sweet BBQ smoke.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look: Booker’s 2021-04 is solid and well blended. It does give the tongue and mouth an aggressive tickle, but once the taste buds acclimate, the liquid becomes quite creamy. As I peer into the glass after each sip, the liquid curtain breaks into widely spaced, long drops which return the dregs to the mahogany colored pool leaving behind a thin ring.
BOOKER’S 2021-04 NOE STRANGERS BATCH FINISH:
Booker’s 2021-04 Noe Strangers Batch has an exceptionally long almost hot finish of the memory of dark berry jam and fresh raisin nectar. I also sense black pepper, rich vanilla and the essence of nearly burnt BBQ sauce. This finish is all Booker’s as seasoned oak marries with smoky sweet BBQ sauce. And when gone, the empty Glencairn smells like sweet oak sawdust infused with molasses.
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 2021-04 occurred several days after the first assessment using measured pours and precise amounts of distilled water to detail its effect.
THE ADDITION OF TWO DROPS OF WATER
Adding two drops to 1.5 ounces of this bourbon reduces the proof to 124.04 (down from 124.4). It still smells juicy, deep and dark with notes of dark dried currants, apple butter and allspice. I also smell rich vanilla and light brown sugar frosting mixed with toasted wood sweet BBQ smoke but other aromas noted above are greatly muted. When sipped, I get warm high proof bourbon with a little roasted corn but like I mentioned above, 2021-04 remains a dark currant and fresh raisin jam with heat. Spices of cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper continue to be balanced with rich vanilla and brown sugar caramel. These flavors are savory and I taste a few peanuts in seasoned oak which blend quickly into hazy toasted wood and sweet smoke. While still good, two drops of water diminish both aromas and flavors and in my opinion, are not needed.
THE ADDITION OF FOUR DROPS OF WATER
Adding four drops to 1.5 ounces of bourbon lowers the proof to 123.68 (a 0.58% reduction from the bottling). Most surprising, I now get alcohol in each nosing. While dark dried currants and apple butter with allspice and pepper still come through, the aromas are less fruit sweet and the vanilla and light brown sugar take center stage. I still get the characteristic Booker’s warmth in each taste, as well as a bit of roasted corn, but the currants and raisins with cinnamon, ginger, are washed out. The vanilla and brown sugar caramel with some seasoned oak and hazy toasted wood remain savory, but the finish shortens. Four drops of distilled water are too much for Noe Strangers.
MY RATING: 94/100; … with two drops 90/100; … with four drops 89/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES I will always purchase Booker’s batches when bottles are found at retail on store shelves. 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.
It has been over two months since we last reviewed a barrel proof bourbon and it seems even longer since something stellar was opened. Welcome Stagg Jr Batch 16 (Stagg Jr B16), a bourbon which ticks my boxes … High proof – check; fruit, spice, sweet and wood, check, check, check, and check. This is a dark and wonderful treat for the senses to which some drinkers may want to add a drop or two of water. Stagg bottles always impress and when found on the shelf at retail or even in the slightly elevated range of $60-80 they should be bought and taken home. But please, don’t pay ridiculous secondary, ever.
STAGG JR BATCH 16 VITAL STATS:
Category: Barrel Proof Bourbon Region: Kentucky, USA Distiller: Buffalo Trace Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1 (low rye <10% rye, speculated to be about 75% corn, 10% rye and 15% malted barley) Barrel Char: #4 Barrel Entry Proof: 125 Age: nas (believed to be ~8 years) Released: Summer 2021 ABV: 65.45% (130.9 Proof) Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered NABCA CSC #: 21540 Price: $49.95 (Idaho, October-2021) Other than ABV and proof numbers, bottles of Stagg Jr have no batch or other identifiers on the label.
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.
When I first brought the glass to my nose I got little if any alcohol. But as I sniff, Stagg Jr B16 becomes a dried potpourri of fruit tree blossoms, roasted corn and dusty grain. With further nosing I get fresh apples, a bit of apricot, something tropical and drying currants and soft gourmet raisins. The tropical fruit remains undefined as it drifts in and out, but spices of toasted cinnamon sticks, crushed green peppercorns and rye are easy to detect. The spice aromas are balanced by sweets of vanilla custard, brown sugar, dark molasses and toffee covered nuts. But to me and my nose, Batch 16 is wood forward, with strong, heavy old oak, some smoky-sweet barrel char and anchored by damp leather.
STAGG JR BATCH 16 PALATE:
The flavors of Stagg Jr B16 come in waves. The first sip is dry. Then comes roasted corn and grain followed by apple pipe tobacco, dark cherries, currants and raisins. My mouth salivates in self defense as it tries to calm the heat of cinnamon, ginger and pepper. But there is just enough light vanilla in the browned butter, brown sugar caramel to help calm the senses. In the next sips, there’s more dark molasses and then toffee covered walnuts backed by strong flavors of oak, more smoky-sweet barrel char and leather. Drinking this pour is a workout for the mouth, esophagus and senses.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look: With a good Kentucky Chew Stagg Jr B16 bites and has the potential to give a burning hug. One needs to be careful with this (and all Stagg offerings for that matter.) Each sip is challenging to hold, yet this bourbon has both depth and balance. It is rough and gritty on the tongue and causes the mouth to salivate in defence. I do not think I could find all its nuances in a single pour and I welcome the next. In the Glencairn thin widespread legs glide the sip dregs back to the mahogany colored pool, leaving behind a thin crown ring.
STAGG JR BATCH 16 FINISH:
Stagg Jr Batch 16 has a long warm tongue tingling finish which simply wants to fight. As each sip fades, dusty grain seems to mix with ginger and pepper, faint brown sugar and molasses. I have been on the verge of a Kentucky Hug all night, yet I am truly enjoying the bite and heat. In between sips, as other flavors fade, seasoned oak, char, and some smoky-sweet leather soothes the heat. When the last dram is downed, I smell smoky barrel char, and oak sawdust in the empty Glencairn along with some lingering some heat.
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 Stagg Jr B16 occurred a few days after our initial review using measured pours and precise amounts of distilled water to determine the effect.
Adding two drops to 1.5 ounces of this bourbon reduces the proof to 130.52 (down from 130.9). As I nose, the dried potpourri, roasted corn and dusty grain still comes through as does notes of apricot and gourmet raisins. There are spices of toasted cinnamon sticks and rye but now the tropical notes come as toasted coconut shavings in a hint of milk chocolate, vanilla custard, brown sugar, and dark molasses. As I drink this watered sample, many of the aromas pass to the palate and my mouth salivates to tame the heat allowing for a long throat warming finish. For me, two drops do not improve nor detract from the pour.
Adding four drops to 1.5 ounces of the bourbon lowers the proof to 130.14. While four drops do not seem like much to most people, for me, both the aromas and flavors become washed and the finish shortens. With the added water, Stagg Jr Batch 16 is still a fine bourbon, but for me, I will finish my bottle with no more blending.
MY RATING: 92/100; … with two drops 92/100; … with four drops 90/100
