Booker’s 2018-01 – Kathleen’s Batch

What better bottle of whiskey to enjoy today on July 4th than Booker’s Bourbon? Since it’s original release in 1988, Booker’s has become one of the classic American whiskey brands. Bottled at cask strength and unfiltered, the expression is (at least in my opinion) the highlight of Jim Beam’s bourbon lineup.

Back in 2016, Beam Suntory (the parent company of Jim Beam) created a bit of an uproar in the bourbon community by announcing a massive price jump for Booker’s, from $50 for a bottle to $100. Price increases have become commonplace in the whiskey world, but doubling the price? That was too ridiculous for anyone to accept. After much online outrage, the company quickly backpedaled on the announcement. Instead, the price of Booker’s has risen gradually, with the price often increasing by a few dollars for each batch.

Fast forward to 2018, where the current Booker’s price varies from store to store, but is typically around $60-75. Booker’s was a bargain at $50, so it’s current price range is fair in my opinion. In the meantime, we’ve seen some completely ridiculous pricing come to fruition in other parts of the American whiskey scene. Brown-Forman recently released the 14 year old King of Kentucky bourbon priced at $200 a bottle. Why anyone thinks 14 year old Brown-Forman juice is worth $200 is beyond me, but people bought it. Quickly. And then there’s the case of Kentucky Owl Rye. Last year’s batch #1 of the limited (and sourced) rye was bottled at cask strength and sold for $130. It was a popular release and received glowing reviews. Batch #2 of the 11 year old rye was recently announced, with a jump up in price to $200 (and a reduced proof of 101.8). Again, I can’t fathom why 11 year old sourced rye (which isn’t even cask strength) is worth $200, but people will buy it. It makes me wonder if Beam had simply waited till 2018 to spike Booker’s price up to $100, it would have been accepted without resistance.

Of course, none of these limited release bourbons and ryes would sell the way they do at such exorbitant prices if it weren’t for the fact that they are “limited.” If there was an unlimited supply of King of Kentucky, it would almost certainly sit on shelves with minimal interest. And that’s probably why people were so upset about the Booker’s planned price increase—it’s not (at least not usually) a collector’s item or fodder for the flippers, it’s one of the few cask strength bourbons that is not terribly hard to acquire. If bourbon producers want to put out overpriced special releases, fine, just don’t mess with our staples.

Anyhow, about the bourbon itself… Booker’s is released in several batches every year, with each batch receiving a name and number. Kathleen’s Batch (2018-01) was named for Kathleen DiBenedetto, a longtime Beam employee who played a role in launching Jim Beam’s Small Batch Bourbon Collection (which includes Booker’s, as well as several other expressions). Kathleen’s Batch is a “roundtable” batch, where a small group of bourbon experts help Master Distiller Fred Noe select the bourbon from a number of potential batch candidates.

So how does Kathleen’s Batch stand up? Let’s see.

Booker’s 2018-01 Review (Kathleen’s Batch)

Type: Bourbon
Region: Kentucky
Age: 6 years, 3 months, 14 days
ABV: 63.7%
Non chill-filtered

Nose

Woody and astringent at first, a single drop of water opens things up to reveal brown sugar and roasted peanuts. Cinnamon bark. Raisins and dried apricot. Vanilla caramel chews. Apple and a hint of toasted coconut.

Palate

Brown sugar and burnt caramel. Vanilla bean ice cream topped with peanuts and a little fudge, with a side of caramelized bananas. Quite rich, but with a good amount of charred oak to balance things out. Big and chewy mouthfeel (Booker’s almost always has a great mouthfeel).

Finish

Fairly long, with gooey caramel, like a caramel apple. Banana flambé. Vanilla syrup. Cherry cordial. Like the nose, a hint of coconut, this time more dry. Woody and some spicy cinnamon.

Overall

This is a good Booker’s batch. Maybe not the best I’ve had, but an excellent one nonetheless. I’m really enjoying it, especially after letting it breathe in the glass for a while and with just a drop of water.

Booker’s is always a big, punch-you-in-the-mouth type of bourbon, and this batch is no exception. That said, it has some nice subtlety and balance going on, with notes of dried fruits, apples, and coconut. The end result is a highly enjoyable sipping whiskey.

SCORE: 89/100

Final Thoughts

Booker’s has long been one of my favorite bottles of bourbon. It never disappoints. Even if it varies a bit from batch to batch, it’s quality and overall character have remained consistent over the years.

Even at its increased price, it’s a solid buy. After all, it was underpriced for a while, at least in opinion. If the price goes north of $75, I might look to other cask strength bourbon, such as Four Roses Private Selection, but it’s current price is perfectly reasonable for the quality.

Buy Again? Yes. I don’t normally buy more than one bottle of the same batch of Booker’s (I don’t recall having ever done so), and I probably won’t buy this one again either, but that’s simply because I enjoy trying different batches. Kathleen’s Batch is excellent, and I highly recommend it to any lover of cask strength bourbon.

Drink This Not That: If you’re looking for a big, deep, cask strength bourbon, drink this (or any other batch of Booker’s, for that matter).

Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.

For more reviews, check out the Whisky Review Archive.

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