Booker's Bourbon 'Charlie's Batch' (2023-01) review: Booker's starts off the year with an incredibly flavorful bang. whiskey bourbon
Jim Beam’s Booker’s Bourbon brand is an occasional source of whiskey geek grumbling, primarily for the fact that its MSRP was one of the earlier risers reflecting the heightened demand for cask-strength bourbon in the U.S. For a few years, this arguably made the moderately aged Booker’s less of a value than it once was, as it saw its typical price point go from about $60 to something closer to $90.
Of course, every Booker’s batch needs a theme and a name, and this time they’re turning to a longtime friend of the distillery for inspiration. Charlie Hutchens is a former Jim Beam employee who worked at the Booker Noe Distillery–during that time, he ended up designing and crafting the first wooden box to contain a bottle of Booker’s for former Master Distiller Booker Noe.
Like all batches of Booker’s, Charlie’s Batch is presented at cask strength, this time weighing in at about 63.3% ABV . Like other recent batches of Booker’s, this one carries an age statement of more than 7 years, reflecting the slow creep forward of this brand’s average age, though it’s not quite as old asOn the nose, Charlie’s Batch immediately stands out for just how “dark” it reads, with huge waves of deeply caramelized sugars, charred oak and roasted nuts.
On the palate, Charlie’s Batch features that same deep, dark caramel, along with both vanilla and chocolate ribboned together, chased by savory herbal notes of rye, but also tobacco and a little leather. This feels weirdly mature for Booker’s, capturing some of the type of character one more typically expects to find in say, Knob Creek 12 Year, albeit at an advanced proof point.
All in all, this is very impressive. Charlie’s Batch is a Booker’s stand-out without a doubt, maybe my favorite batch of this brand that I’ve sampled in the last few years. It’s one of the most dynamic and unique expressions of Booker’s we’ve seen for a while, so if you only buy this brand occasionally, Charlie’s Batch may well be one you want to have on your list.
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