Booker’s Bourbon 2023-03 “Mighty Fine Batch”
Is there any multi-release-per-year product that frustrates like Booker’s?
My goodness…from batch to batch, some are classic Booker’s with all the vanilla and peanut power you could want. Others are oaky, tannic, unbalanced, have a weird flavor, etc. The weirdest thing about it, for me, is that the year over year batchings aren’t consistent either. That’s definitely a “me” thing. For example, I tend to like the B batches of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof more than C and C more than A (except this year, where C was the winner). We have yet to see about Larceny or Bernheim Barrel Proof, where there either haven’t been enough batches or, frankly, I haven’t liked most (cough Larceny before C923).
The best recent batch, for me, was the Lumberyard Batch from 2022. It was the first Booker’s to be age-stated above 7 years in, well, 7 years. though age doesn’t have any impact on rating other than however the age ties into the flavors and experience. The previous two releases in 2023 have been ok to good.
This one, though…this one is just weird.
The nose is promising, with the classic peanut, vanilla, and proof you expect from Booker’s expressions that veer closer to the core. If you stop there, this could be a very good to great batch. Then I took a sip, and, well, things went awry. Present were the proof and the oak, but no flavor. None. It was like the texture and experience were there, but no flavor. It blew my mind. I had to try it three times on three different days to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.
It wasn’t good, it wasn’t bad, it was nothing. How do you review something like that? 2,000+ reviews in and I can’t remember having that experience before of having texture and feeling but no flavor. Ultimately, I rated the nose (which I thought was quite good) and then continued along. I’m sure there are those who taste this and get all the flavors they want - for whatever reason, the “Mighty Fine Batch” wasn’t mighty fine for me.
More information on the batch:
MASTER DISTILLER NOTES
This batch is made up of barrels from seven production dates that were aged in six different warehouses. The breakdown of barrel storage for Booker's "Mighty Fine Batch" is as follows:
2% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Q
3% came from the 6th floor of 7-story warehouse Z
8% came from the 5th floor of 9-story warehouse G
10% came from the 6th floor of 7-story warehouse I
10% came from the 5th floor of 9-story warehouse H
12% came from the 5th floor of 9-story warehouse G
55% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse 3
The color of this Booker's batch invites you to take a long look and enjoy the rich, beautiful color. The nose is very pleasant, with all the characteristics Dad looked for in his namesake bourbon. The vanilla and brown sugar sweet notes come through very well from the white oak barrels this bourbon aged in for over seven years. The taste is great and full bodied; when I added a splash of water, it opened up some great flavors, with a finish that gives a lovely "Kentucky Hug.
My Dad would say that this is a Mighty Fine batch of Booker's.
*Text courtesy of Bookersbourbon.com.
Thank you to the Booker’s team and Multiply for providing this bottle free of charge. All opinions and notes are my own.
Booker’s Bourbon 2023-03 “Mighty Fine Batch”: Specs
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Producer: James B. Beam Distillery
Mashbill: Undisclosed
Proof: 126.6 (63.30% ABV)
Age: 7 Years 1 Month 10 Days Old
Location: Kentucky
Booker’s Bourbon 2023-03 “Mighty Fine Batch” Price: $89.99
Booker’s Bourbon 2023-03 “Mighty Fine Batch”: Tasting Notes
Eye: Dark black tea. Thin rims, thin legs and small droplets.
Nose: Proof inseparable from baking spices. The singular Booker’s character of peanuts and vanilla are there right away. Drying saddle leather and cinnamon spice drops. The proof settles nicely on the nose.
Palate: Solid burn at first, followed by…um…wow, a big drop-off on the mid-palate. The flavor just disappears. Oak and leather are there in feeling but not in flavor. Mouthfeel is moderately filling, heat towards the front and on the sides, piquant with jalapeno-like spice. The vanilla and peanut is barely there, this being more textural than flavorful.
Finish: Somewhat creamy, but still light on flavor. Freshly varnished wood, medium length, tingle of caramel towards the end.
Overall: Weird! It’s like the flavor just disappears after the nose. Starts off promising then falls off a cliff. Enjoyable if you like high proof and the burn, but not for the flavor.
Final Rating: 4.5
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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