Most important to me on a bourbon label: 1) statement of who distilled it, 2) an age statement, 3) non-chill filtered. Of course I want a nice proof as well, but higher proof is pretty easy to find in bourbon and you are not forced to settle for products that are 40-43% generally.
Booker's is good. I like aggressive bourbon that knocks me around a little, and Booker's does the job. I have the 2024-01 batch, and I've often ordered it when I go to bars. Availability of Booker's in the United States is spotty. People in some places seem to be able to acquire it when they want it, but in other places, it is hard to find. Where I live, many of the bars have it, but it does not regularly turn up in the big stores, and when it does, it sells out fast. I have seen a lot of it at museum stores with the price marked up accordingly. The only reason I have a bottle is that I stumbled upon one for close to $100, and at the grocery store, of all places. One never knows where something good will turn up. I always check the booze selection when I go to the grocery store, just in case. You are fortunate in that you are able to acquire it easily. Incidentally, there is another high strength Jim Beam product that is more readily available in parts of the United States - single barrel store picks of Knob Creek. This version of Knob Creek is 60% ABV, unlike the standard version, which is 50%. Though it is a different mashbill, and the flavor profile isn't quite the same, it is a great alternative when Booker's can't be found, and it costs less (usually around $60-$70). I find that I like the high strength Knob Creek a little better than Booker's. As for bourbon check boxes, the alcohol percentage is, of course, a necessity. As for what the preferred alcohol content is, it depends on which bourbon drinker you ask, though bourbons that are under 45% ABV seldom get much love. Though I tend to gravitate to cask strength firewater in both bourbon and malt whisky, I like to have a wide range around, as some situations call for a spirit that isn't trying to burn me out. For me, 45% is a bare minimum for bourbon; anything lower than that is likely to be useful only as cocktail mixer. It is also good to know about chill filtration if the information is available, but it makes less of a difference in column still whisky, and most bourbon comes from column stills. I do enjoy good pot still bourbon from the small craft distilleries; in these cases, it is best if it is cask strength and not chill filtered. I've found some real monsters that make Booker's seem tame in comparison. If the information is available, it is good to know what type of still the bourbon comes from. I suspect that almost everything available overseas will be big brand column still bourbon, but there could be exceptions. The mash bill, if available, is also an extremely useful piece of information. Bourbon is minimum 51% corn, and the balance can be made up of any other grain. In practice, the balance usually consists of more corn, a significant percentage of either rye or wheat (but seldom both) and a little malted barley. Rye is a lot more common than wheat, but some wheated bourbons (i.e. Maker's Mark, Weller, and Van Winkle) are very popular. It is definitely good to know whether the flavor grain in a bourbon is rye or wheat. Other grains are uncommon but might show up - I have two bourbons in which the flavor grain is triticale, and I have heard that there exists a bourbon made from corn and millet. Also, sometimes heirloom and indigenous corn varieties are used. Finishing would be a good check box. There has been a proliferation of finished bourbons in recent years, and you might encounter some of them. Standard bourbon is sometimes dumped into a different barrel for finishing. It might be a fresh new oak barrel (for a doubled oaked bourbon), or it could be a Port barrel, a Sherry barrel, or any other sort of barrel. These can be worth trying since they expand upon the relatively narrow stylistic range of bourbon. The color check box isn't necessary since, as you said, bourbon is not colored. By law, bourbon is additive free. This is not necessarily the case for other types of whisky from the United States, so an additive free check box will be necessary if you get into rye or anything else. To be certain that it is additive free, look for "straight" or "bottled-in-bond" on the label. In practice, single malts are usually additive free, but this is not required by law unless the whisky is labeled as "straight" or "bottled-in-bond", so there might be exceptions. With premium whisky, this is seldom an issue. It's mostly the bottom shelf blended stuff that has nasty additives which can be any number of things, not just caramel coloring. I wouldn't mind occasionally seeing other spirits besides single malts on this channel. I also love brandy, and it doesn't tend to get the exposure on UA-cam that whisky does, so I would like to see reviews of some good ones.
Heather, huge thanks for such a long and detailed reply. An absolute wealth of knowledge here. I've copy/pasted it into my notes and I'll be using it as a reference for my future bourbon reviews. You're an absolute wealth of information! Cheers! 🙏🥃
I got this 3 months ago as my first ever bourbon after years of scotch. Bourbon will not win my heart but I love having it in my stash and I think "fun" is a really good description for it's role between the scotch. I get quite a rum kick from it.
