The Booker’s Bourbon Price Increase


I was going to share my thoughts regarding the new Booker’s price increase with an up coming review of Booker’s batch 2016-06. Earlier this evening, Fred Minnick broke the news that Jim Beam is going to gradually increase the price instead of the previously announced 66% jump in price. So we can now expect the price to sit in the $70 – $75 range in 2017, increasing thereafter.   So, I thought I’d share the piece I’d written earlier now instead of waiting:
Since I carefully first sipped my first pour of Booker’s years ago, I became an avid fan, consistently calling it the best regular production bourbon coming out of Jim Beam. I’ve tasted many batches, and have converted non-bourbon fans with the stuff. Again, I really like the stuff. So, when I heard of the price hike, I thought it was a mistake. Not the increase of price by 66%, but the jump straight to it.  Beam should have gradually increased their pricing years ago when the bourbon boom kicked off. They didn’t. When the brand saw a great sales increase by naming their batches in 2015, they should have increased their price. They didn’t.

Angry outcry doesn’t begin to describe Booker’s fans online. Just about every commentary I’ve read said it was bad news for the bigger bourbon world. I get it. A lot of folks are angry. The consensus seems to be Beam is creating a demand for a product by releasing less batches while at the same time upping the price in the name of greed.  Beam is a business, first and foremost. They saw Booker’s as an undervalued brand and thought it’s price should match it’s value. The old suggested price was $60, but it was easily found for $50 or less. I’d imagine the same would happen to the new batches, most likely being priced in the $80 – $95 range.  

Am I upset about the price jump? No. I believe Booker’s is worth $100 in our current market. So long as the quality holds, I still recommend it, and still plan to buy it as a gift. A gradual price increase would have just made it easier to swallow.

Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario The Rolling Stones Special Edition Tequila Review

Photo courtesy of Jose Cuervo

Rounding out a couple of tequila reviews is a look at this ultra rare, super expensive gem – Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario The Rolling Stones Special Edition.  How rare is rare?  Only 25 bottles were made available in December 2016 in the United States.  The price for such an offering?  $4,000 a bottle.

This bottling is part of the Rolling Stones Tour Pick collection from Jose Cuervo.  The company says the line pays homage to the company’s part in the Stone’s legendary 1972 tour of the United States, nicknamed the “Tequila Sunrise” tour.  I have a replica poster from that tour hanging in my whisky room, so I’m quite familiar (even though I was still years away from being born) with that tour.  It’s packaged in a great looking bottle with a 24 karat gold tongue logo, along with some golden spikes.  The entire thing rests in a leather-bound guitar case.  I haven’t even gotten to tequila and the Stones freak in me badly wants this.

As for the extra añejo tequila itself, it’s at least 3 years old, though some 100 year old tequila has been added to the final blend.  The agave was slow cooked for 72 hours and pressed once.  After fermentation and distillation, it’s been aged in French and American oak barrels.  The final blend was rested in a Spanish sherry cask for a year to marry the flavors and add a sprinkling of sherry influence.  

The nose is full of oak spice, with hints of vanilla, old library books, mushrooms, alongside some sherried fruit & nuttiness.  There’s a subtle layer of cooked agave in the background.  Taste-wise, the entry starts soft and gradually gains some spice. An intial caramel sweetness is accompanied by allspice, coconut, a grassy note, basil and a touch of stewed fruit. The long finish packs some vanilla and spice.  

What a wonderful product from Jose Cuervo!  This tequila offers some intricate flavors, the majority of which come from the barrels.  It’s seen three different types of barrels for extended periods of time.  It’s the most complex tequila I’ve tasted thus far, and it’s highly recommended to those with very deep pocketbooks.  9/10

Cuervo.com

Thanks to Jose Cuervo for the sample!  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Santera Añejo Tequila Review


On the heels of last week’s Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia review, we’re following up with Santera, a semi-new brand of tequila here in the United States.  Santera was launched in fall 2015 and slowly rolling out to new markets.  This añejo tequila is aged up to 16 months in American oak barrels.  A small amount of 3-year-old tequila is added to the final blend for a touch of complexity.  A bottle runs a bit over $50.

Cooked agave is the major player on the soft nose, alongside hints of vanilla, light brown sugar and lavender.  Taste-wise, look for a nice balance of earthy and sweet.  I’m talking about hints of agave, barrel char, Mexican chocolate, ncandied orange peel, rose water and spice.  There is also a little grassiness.  The finish lingers for a while, leaving some charred agave and citrus.


I really like what’s in this bottle.  Though the barrel aging has brought about lots of vanilla and baking spice, there’s still enough character from the spirit coming through.  Nice.

8/10

Thanks to Santera for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.