Review

Booker’s 2022-01 “Ronnie’s Batch”

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Booker’s “Ronnie’s Batch” 2022-01
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

6 Years, 11 Months, 22 Days
62.15% ABV
$90
Website
Bookers 2002-01 "Ronnie's Batch"
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says:

This batch is named in honor of Ronnie Land, a longtime employee at the Jim Beam Clermont and Boston, Ky., plants, when Booker Noe was master distiller.

Ronnie worked at Jim Beam for 40 years, eventually working his way up to Warehouse Manager. Ronnie was responsible for keeping inventory of aging barrels, a key part of the bourbon-making process, and he knew the quantities and locations by heart. He also knew exactly where Booker preferred to store his namesake barrels and was trusted to prepare the samples for batch evaluation. Once, Ronnie sent Booker a box of small samples to taste, and Booker immediately knew they weren’t big enough to get a proper sense of the whiskey. Ronnie then went back and prepared samples that were notably bigger, and Booker was more than pleased. This became the standard sample size which 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe and his son, 8th Generation Beam Family Distiller Freddie Noe, still use to this day.

Booker always had final sign off when it came to batches, but he knew he was working with barrels that met his standards when they were under Ronnie’s watchful eye.

TASTING NOTES
Like all batches of Booker’s Bourbon, Booker’s “Ronnie’s Batch” was selected by 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe to ensure it upholds the qualities and standards that his dad set for Booker’s Bourbon more than 30 years ago. Uncut and unfiltered1, this batch was chosen with the following characteristics:
PROOF: 124.3
AGE: 6 years, 11 months, and 22 days
BATCH NOTES: Booker’s “Ronnie’s Batch” has a nice color and a rich vanilla aroma with hints of brown spice that is enjoyable even before the first sip. It has a sweet taste that comes from the time spent aging in the unique Kentucky climate. It has a warm and pleasant finish, making it an ideal pour.
SIPPING SUGGESTIONS: Booker’s “Ronnie’s Batch” is best enjoyed neat, over ice or with a few drops of water.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Musty oak rickhouse, salted caramel, dark chocolate, vanilla, peanut brittle, cinnamon, cloves and a hint of cherries.
Palate:  Vanilla, chocolate fudge, caramel, peanuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and a bit of cola.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with oak, caramel and pepper spice.
Comments:  Classic Booker’s – rich and intense, but well balanced and squarely in the Booker’s flavor profile. One note that I got here which I usually don’t get is a bit of cola. At 6 years, 11 months and 22 days, this is the oldest batch of Booker’s released since 2015 – which I think is interesting in highlighting that age isn’t everything (and the age on any given batch is just that of the youngest barrel to be included in the batch). I long for the days when Booker’s was $50 (or less on sale!), but appreciate the consistency and quality this has maintained over time.

Rating: Stands Out

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Stellum Rye Single Barrel

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Stellum Rye Single Barrel
Selected By ‘The Chocolate Fountain’ E2 Serpens

58.35% ABV
$60
Website
Stellum Single Barrel Rye Chocolate Fountain

What the Blender Says

Single barrel whiskeys are an expression of distinction and power. Every cask is different. Many make good ingredients, but only some possess the particular character and balance to make a worthy single barrel bottling.

While marrying barrels for Stellum Bourbon and Stellum Rye, we occasionally identify specific barrels that we feel speak strongly alone. We set these barrels aside and bottle them at their true cask strength. Each is very much an individual experience, an unfiltered expression of one specific aging rather than a blend.

We offer Stellum single barrels as unique and exclusive picks for stores, clubs, and private gatherings. We also offer bottle-by-bottle Stellum single barrels in select markets.

Serpens – Selections made in the Spring and Summer of 2021
95% Rye/5% Barley Malt

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rye spice, mint, bit of dill, cedar, caramel, toffee, subtle toasted oak, citrus tilting from orange to grapefruit.
Palate:  Dark sweetness (molasses?) with blood orange, cloves, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with mint, brown sugar and orange spice.
Comments:  A really robust rye, where the nose presents squarely in the 95% rye mash bill quadrant, but the palate took a left turn with a surprisingly dark sweetness note. I found this worked really well in a Vieux Carré, although it was delicious neat as well. Bit of water thickens it up nicely, and brings the orange notes more into focus.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Barrell Single Barrel Rye “Honey Badger”

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Barrell Single Barrel Rye
“Joe’s Playlist” Track #4 Honey Badger V416
Canadian Rye Single Barrel Whiskey

74.15% ABV
$130
Website
Barrell Single Barrel Rye Honey Badger

What the Blender Says

“Honey Badger!” sounds cute, but don’t mess with it. This 14-year-old Canadian Rye clocks in at 148.3 proof. It has a charming nose of honey and white flowers, but like it’s namesake, it devours its prey. There are only 72 bottles of “Honey Badger!”, so act fast!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Charred oak, honey, caramel, savory herbal notes, orange with a mineral note.
Palate:  Warm, sweet with mint, caramel, savory notes with orange, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with oak and caramel.
Comments:  A really robust and intense rye, with some sweetness but a lot of savory spice going on. Love that balance! The sample bottle I received didn’t note the details (I thought the nose was ‘a tad hot’ but given the ABV, it really isn’t!). This is a lovely rye whiskey, and takes water really well, thickening up, amping the orange and caramel notes, while toning the edges (but not taming it too much). Only 72 bottles, so probably won’t find this again, but if you run across it in the wild – don’t be afraid of the honey badger!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Yellowstone Family Recipe
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$70
Website
Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon
We would like to thank Limestone Branch Distillery and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Distillery Says

Limestone Branch Distillery is launching Yellowstone Family Recipe, a craft-distilled bourbon honoring 150 years of Beam- and Dant-family distilling traditions. The new bourbon, created by Limestone Branch Distillery Master Distiller Stephen Beam, will be available at retail in three allocations throughout 2022 – April, August and fourth quarter – with a limited total production of 6,000 cases. Bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV), Yellowstone Family Recipe will have a suggested retail price of $69.99.

