Booker's "The Master Distiller's Batch" Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
(Kentucky)

About the Whiskey:

The third Booker’s batch of 2024 is called The Master Distillers Batch to honor the men that shaped my career and the bourbon industry. I can just picture dad and his colleagues from the past sitting around, enjoying this batch and swapping stories. Their work in the late 80s and early 90s helped America fall back in love with bourbon and made the industry what it is today.

The batch is made up of two production dates stored in 4 different aging warehouses. The age is 7 years, 8 months, 7 days and is 130.3 proof. In fact, much of this batch was produced in 2016 on dad’s birthday, December 7th. The breakdown of barrel storage for Booker’s “Master Distillers Batch” is as follows:

10% came from the 6th floor of 7-story warehouse Z 
11% came from the 6th floor of 7-story warehouse 1 
42% came from the 6th floor of 7-story warehouse 3 
37% came from the 3rd floor of 9-story warehouse J 

-Fred Noe, 7th Generation Beam Family Master Distiller

Tasting Notes:

The color of this Booker’s batch is a deep amber from over 7 years of aging in the new white oak barrels. The nose is complex, with vanilla and spices that leave you craving more of the taste you expect from Booker’s. The taste is big and bold, as all Booker's batches should be and the finish is long and delightful.

Awards/Reviews:

93 Points - VinePair

"The nose starts off with some classic Booker’s notes, then (pleasantly) tosses in a few gentle surprises. First, those hallmark aromas: roasted peanuts, hefty oak, cinnamon-spiced barbecue sauce, and just about the darkest but not-quite-burnt caramel you’re likely to encounter. For a 130+ proofer, it’s not overpoweringly hot on the nose, giving plenty of room for sweet, oaky, and spicy notes to develop. 

A big pop of oak on the first sip that quickly mellows to praline; roasted peanuts and caramelized sugar. Strong, concentrated vanilla flavor also hits just after the earliest flavors, as if sipping directly from the extract bottle.

Next up, comes sweet tea, caramel-drizzled baked apples, and more cooked bananas. Oak comes back in full force right after the midpalate, bringing more leathery tannins along with it. Cinnamon once again builds toward the back palate, along with both dark cocoa smoked applewood. All the while, a creamy mouthfeel helps keep flavors intact. It’s a well-composed sipping sensation.

The Master Distiller’s Batch is my favorite regular Booker’s release of 2024. It’s bursting with classic flavors long associated with the brand while still managing a surprise or two. Older age and higher proof don’t always equate to better whiskey. But in the case of the Booker’s Bourbon line, the relationship has been very closely correlated."

"Despite this bourbon being 65 percent ABV, it is in fact delicious. Here are some of the tasting notes I jotted down: oak, brown sugar, leather, raspberry jelly, banana pudding, burnt custard, tobacco, and spiced apple. I can confidently say that this new Booker’s bourbon is one of the best that I’m tasting right now, in this moment, until I try another one (old or new) that beats it." - Robb Report