As far as your question regarding what "boxes" should you have for bourbon, as opposed to Scotch, I would say the biggest factor would be mashbill, specifically if it has wheat or rye. Since bourbon only has to be 51% corn by law, other grains usually make up the rest, the most common being rye, wheat, and a dash of malted barley for enzymes.
May I suggest, as a scotch drinker as well who also enjoys a little American whiskey on occasion, the Jack Daniels Single Barrel, Barrel Prof whiskies from 24 are awesome!
Love Bookers and Little Book. Both can be some of the best Bourbons Jim Beam makes, and that is saying something between them and KnobCreek I love them. I go thru Bourbon phases where I’m just obsessed with them.
Of course, there are quality differences, but in the end, bourbon always tastes kind of the same to me. That's why I truly appreciate the flavor variety of Scotch.
I think proof/ABV, and mash bill are good points to know for bourbon. Also, age. I've tried 2.5-year-old bourbon, and it was quite harsh compared to 4-6-year-old bourbon. Bookers isn't readily available here, but I found a listing for a 2023 Bookers for $370 NZD (approx. $230 USD). Well beyond my budget. Cheers!
Fun to see a bourbon review from you. Never really connected with Bookers b/c of the spice bomb thing, but it’s definitely got the “eagle lasso-ing” vibe you identified. Looking forward to your Cairdeas 2024 review!
Beam products don’t get the love other brands do from the so called(self called) experts. Some think it’s a bit overpriced but what isn’t nowadays? I’ve been more prone to Bakers so maybe I’m the oddball.🤪 I would have to agree bourbon is a much more narrow road than scotch. I think using a secondary barreling is heavily used to get more variety of flavor (obviously the first new oak barrel is the law) and I believe there should be a separate category of finished bourbon. Like your content!
Bookers is crazy in my market. About 200 when you see it. It’s a shame because I have quite a bit of nostalgia for that brand. Nowadays If i want that profile I pick up a Knob Creek single barrel. Same distillery (Beam), 120 proof, 9 years at least age stated, and can find it everywhere for about 60 doll hairs.
Beam definitely has wonky pricing. Some bottles are a great bang for the buck while others are ridiculously expensive. They must have some good herb in Kentucky.
@@yanksrule311 I actually don’t mind the Beam SRP generally. Even their high end stuff retail price is < 200. In the modern bourbon world they are more than fair. The issue (at least in the states) lies with the stores charging huge markups when they know they have something the public wants.
@@Gwhisky I’m going to turn you into a bourbon guy. If you like bookers, I highly recommend Elijah Craig barrel proof. It comes in 3 batches/year, age is over 10 years (used to be 12…but that’s a bit of controversy), retails for 75 doll hairs, and is far more findable (and imho better) than Bookers. Comes from Heaven Hill distillery. Rumor has it they use same yeast strain as Beam which imparts similar “nutty” flavor profile. If you can track one down or get a sample, check out the C923 batch.
Your timing with this review is impeccable! I've been eyeing the Bookers 2024-01E that just got released at the LCBO but I'm humming and hawing over whether it's worth paying $146.90 for it. The value doesn't seem to be too out to lunch compared to the U.S. pricing at least. It sounds like an excellent Bourbon though so maybe I'll spring for it before they sell out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
hyped for a new affordable single malt in my market, clonakilty bordeaux finish, 46% $40. i think it might be a new product in general cuz i can only find reviews of their single grain. off to the store to see if this online info is accurate
Bourbon Specs: 1) Proof (100+ would be generally preferred) 2) age stated (6+ would be generally preferred beyond basic Bottled-in-Bond 4yrs) 3) Non-chill filtered (still applies but is not considered as important in bourbon, but should be).
Would like to see a rum-finish single malt comparison. One warning though … I bought a Jura rum finish. It was so bad it almost became the first Scotch I’ve ever poured down the drain. Don’t worry, I didn’t. I just gagged it down as quickly as possible to get it off my shelf. Cheers.
Bourbon dorks are going to care about age, whether or not it’s chill filtered, & they are all proof hounds so maybe anything over 100 proof. Hope that helps I’ve been into bourbon for about 12 years.
