Jim Beam

Booker’s Bourbon Batch 2016-06 “Noe Hard Times” Review

My first whiskey review of 2017 is of one of the most controversial newsmakers of the past year – Booker’s bourbon.  Batch 2016-06 is the last batch of 2016, and the last to carry the old SRP of $59.99.  Beam Suntory has decided to raise the price of Booker’s to $99.99, only to come back with the decision to gradually raise the price.  We’ll first see a small increase to $69.99 in the beginning of 2017 with the next batch, followed by an eventual increase to $74.99 by the end of the year.  I think it’s a move they should have made from the start, as I agree with the company in that Booker’s has been undervalued. A few years ago $50-$60 was just the right price for this whiskey, one I’ve called the best regular production bourbon in the Jim Beam staple.  However, in today’s current bourbon market, where $100 seems to be the new $50, I’m not so upset seeing Booker’s eventually make it to the $100 price range.  There’s currently nothing in the Beam lineup in that price range, and it’d be an idiotic move to not bump up the price.  Yes, they shouldn’t have announced the immediate jump, but they’ve since rethought things (or looked through their anger-filled Twitter feed) and decided upon the incremental price rise.  There will be many of you who disagree, and that’s perfectly fine.  I’ve shared my thoughts and have nothing more to say on the matter.  Now, to the more urgent matter at hand, and the reason you’re here – onwards to the review!

“Noe Hard Times” remembers Booker Noe’s nickname during his football-playing youth.  Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe said this about this current release:

Dad was larger-than-life in personality and stature, and possessed both from an early age. Needless to say, no team in central Kentucky wanted to line up against such a formidable opponent. This, combined with a birthday in December 1929, just on the cusp of the Great Depression, earned him the nickname “Hard Times” on and off the field.

Batch 2016-06 comes from six different rack houses and six different production dates.  It’s bottled uncut and unfiltered at 127.8 proof and is aged a minimum of 6 years, 10 months, and 1 day.

The nose is full of big vanilla and baked corn notes, as well as hints of wood smoke, burnt sugar, black cherries and roasted peanuts.  Booker’s slightly oily and somewhat creamy entry features vanilla bean, cherry cola, barrel char and sweet corn.  A touch of herbs fill the back palate.  Cinnamon sticks and caramel chews linger on the long, warm finish.

As expected, we have another great batch of Booker’s bourbon.  Sure, the pricing controversy has overshadowed this batch, but rest assured – this is the Booker’s bourbon we all know and love.  8.5/10

Thanks to Booker’s Bourbon for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: “The Big Man of Jim Beam” by Jim Kokoris


Booker Noe and I have two major things in common.  The first is our fondness for the ever-funny sitcom Sanford & Son.  Secondly, and more importantly, is our love of bourbon.

I was just getting into whiskey when Booker Noe passed away in 2004, so I didn’t know much about him.  In fact, it wasn’t until I had my first sip of Booker’s Bourbon that I started to wonder who this guy was.  Over the years I’d read the occasional story here and there, along with some “Booker-isms.”  So, when the chance to read a biography of the man himself popped up, I went all in.

“The Big Man of Jim Beam” by Jim Kokoris covers Booker’s life.  It’s an engaging read, but things REALLY start moving on the chapter focusing on Booker’s first day on the job.  Some really funny stories are recounted, providing plenty of laugh out loud moments.

The creation of Booker’s Bourbon is another tentpole moment in Booker’s life and the bourbon world, and is covered in-depth here.  My eyes remained glued to this book.  After all, I was reading about how my favorite Jim Beam whiskey came into existence.  

From young man to master distiller to brand ambassador, Booker Noe enjoyed a storied career.  Kokoris’s new book paints a fascinating image of one of the most important distillers of our day.  This is a must read for anyone who’s ever enjoyed a glass of Booker’s, or any Jim Beam bourbon for that matter.  

You can buy a copy at the Jim Beam online store at store.jimbeam.com

Thanks to Jim Beam for a copy of this book.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Booker’s Bourbon Batch 2016-05 “Off Your Rocker” Review

Photo credit: Booker’s Bourbon


As autumn hits us, so does a new batch of Booker’s bourbon.  The fifth batch of 2016, “Off Your Rocker,” references both late Jim Beam Master Distiller Booker Noe’s favorite chair and his lively personality.  A statue of Booker sitting in a rocking chair can be found on the grounds of the Jim Beam distillery.  As for the man himself, he was known as a straight shooter and a funny guy.  I just started reading a new book about Booker’s life – “The Big Man of Jim Beam” by Jim Kokoris.  So far, it’s a great read about an interesting, larger-than-life man.  I’ll share some thoughts on the book soon.  In the meantime, let’s talk about the whiskey.

Booker’s bourbon is always bottled at barrel strength.  This batch comes in at a high 129.7 proof.  The youngest barrels in this batch are 6 years, 7 months, 23 days old, and all barrels come from four different rack houses.

One thing that’s common among all batches of Booker’s is a big vanilla note.  “Off Your Rocker” is no exception.  Buttered corn grits, vanilla and molasses play big on the nose.  That high proof is evident on entry at first, ever so slightly numbing the tongue.   Your sense of taste quickly recovers and experiences big vanilla, cornbread, and cinnamon & allspice notes alongside some oak, roasted peanuts and a touch of leather.  I’ve never detected leather as a tasting note in Booker’s until now.   (After several tastings it’s still there.) The finish is long and warm, as expected, and carries caramel corn and oak notes.

I’ve said before that I’ve never encountered a batch of Booker’s I didn’t like.  Sure, on the surface they all have that Booker’s flavor profile.  Dig a little deeper and you can find some nuances that differ from batch to batch.  Most batches I like, and some batches I really like.  Batch 2016-05 falls in the latter category.  The subtleties here make it slightly more intriguing than previous batches.  Pick up a bottle and let me know what you think.  Highly recommend.  9/10

Thanks to Booker’s Bourbon for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.