With plans to be offered annually, Yellowstone Family Recipe provides a perfect complement to the Yellowstone brand family, which includes Yellowstone Select and Yellowstone Limited Edition bourbons. Consumers of Yellowstone Family Recipe can expect a nose of toasted caramel, candied nuts, tobacco and oak; a bold Kentucky straight bourbon flavor that includes citrus, toasted oak and hints of marzipan and spice; and a medium, nutty finish.

Inspired by a recipe found in notes from Beam’s grandfather, Guy Beam, and containing cloned yeast using DNA from a yeast jug belonging to Beam’s great-grandfather, Minor Case Beam, Yellowstone Family Recipe reflects the original Yellowstone Bourbon mash bill and carries its original namesake’s six-year age statement. It is this recipe that Stephen Beam has been distilling at Limestone Branch Distillery since 2015 and is now ready to share with the world.

“Even before opening the doors at Limestone Branch Distillery, I dreamed about producing a bourbon that was faithful to old family recipes and maintained my family’s heritage and tradition of distilling,” said Beam. “Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon is the culmination of decades of dreaming and more than 10 years of effort at the distillery. I believe bourbon lovers will enjoy drinking Yellowstone Family Recipe as much as I enjoyed recreating it!”

A pre-launch of Yellowstone Family Recipe will take place beginning in April at retail locations in Montana and Wyoming – with availability at Lebanon, Kentucky’s Limestone Branch Distillery and retail locations in the state of Kentucky following shortly thereafter – to honor the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park. A limited allocation of Yellowstone Family Recipe will be available across the US in August, with the remaining allocation rolling out in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Toasted caramel, tobacco, oak and candied nuts
Palate: Bold Kentucky straight bourbon flavors with citrus and toasted oak. Hints of marzipan and spice
Finish: Medium, nutty

What Gary Says

Nose:  Funky, pencil erasers, tobacco, mineral notes, freshly shoveled earth, caramel, mixed nuts and raw almonds.
Palate:  Corny with vanilla, caramel, nutty baking spices.
Finish:  Moderately long with corn syrup, caramel and tobacco.
Comments:  For a 6 year old, 50% ABV bourbon, this is quite dark and really corny (guessing that the mash bill has a lot of corn, maybe over 75%?). There is a funky note on the nose that stands out. Some air time helps it dissipate some, but I revisited this multiple times over a couple of weeks and each time that was a prominent note, and was a bit off-putting. It did remind me a bit of dusty bourbon I had tried where I presumed the seal was bad, although maybe this is what the older yeast strains produced. Just not in my wheelhouse compared to other Yellowstone offerings. The funk is mainly on the nose, with the palate falling more in line with a traditional (although corny) bourbon.

Rating: Average

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Alias Straight Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Alias Straight Rye Whiskey

45% ABV
$28
Website
Alias Rye Whiskey
We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Distillery Says

FORGOTTEN NAMES, UNFORGETTABLE FLAVORS.

IN EARLY AMERICA, WHEN THE LAWS STOPPED WOMEN FROM RUNNING THEIR OWN DISTILLERIES, WOMEN DID THE ONLY THING THEY COULD – THEY USED AN ALIAS TO PASS AS A MAN AND DID IT ANYWAYS. EVERY GLASS OF ALIAS WHISKEY IS A CELEBRATION OF THEIR CRAFT AND CRAFTINESS.

TRUTH IS IN THE WHISKEY
AROMA: A BALANCE OF SWEET FRUIT AND RYE SPICE COMPLEMENTED WITH SLIGHT HINTS OF MINT.
PALATE: FORWARD NOTES OF CARAMEL, VANILLA AND FRUIT, WITH A BOLD RYE SPICE FINISH.
FLAVORS: FRUIT, RYE SPICE, SLIGHT MINT, CARAMEL & VANILLA
MASH BILL: 51% RYE | 45% CORN | 4% BARLEY MALT

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fresh and bright, caramel, dill, lemongrass, mint, bit of cedar and a note of corn flakes.
Palate:  Round mouthfeel, toffee, mint, subtle citrus, cinnamon and a hint of pear.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with mint, caramel and pepper.
Comments:  A very pleasant, although gentle rye. I’ve long been a fan of MGP’s 95% rye mash bill, and this ‘barely legal’ rye is quite a bit different. I’m glad that Luxco/Ross & Squibb are releasing different mash bills, as I know some folks who find rye “too spicy/too biting”, but likely would find this delightful. This is a nice sipper. I am not a fan of the dark glass bottle though (seriously, shining an LED flashlight behind the bottle to see how full it is – nothing). I think that is probably part of the branding, but from a practical perspective – I like to know how much whiskey I’ve got left in the bottle when sitting on the shelf.

Rating: Stands Out

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