Bourbon

Baker’s 7 Year Single Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Serial No. 000185720
Warehouse CL-O (or CL-D)
Date Barreled: 01-2011
Barrel Age: 8 Years, 6 Months

53.5% ABV
$60
Website

We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Every bottle, as unique as the man it’s named for
From still to rickhouse to bottle, a lot of things happen with Baker’s® Single Barrel Bourbon. Weather, length of aging and rickhouse placement all shape the distinct notes and flavors of each barrel. See how and where your bottle was born.

Taste the difference between floor 5, rack 17 & floor 7, rack 21
\No two barrels of Baker’s are the same. Each is as unique as the man the bourbon is named for. Each barrel sits in its own unique place throughout our rickhouses, patiently aging for a minimum of seven years to extract the notes of vanilla trapped within the charred oak.

And with Baker’s there’s no batching or mixing. Each bottle is filled from one singular barrel. Which means inside each bottle is a big, bold bourbon, full of tiny subtle details that change barrel to barrel.

Every family has a rebel. Ours is baker.
He may be soft-spoken, but Jim Beam’s grand-nephew marched to his own drum. In his heyday, Baker would show up for work at the Clermont distillery on his motorcycle, wearing a black leather jacket and his wide-brimmed hat. When this sixth-generation distiller retired, his cousin Booker Noe created Baker’s Bourbon in his honor, inspired by his passion for bourbon and maverick nature.

Pull up a glass
There’s no wrong way to drink Baker’s – whether it’s neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail, you’ll notice strong, traditional bourbon cues, like oak, caramel and vanilla. Bottled at 107 proof, the flavors inside each single barrel really shine through. This full-bodied bourbon really stands out in any cocktail.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Salted caramel, vanilla, charred oak, cocoa, bit of anise and clove.
Palate:  Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, pepper, peanut brittle with a bit of honey, followed by anise.
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with caramel and oak.
Comments:  I tried this sample side by side with an older Baker’s 7 yr Small Batch (bought in 2019). In late 2019 Beam Suntory announced the change for the Baker’s brand, shifting from a small batch to a single barrel (including a 7 year – same age as the former small batch; and a 13 year). I was a fan of Bakers, with the age and proof hitting my sweet spots (although I wouldn’t have turned my nose up at a barrel proof version!) so was curious how the single barrel variety fared. As a single barrel, there is more variation – and their website actually highlights this point since you can key in your barrel number to get the barrel details. As a geek, I really like that, although I would recommend they put some of those details on the bottle itself. They do give you the age and warehouse, but not the floor/rack on the label. If I’m in the store, having to plug each serial number into the web-site to see which floor and rack the barrel was at (as their site recommends) is more effort than most consumers are going to put into it. Adding those few details to the bottle would be a big plus, and frankly – I’d still go to the web-site when I got home for the other info. The sample I received incidentally was aged on Floor 5, Rack 47 for those keeping score at home. But back to the bourbon – I found the sample I received to be incredibly similar to the small batch, which isn’t a big surprise. That’s good, since I’ve been a fan of the other, but if you’re expecting the single barrel to be wildly different, you may be disappointed (or may not).

Rating: Stands Out

Blood Oath Pact No. 7 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in Sauternes casks

49.3% ABV
$100
Website

We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Blender Says

Lux Row Distillers is launching Blood Oath Pact 7 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Finished in Sauternes casks, Pact 7 is the latest in a series of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey blends created by Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. Available at retail starting mid-April, Blood Oath Pact 7 has a limited allocation of just over 17,000 cases at a suggested retail price
of $99.99 per bottle.

In a blend only known to Rempe, Blood Oath Pact 7 features a combination of three Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys: a 14-year ryed bourbon, an 8-year ryed bourbon and an 8-year ryed bourbon
finished in Sauternes casks. Sauternes is a sweet white wine from the small town of Sauternes in the Bordeaux region of France.