@@BourbonJazzyLife it is not only about the age or the key to the rick house but it is about a single disclosed distillery, something like a single malt or single grain. So you know what you are drinking and where it comes from 😉
@@planetBoe I don’t typically confuse ndp’s with actual distilleries but if that’s an issue sure. Maybe something about if it’s sourced or not. You can still buy a BIB from MGP or somewhere else & not produce it. Single distiller single season
@@planetBoe he’s looking for a checklist for bourbon fans did you realize the question. BIB’s make up like 5% of the market. Useless stat to put in his channel because every bottle pretty much won’t hit that mark. I think you’re way off. People care way more about mashbill, age, chill filtration, & proof. I’ll stand by that.
Bourbon prices have gone crazy in the States. When I was drinking Bourbon (2009-2016) Booker’s was around $50 and Blanton’s was about $45. I liked the wooden box Booker’s came in, with that spiceyness I thought it was quite sweet and I got a strong vanilla flavour. The ABV offset that, all-in-all a good, smooth drink. My other regulars back then were Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (apparently batchy, but I got lucky as I never had a bad one), Eagle Rare, Elijah Craig barrel proof. I found that like French bread, part of the appeal of drinking bourbon for me was being in its land-of-origin (Teh South). Bourbon is perfect over ice in that environment, outdoors on a hot day with meat on the grill and friends and family around. Bottles I took home with me to England didn’t travel well, and I gradually lost my interest in bourbon and went back to Single Malts. I’d be mildly interested in picking up a Blanton’s SFTB or Booker’s again, but only at 2010 prices!
Great review Geoff. I do like to dabble in the odd bourbon sometimes, but I find most are far too sweet. The Booker sounds like it might be one for me to try!
As Ralfy would have ranted about, the online bourbon thing is a very important part of the whisk(e)y scene. There is really to many small players to keep track of and releases like this from a big company get different love than big Scotch companies. I realized a few months ago that of the 2 dozen bottle of whiskey that I do have, there are not many under 60%. Although I have been buying American single malt for a few years, that seems to be the next real frontier. In my experience we do have the ability to make bad whisky, pot stilled malted barley is my wheelhouse. As long as it's aged in a used barrel. There is nothing more disappointing than single malt that is indistinguishable from bourbon
My favorite cask strength bourbon is the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. It's about $15-20 cheaper here than Booker's and each batch is aged on average 11 years and some change. I've never had Booker's before, but considering that they have an almost identical mash bill as far as corn, rye and barley percentages go I'd be willing to bet their flavor profiles, especially the spiciness, are similar in strength.
From a bourbon drinkers perspective, chill filtration is not a big sticking point. Typically, only the cheapest bottles are below 45% ABV, so chill filtration becomes a choice the distillery makes for taste, rather than chill filtering to avoid a cloudy spirit when chilled.
Not sure if theres really a craft checklist for bourbons. Single barrel, bottled in bond, straight, higher than 46 probably still applies, etc are some but even some lower proof and sourced stuff can be good too. A big thing is if the distillery is transparent about production, like with some not disclosing they source their whiskey Would reccomend knob creek 12 and old forester 1920
Great review Geoff! Bourbon reviewer always love the overly sweet stuff and trash bourbons that are not so I’m glad to see a bourbon review from a fellow scotch whisky snob. A bourbon I find really tasty and interesting is Johnny Drum from the Willett Distillery. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it if you can get a bottle…..also, the Willett 4 year rye is really great.
Can you move the compass box bottle, it's hypnosis me 😅glad to see bourbons appear now and then. I kinda find them too sweet recently, but still happy to drink it from time to time. Thanks for review 🎉
Dude I agree - Vanilla Coke is awesome 😎 Liked how you sneaked in that "that's what she said" almost unnoticeably lol😂 Hehe Great review my friend, I will try this definitely in a bar next time I see it. Cheers Buddy 🥃🥃🎩
I think your buddy's right... Booker's has always had its own export batch AFAIK. Bourbon tickboxes are a bit easier, color is not allowed. Chill filtration is just as much a thing with bourbon as it is with malt, and the equivalent to 46% is going to be 50%.
