Booker’s 2022-02 “The Lumberyard Batch”

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Booker’s “The Lumberyard Batch” 2022-02
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

7 Years, 1 Month, 7 Days
62.40% ABV
$90
Website
Booker's Bourbon "2022-02" The Lumberyard 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 the lumberyard that Booker Noe worked at during his pre-distillery years. While his journey to becoming a distiller wasn’t exactly a straight path, it led him to his true passion.

After a short stint at the University of Kentucky, Booker hitch-hiked across America in hopes of joining the Air Force. After being accepted, the local police called his mom to verify his information. When Booker’s mom found out where he was, she convinced him to come home and work at the local lumberyard with Jeremiah Beam, also known as Uncle Jere. Booker was strong, over 6 feet tall and never backed away from physical labor of any kind, so he was a natural for the job. Booker gave 110 percent during his time at the lumberyard, which eventually landed him his first role working at the distillery. From then on, the rest was history.

Since that first day, Booker held just about every job at the distillery and worked his way up to Master Distiller. Booker’s esteemed distilling career wasn’t given to him, he earned it. His experience at the lumberyard shaped the solid work ethic and curiosity he is known for.

TASTING NOTES
Like all batches of Booker’s Bourbon, Booker’s “The Lumberyard 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 unfiltered, this batch has the following characteristics:
PROOF: 124.8
AGE: 7 years, 1 months and 7 days
BATCH NOTES: Booker’s “The Lumberyard Batch” has a beautiful amber color and deep aroma with a hint of vanilla and oak that opens its depth. It has a balanced taste with a bit of sweetness that leads to a pleasant finish.
SIPPING SUGGESTIONS: Booker’s “The Lumberyard Batch” is best enjoyed neat, over ice or with a few drops of water.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Salted caramel, peanut brittle, oak, vanilla wafers, pecan praline, nutmeg, brown sugar with a hint of clove.
Palate:  Caramel, chocolate, vanilla bean, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, cracked pepper and roasted peanuts.
Finish:  Moderately long with caramel, oak and trailing spice notes.
Comments:  Another classic batch of Booker’s, although I enjoyed this one just a tad more than the 2022-01 ‘Ronnie’s Batch’ release (which was the oldest since 2015, until this one). The nose on this seemed to have just a bit more complexity, with a pecan praline/brown sugar note that I really dig. These are subtle differences, but if I saw both on the shelf – I’d personally take this one (but if you prefer more cherry notes, the ‘Ronnie’s Batch’ might be the better pick). Good news is that I don’t think you’d be disappointed in either!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Stellum Black Fibonacci Blend #1

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Stellum Black Fibonacci Blend #1
Cask Strength Blend of Straight Rye Whiskies

57.56% ABV
$100
Website
Stellum Black Fibonacci Blend 1 Rye Whiskey
We would like to thank Stellum Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

This release of Stellum Black Specialty Rye celebrates the Fibonacci sequence, a series of numbers, each the sum of the two previous numbers. Six separate rye blends were combined in accordance with this sequence. Just like so many other presentations of Fibonacci, the blend that it produced was both balanced and beautiful.

TASTING NOTES
Color: Deep copper.
Nose: Citrus forward with a delicate spice on the back and lasting earthy notes of tobacco and oak.
Palate: Honey and lemon hit the tongue with a slight earthiness reminiscent of black tea. Brown butter and molasses come forward revealing the softer side of the whiskey followed by clove and brown sugar. A touch of cinnamon-apples and chocolate come through before revealing the charred oak tannins.
Finish: A long finish that touches each part of the palate. Savory and sweet, the lemon and honey are a delicate sweet base layer to the rich clove, ginger, and tobacco spice forefront. The oak shows through on the finish, highlighting that there is some finely aged whiskey in the blend.

WITH 3 DROPS OF WATER: The addition of water brings out more of the charred oak on the nose with a delectable, sweet cinnamon. On the palate, clove and ginger become more present with an addition of burnt orange peel. Rich dessert notes, such as brown butter and caramel are a bit more subtle.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Exotic citrus notes of tangerines, blood orange and nectarines, oak, baking spices of clove and gentle cinnamon.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel with brown sugar, orange, honey, cinnamon, pepper, oak, cloves and cocoa.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with citrus zest, tobacco, ginger and oak.
Comments:  Wow – just a delicious rye whiskey that has plenty of spice and zip without being ‘sharp’; brilliant blending!  Don’t get me wrong – I don’t mind a sharp rye with an edge, but rare that it has this much spice without it. Some water actually thickens it up even more, with the nose reminding me of a baked cinnamon treat found in most malls (complete with gently melted icing) and the palate taking on more cloves.

Rating: Must Try

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Stellum Black Equinox Blend #1

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Stellum Black Equinox Blend #1
Cask Strength Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies

58.63% ABV
$100
Website
Stellum Black Equinox Blend 1 Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Stellum Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

This inaugural release of the Stellum Black Specialty Equinox was created using Stellum Bourbon. We slowly layered in rare sets of bourbon barrels, step by step, until the evening of the Vernal Equinox, when the blend was completed in honor of the changing seasons.

TASTING NOTES
Appearance: Golden amber.
Nose: Beautifully subdued nose gently opens up to ripe cantaloupe and the perfume of fresh cut grass. After it aerates, notes of sugar maple and toffee hit the senses with a distant kiss of wood spice and white pepper.
Palate: Dried apricot and honey immediately find their way into view. This unfolds into Saigon cinnamon and bruleed orange before slowly making its way to subtle notes of grapefruit and jasmine.
Finish: Finish is extremely long and slowly developed. The back-end jasmine blooms and bursts into rich notes of sorghum and wood tannin before finally dissipating into beautiful dark chocolate.

