As the overwhelming popularity of live streams continues to increase, grassroots, end-user-based information and narratives attract more global viewers. I have been invited to guest on The Greg Walters Show ! We will start Happy Hour a bit early (1500 Eastern) on Friday afternoon, 14-October with “A Shot of Reality”.
Join us for a candid conversation about Bourbon, Business and my journey from print to furniture and on to the world of corn, fire, and Oak. We’ll also touch on how my daughters came to be involved with our whiskey website and maybe even uncover a UFO or two!
Those of you with LinkedIn accounts can join us on the platform. Otherwise, click the show header below to access thw show.
Note: During the nearly 3-hour show, Greg and I talk business and bourbon.
I don’t have a favorite bourbon, I like them all. When visiting an adult beverage establishment, I typically look ‘top left’ and work my way down. If the only bourbon offered is Jack or Jim, I order Jack neat, with ice on the side. — Greg Walters
THE GREG WALTERS SHOW
The Greg Walters Show brings top B2B Office Technology Influencers and personalities to the forefront. In the self-described cross-style of Johnny Carson, Joe Rogan, and Between Two Ferns, guests will talk about everything from the latest Business Technology trends to Tic Toc UFOs.
The Greg Walters Show addresses the impact of technology on business and societal evolution – with a dash of Frank Sinatra and a drop of good bourbon.
EPISODE SCHEDULE
Schedule of dates. Guests may change without notice:
Ep. 1 Scott Murr – Titan 8, 8/2022 Ep. 2 Eddie Riddell – All Associates 9/29 Ep. 3 Art Post – P4P 10/6 Ep. 4 Blair Dawson – McDonald Hopkins LLC 10/13 Ep. 5 Brian Dawson – Bourbon and Business 10/14 Happy Hour, Friday at 1500 EST Ep. 6 Trevor Mosses – Tigerpaw 10/20 Ep. 7 Patricia Ames & Amy Wiess – BPO 10/27 Ep. 8 West McDonald – West Wonders, MPSA 11/3 Ep. 9 Joe Bargainer – Ricoh 11/10 Ep. 10 Kevin Morris – Kevin’s Favorite Wines of the World/Year 11/11 Ep. 11 The Greg Walters Show Thanksgiving Business Technology Extravaganza – Gary Peterson, 11/17 Ep. 12 December 1 – Greg VanDeWalker, Great America Ep. 14 December 8 – Mike Stramaglio Ep. 15 Christmas Open House Happy Hour Friday, December 15
I am excited and honored to have such a distinguished list of guests. I promise to deliver relevant views and opinions in an entertaining and informative manner. This is going to be great. — Greg Walters
Greg Walters, Inc. is a people-centric business process optimization, digital marketing & coaching agency. We work with the providers and consumers of business technology designing and implementing programs delivering more productivity, increased revenue, controlled costs and expanded profit.
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:
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
“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
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.
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.
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
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: High Proof Infinity Bourbon Review #1: For our first attempt at an Infinity Bottle, I think that it is fairly well-blended and offers a unique taste that definitely stands out from the bottles that contributed to its creation. 91/100
VITALS: Region: USA Category: Infinity Bottle Project Source: For whiskey input details reference the table below Infinity Blended Mash Bill*: 72.53% corn, 10.47% rye, 5.37% wheat 11.63% malted barley Barrel Char*: #3.5 Barrel entry proof*: 122 Age: nas due to multiple entries Infinity Blend ABV*: 60.45% (120.9 Proof) *(calculated values)
SETTING: Sit on the banks of a lake surrounded by a pine tree forest on a misty day. Let nature surround you completely, with sounds of wind through trees and water sweeping onto the shores… all while fresh, clean air enters your lungs. I think our Infinity Bottle would be a great addition to such an atmosphere and make us feel more at one with the world in our own, unique bubble.
NOSE: As the glass warms, I find baking spices emerging that make for a very warm tone overall. Ginger and brown sugar seem most readily apparent, but there is caramel here also and maybe a bit of dark fruits, like figs. On deep draws, the alcohol can sting a little, but as a whole, I’d say that the alcohol is relatively subtle and adds just to the dimension of the pour. Considering the majority of the bourbons used to create this edition of the Infinity Bottle aren’t heavy in caramel or baking tones, this nose does come at a bit of a surprise, though it is not unwelcome. It comes across as rich in character, backed by wood and maybe even a hint of leather that add to the complexity and fullness.
PALATE: – Mouth Feel: It has a tingle with little provocation, but otherwise feels very smooth when it just sits on the palate. – Balance: While there are other flavor dimensions present, the hero is definitely age and earth. With the extra subtle intricacies, it makes for a complex and entertaining sip. – Visual: Tawny in color, there are closely packed legs that drop quickly and leave behind a clinging droplet crown.
– Taste: The first sip is full of warmth, but not the baking spice warmth that I was expecting. Rather, it’s an earthy warmth, like an old oak or even nutrient-rich soil. This isn’t to suggest that this tastes like dirt, rather to the contrary, I’d say that it tastes more organic or natural than anything else. There is an alcohol tickle already present here without the Kentucky chew, which I quite enjoy, especially knowing that this is our high proof bottling. Nevertheless, I can let it sit on my tongue for a good long while without feeling any kind of significant discomfort.
With the bite is a little bit of cherry and a bitter nut that I’d say is closest to hazelnut. It works to make the sip very pleasant while not being overwhelmingly one thing or another. A little bit of vanilla wants to peek out too, but it seems to be struggling to fully commit to its presence.
The Kentucky chew takes a long while to reach burning levels, and when it does, the bitter nut hits hard with the cherries and now figs chasing at its heels. A bit of pepper wakes up here with the burn, but it fades back out quickly. The pause immediately following the chew has the old oak coming back, mingling with the bitter nut again and leaving an interesting aftertaste behind.
FINISH: – Lasting Power: Long. I can feel the warmth linger in my mouth, and I know the deeper I get into this glass, the warmth will move to my throat and chest also. – Between Sips: Bitterness sits the strongest at the back of my palate along with a traditional bourbon warmth and aged earth. It almost has a parchment age quality to it (no, I do not eat paper). It makes for a very fascinating pause, to be sure.
– No More: The age definitely continues to persist as I get further into the glass, but the other flavors like the cherry and vanilla stick around also and do seem to be growing in boldness, which makes every next sip exciting. Meanwhile, the heat and warmth do continue to grow, as I predicted they would.
The empty Glencairn is spicy, warm, and full of barrel char. It’s incredibly pleasant while also being very different from other empty Glencairns that I have smelled before. Truly a unique pour start to finish while still remaining familiar all at once.
WORTH THE PROJECT? Absolutely. I think we will have a great deal of fun with this project as we continue to add more bourbons and drink more of them out of the bottle. It keeps the bunker fresh and original, while also preserving some of the favorites we have found along the way.
