Baker’s Exclusive Selection
Unfiltered Single Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Privately Selected; 11 years, 8 months
53.5% ABV
$100
Website
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
This fall, Baker’s® Bourbon proudly introduces Baker’s® Exclusive Selection, a limited time offering of extra aged single barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey collected from some of Baker Beam’s favorite warehouses on the James B. Beam Distilling Co.’s campus in Clermont, KY. Aged for 11 years and 8 months, the extra time in the barrel along with the changing seasons allows for even more distinct notes and layers of flavor to emerge from each individual barrel of Baker’s Exclusive Selection.
HISTORY
Baker’s Bourbon was created in 1992 by Sixth Generation Beam Master Distiller Booker Noe as part of the original Small Batch Bourbon Collection. Baker’s Bourbon is named after Baker Beam – grand-nephew of Jim Beam and a tenured distiller who worked at the Jim Beam Distillery for 38 years. Baker’s Bourbon began a new era as an exclusively single barrel bourbon in 2019, becoming as uniquely positioned among the James B. Beam Distilling Co. portfolio as its namesake Baker Beam is in the Beam family.
TASTING NOTES
While every bottle of Baker’s Bourbon offers a unique tasting journey, you can expect a few defining characteristics from the Baker’s Exclusive Selection bottles:
Proof: 107
Nose: Fruit, vanilla and caramel
Palate: Medium-bodied with flavors of oak, toasted nuts and vanilla
Finish: Robust flavors sit on the tongue for a while, warm and rounded
What Gary Says
Nose: Caramel crème candies, vanilla, oak, chocolate fudge, roasted peanuts, baking spices, nutmeg, clove, leather, hint of mint and cinnamon.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, caramel, dark chocolate, hint of mint, peanut brittle, toffee, cloves and cinnamon.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with oak, leather and trailing spices.
Comments: I sampled this alongside an older Baker’s (before it changed to a single barrel recently), and found this to have a more nuanced nose. It had a bit less oomph of caramel and vanilla, trading that for more complexity, more spice notes, and a nicer mouthfeel. I liked this better over time. While I’d always rather see cask strength when given the option, if I had to pick a proof point where bourbon really shines for me – it would be 107. A really solid addition to the Baker’s lineup! .