WITH 3 DROPS OF WATER: The water brings about the riper, more fruit forward qualities of the whiskey and really highlights the floral aspects that were merely an undertone before. And moves the heat from the alcohol from the back of the tongue to the cheekbones.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, dark chocolate, musty oak, toffee, subtle vanilla, hint of coffee and spices.
Palate:  Viscous mouthfeel with caramel, toasted orange zest, honey, cinnamon and grapefruit.
Finish:  Long, warm and slowly drying with oak, citrus spice and dark chocolate.
Comments:  A delightful, spicy bourbon with a great mouthfeel and finish that lingers long after.  Grapefruit is one of those notes I don’t get too often in whiskey (and less so in bourbon), which is a nice twist. A bit of water brings out some fruit on the nose with peaches and apricot, and thickens the mouthfeel even more with adding apricot and turning up the orange notes.

Rating: Stands Out

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Barrell Bourbon Batch 033

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Barrell Bourbon Batch 033

58.3% ABV
$90
Website
Barrell Bourbon Batch 033
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

Barrell Bourbon Batch 033 is a marriage of high-rye barrels and high-corn barrels ranging in age from 5 to 9 years old. The high-rye barrels were chosen for their distinct stone fruit, black pepper, and nutmeg notes. The high-corn barrels were chosen for their rich butterscotch, coffee, and citrus notes. Two sets of barrels mingled together for two months, then the balance was adjusted for the most optimal combination.

  • A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys
  • Distilled and aged in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana
  • Selection of 5, 6, 7, and 9-year-old barrels
  • Aged in American white oak barrels
  • Bottled in Kentucky
  • 116.6 proof cask strength bottling

FLAVOR NOTES
Barrell Bourbon Batch 033 displays all the complexity of a blend of different distillates given time to blossom. Barrel character adds some diverse leafy notes at the margins without an overabundance of extractive woody or spice notes.

​Neat
Appearance: Citrine set in yellow gold.
Nose: Pear, lemon meringue, and shoofly pie set the stage for a bourbon deftly balanced between freshness and maturity. A bouquet of jasmine, nasturtium, and dandelion speak to a youthful exuberance, while peppermint and gentian root depict an oak barrel just creeping in. A gentle savory character expands into edamame, macadamia nut, and mesquite smoke.
Palate: Champagne, applesauce, and candied grapefruit peel show ample maturity without an excessive oak. The baking spice character is dialed up slightly, exhibiting cocoa powder, allspice, star anise, and juniper.
Finish: A burst of heat rides a wave of minerals across the palate that include limestone, beach sand, and salt-water taffy. Geranium, elderflower, and chamomile reinforce the nose’s bouquet. The finish fades to the slightly bitter prickle of returning gentian root and lime peel, wiping the palate clean.
With a few drops of spring water
The palate grows much more viscous; it’s rich and sweet with vanilla buttercream. The savory notes intensify, with pickled caper, fried mushroom and hush puppies leading the way. The fruity notes expand dramatically to include nectarine, honeydew melon, passionfruit, and coconut cream.

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel sauce, dried fruit, toffee, oak, floral notes with baking spices of nutmeg and cinnamon.
Palate: Thick mouthfeel, spicy with orange, honey, pepper, oak, cinnamon, bit of lemon and a hint of anise.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with mineral notes, lemon and lime.
Comments: A sharper, spicier batch than some previous ones, which fans of a spicy bourbon will enjoy (it actually reminds me a bit of rye whiskey). A bit of water brings out more of the fruit notes and tamps the edges nicely. This works fabulously in a Manhattan or Vieux Carré.

Rating: Stands Out

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Barrell Single Barrel Whiskey “Butter Cake”

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Barrell Single Barrel Whiskey
“Joe’s Playlist” Track #5 Butter Cake A136
Kentucky Single Barrel Whiskey

58.61% ABV
$110
Website
Barrell Single Barrel Whiskey Butter Cake

What the Blender Says

“Butter Cake” is a 117.22 proof 18-year-old Kentucky Single Barrel Whiskey that stands out as a buttery, biscuity nightly sipper. It was selected for its creamy, corn-forward nose that reminded Joe of comfort baking. There are 172 bottles available.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft, oak, buttered corn bread, vanilla, hint of nutmeg.
Palate:  Warm, sweet with honey, vanilla sponge cake with caramel sauce, bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with honey, caramel and cinnamon.
Comments:  As a whiskey geek, what intrigued me with this was “why just ‘whiskey’?” Labeled as ‘straight whiskey’, legally it must be at least 2 years old (age stated beyond that), distilled to no more than 160 proof and going into a barrel at no more 125 proof. Now if this was ‘Corn Whiskey’ (80% corn mash bill), it can be stored in used or uncharred oak barrels – and as corny as this is, that is my guess (although maybe this was stored in a charred barrel? Or, it could be that it was stored in new – in which case it could be labeled as bourbon but they opted not to label it as such since it might come across as ‘too soft/mellow’ for bourbon). Or – it could be a blend of straight whiskies provided they are made in the same state? Things that whiskey geeks ponder. I enjoyed it, and while less complex than a bourbon or rye would be for this age, a pleasant sipper.

Rating: Stands Out

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