Brian’s Booker’s 2023-02 Apprentice Batch Review:
reviewed 30-September-2023
BOOKER’S 2023-02 APPRENTICE BATCH BOURBON REVIEW:
Booker’s 2023-02 Apprentice Batch (Apprentice Batch) combines many of its aromatic and flavor traits. Warm alcohol and earthy notes combine with fruits, spices, sweets and heavy oak to make this a delicious pour. Its creamy mouthfeel turns oily the longer it is held and its wood forward aromas, flavors and finish tick all my boxes. Pour me another two fingers please.
BOOKER’S 2023-02 APPRENTICE BATCH VITAL STATS:
Category: Small Batch Bourbon
Region: Clermont, Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam, Master Distiller Fred Noe
Small Batch: 2023-02 Apprentice Batch
Mash bill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Casks: New Charred Oak
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel Entry Proof: 125
Age: 7 Years 1 Month 2 Days
ABV: 62.75% (125.5 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 16906
Fair Price: $114.68 (BoozApp, August 2023)
Paid: $89.95
MASTER DISTILLER NOTES
This batch is made up of barrels that were aged in six different warehouses. The breakdown of barrel storage for Booker’s “Apprentice Batch” is as follows:
7% came from the 7th floor of 9-story warehouse H
9% came from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse W
11% came from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse 1
18% came from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse O
19% came from the 4th floor of 9-story warehouse G
36% came from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse Z
The liquid is a medium amber color from the seven years spent aging in the white oak barrels. The oak-forward aroma is well-balanced with notes of vanilla and toasted nuts, and all together the result is really pleasant. After the first sip, you’ll find the long finish doesn’t overpower the warm taste. I know Carl and Booker would’ve been proud of this batch and enjoyed it together after a long day’s work at the distillery.
LABEL INSPIRATION
The second release of the Booker’s® Bourbon 2023 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2023-02 “Apprentice Batch.” This batch pays homage to the early days of my dad Booker Noe’s career – far before he was the Sixth Generation Master Distiller – when he first learned the art of making bourbon under the guidance of his cousin Carl Beam.
When Booker started working at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont in 1952, Carl became like a mentor to him. Back then, they didn’t have official titles like Master Distiller, but everyone knew Carl was in charge. He didn’t put up with any foolishness and made sure Booker was set straight. But even if Booker did mess around sometimes, he was a fast learner and was ready to be put to work, and that quickly got him Carl’s approval.
Two years after Booker started, we purchased a distillery in Boston, KY to increase our production capabilities. Carl and Booker worked closely together to get it up and running, and eventually, Carl handed the reins over to Booker. This is where he was able to experiment and master the bourbon- making process, and later on, the location was renamed the Booker Noe Distillery.
Carl showed Booker the ropes at the distillery, but from there, his approach was sink or swim and it was just the push Booker needed. His apprenticeship under Carl helped him become the Master Distiller and legendary innovator we all remember him as today.
— Fred Noe, Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller
Learn more at Booker’s Bourbon.
ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:
On Day 30, the last day of the 2023 30 Bourbons in 30 Days Challenge, the first one and a half ounces of the newly opened bottle mixed with the bourbon in our Infinity Bottle Project. Then, by alternating the pours, four once review amounts went into a Glencairn and a Weck. After posting on social media, my daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat as I prepared this review. About 30 minutes had gone by before my first sip.
BOOKER’S 2023-02 APPRENTICE BATCH NOSE:
The first wafts of Apprentice Batch provide a blend of warm alcohol and noticeable ethanol. Nosing on, earthy notes of dried field corn and dusty grain add a rustic aroma. In the mix, I sense berry nectar, with hints of maraschino cherry, currants, plum, and fig fruit leather. Then, cinnamon and nutmeg add gentle spice to the fruit bouquet, along with the comforting aroma of rye toast. With contemplative nosing, light vanilla notes blend with simple syrup, brown sugar, and woody caramel with roasted hazelnuts nearly hidden in the mix. Additional nosing confirms the pour is wood-forward, with heavy and strong oak, barrel tannins and smoky-sweet char, giving the aroma depth. For the finishing touch, there’s a subtle hint of leather-bound books to ground the scent.
BOOKER’S 2023-02 APPRENTICE BATCH PALATE:
The first sip of Apprentice Batch greets with alcohol warmth followed by roasted corn and dusty grain. In the nexy few sips, I taste allspice, nutmeg, and rye in a cooked jam of currant, plum, raisin, and fig. More sips add rich vanilla and notes of brown sugar, woody caramel, and light molasses, while roasted hazelnuts add a nutty dimension. Yet Pinkie’s Batch is wood-forward, with heavy, and strong oak, barrel tannins and spice, accompanied by smoky-sweet char. Also in the mix is a trace of what one might take in when surrounded by leather-bound books which adds even more earthiness to the pour.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Apprentice Batch offers notable balance in its blend of flavors. Fruity notes harmonize with sugary sweetness while its woody depth provides a sound foundation for just the right amount of spice. Each sip starts creamy, then gives the roof of the mouth and tongue a reminding tickle before becoming oily as it is held. As the glass is swirled, a solid crown of inverted droplets forms. Then after each sip, the liquid sheet breaks into fat, long-flowing legs to return the dregs back to the mahogany-colored pool.
BOOKER’S 2023-02 APPRENTICE BATCH FINISH
Apprentice Batch leaves an undeniably long, dry, earthy and warmly satisfying finish on the back of the palate and in the throat. I sense the roasted corn and dusty grain found in the aroma and flavor along with currants and raisins, allspice, nutmeg, and rye. After each sip, a wave of rich vanilla washes over the palate into the throat, followed by burnt, woody caramel, and dark molasses. The persistent heavy oak asserts its dominance, accompanied by barrel tannins and a smoky char that adds depth and intrigue. A subtle nod to leather lingers on the taste buds, bringing a touch of sophistication to the final act. Even after the last drop, the experience continues as delightful scents of brown sugar and cherry sawdust drift up from the empty Glencairn.
MY RATING: 92/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 92/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other reviews from this brand, click Booker’s Bourbon.
WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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