“Finishing in a Sauternes cask brings additional tasting notes and flavor to the bourbon,” said Rempe. “In the case of Pact 7, expect a nose of caramel, oak and spice with flavor notes of apricots, honey and peaches. The balance of sweetness and spice is what sets this bourbon apart.”

The Blood Oath concept was created in 2014 by Rempe, who had an idea to make an exceptional blend of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey using three unique bourbons. He named the series Blood Oath, because he vows to be the only one who knows where these whiskeys have come from. He also promises to make the best bourbon for the bourbon connoisseur with each Pact.

“Creating an extraordinary and unique blend of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys is at the heart of the Blood Oath series,” said Rempe. “Pact 7 continues this tradition, and the result is a secret I can’t wait to share with bourbon lovers.”

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Caramel and strong oak, backed up with hints of honey.
PALATE: Caramel and oak.
FINISH: Apricots, honey, and peaches.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, oak, baking spices, fall leaves, notes of tropical fruit, mango, dried candied pineapple, a hint of ginger.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel with a fruity sweetness, mangos, apricots, peaches, caramel, honey, bit of cinnamon, pepper spice and a hint of anise.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with pepper, honey and apricot jam.
Comments:  Delightful dram, and a fine example of finishing done well. Compliments the bourbon nicely without overpowering it. I thought some water tamped the highlights, but thankfully it doesn’t need it (so I’d skip that). Each of the Blood Oath pacts I’ve had the pleasure to try have been nicely done, and this is no exception.

Rating: Stands Out

Booker’s “Donohoe’s Batch” Batch 2021-01
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

6 Years, 11 Months, 4 Days
62.65% ABV
$90
Website

We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says:

“The first release of the Booker’s® Bourbon 2021 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2021-01 ‘Donohoe’s Batch.’ This batch is named in honor of retired Jim Beam employee Mike Donohoe who was also a close friend to my dad, Booker Noe. Without Mike, Booker’s Bourbon wouldn’t exist today.

In 1982, Mike joined the Jim Beam Company as a sales manager in Chicago – a ‘suit’ as Dad would say – after retiring from a seven-year career in the NFL. Mike first met Dad on a company trip to Kentucky. After taking a liking to Mike, Dad invited him to his office for a glass of bourbon. It was unlike any Jim Beam Bourbon he had tasted before. Booker let Mike in on his secret – he’d been playing with something different, and he’d share a bit of it with friends from time to time.

A few years later, Mike approached Booker with the idea to give bottles of his special stash as holiday gifts to their most important distributors and industry partners. With little time and almost no budget, Booker sourced wine bottles from a warehouse in Bardstown and wrote the labels himself to get the job done. Based on the hundreds of letters they received raving about that uncut, unfiltered whiskey, it’s safe to say the rest is Booker’s Bourbon history.

Dad always had the final say when it came to his Booker’s, but he trusted Mike to help him build it into the brand that it is today. ‘Mike gets it,’ he used to say. Now, I’m proud to honor Mike with a batch of his own.”

— Fred Noe, Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller

TASTING NOTES
COLOR: Our darkest and deepest amber and henna color.
TASTE: Deep and complex flavors of vanilla, nuts and oak.
AROMA: Robust vanilla and caramel notes; slightly smoky.
FINISH: Long and full; perfect for easygoing sipping.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich caramel and vanilla, oak with baking spices, cocoa and a hint of roasted peanuts.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel with caramel, dark chocolate, pepper spice with cinnamon, orange zest, peanut butter and a bit of clove.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with cocoa, oak and spice notes.
Comments:  Another really solid Booker’s.  Thinking of some recent batches, this is right there with most – maybe a bit more on the spicy side than the sweet (I don’t recall getting clove often, but this has a bit of a sharper/spicy edge). Takes water well, and continues the streak of “hadn’t met a Booker’s I didn’t like!” .

Rating: Stands Out