I have 4 check boxes for Bourbon. 1.) ABV; I go for 55% alcohol and higher to combat its inherent sweetness (because of corn) 2.) Age; unlike scotches, there's no age requirement for bourbon unless the terms "straight" and or "bottled in bond" is/are claimed on the label, by age definition, straight means at least 2 years old, and BIB at least 4 years old. But for me, 6 to 10 years old are my best bets. Any numbers beyond could add tannic flavor from the oak which I hate. 3.) High rye content; again, "sweet" profile must be complimented, and everyone would agree with me that there is no better taste to compliment bourbon's "sugary vanilla" character than a "spicy" thing, which is very rich in rye grain; so I would go for high rye mash billl of at least 18% (the higher the better, up to probably 38%) 4.) Finishing cask; since bourbons are mandatorily aged in a brand new charred oak barrels, I believe that polishing its edges with an extended aging to another cask works palatably well with the spirit. Bourbon is very friendly to almost every used cask you can think of depending on your palate's preference, but my favorites are ex-rye, ex-port, and ex-peated barrels.
Those boxes are okay, actually. Bourbon dances more between 45-50% and chill filtering is common but an unfiltered bourbon will always be better. Maybe swap “Natural Color” for a color descriptor? Lots of bourbon reviews make remarks on the color of the juice.
Hi Jeff! Big fan of your videos! May I ask if you have any online whisky shops to recommend? Got a friend visiting Taiwan soon and she offered to carry a bottle back for me. Was hoping I could buy online and get it delivered to her hotel. Appreciate the help! ;-)
Bourbon is hard to make a checklist for imo i think the base things i currently look for after having hundreds of Bourbons is: 1. ABV above 100 proof 2. Mashbill (Is it rye, wheat,4 grain etc..) 3. Batch Size and other Legally Required Modifiers (Is it small batch, single barrel, is ir bottled in bond,kuntucky straight,age stated.) Boirbon fascinates me so much compared to Scotch because there's so many more laws agout it and the process to make it is so much more complicated and varietal. Scotch is basically always just barley and theres really only 3 factors that make a scotch what it is generally. Thats is it peated or not, how long is it aged, what cask(s) was it aged in. This is kust generally speaking i know there ade blends andnother special rhings like solera batches etc. I think bourbon has way way more contributing factors. Just in the mashbill alone i think bourbon is more complex. its because it only NEEDS to be atleast 51% corn. So it can vary so widely depending on the grains used and their percentage in each mashbill. Some of the dofferent grains ive tried are: Rye, Chocolate malted rye, Wheat, Chocolate malted wheat, barley, malted barley, honey malted wheat, and various stouted grains. And thats just 1 aspect of what gives bourbon its flavor. Then theres the lawful descriptors like is ot kentucky straight, bottled in bond, small batch, extremly small batch, Single Barrel, is it aged stated. Then theres other things like what level of char is fhe barrels,are the warehouses temperature controlled via modern tech or just old school windows, is the warehouse rotated, what levels did the cask spend its lifetime on, was it finished in another cask etc.. Plus the things i like about bourbon is that age doesnt matter as much and mostly everything is aged to taste rather than year. Also blending is encouraged to unlock new depths of flavor. Although its funny cause by scotch standards alot of the blending in bourbon wouldnt be considered blending for a single malt rule loosely speaking. Just some interesting things to think about for bourbon. I like Scotch and Bourbon equally. My main gripes on scotch is that its EXTREMLY RARE to find anything over 100 Proof. And i like my whiskey at about the 110-115 range. Also 15-18 yr scotch is my sweet spot for aged which means way extra $$$$ especially in the states with the lofty import taxes on scotch. But i really like that Boirbon experiments alot more compared to scotch. And to all the mega scotch snobs about bourbon: Theres a reason why most scotch is aged in Ex-Bourbon its what gives it all its flavor and it wouldnt be half as good without bourbon paving the way 😉😉😉😉😏😏😏
Geoff, I know you're moving but my week is lost without your sub-par, mediocre, cheeky jokes and single malt review. What will I do with my life without my weekly dose of this channel? Please come back to us soon
Booker's Pinkie's Batch was one of, if not the best, whiskys I've had. Unfortunately it's truly a batch whisky by design so I'll never get that flavor profile again. Weller 107, if you can get your hands on it at a reasonable price, would be a suggestion from me. It's a wheater with some real spice character I don't find in Maker's or other wheaters I've tried.
Interesting, that is the same batch we received in Canada (Ontario) as well. $146 CAD. Worth it? I don't know, Roseisle is $31 more. What would choose?
My favorite non scotch alternative is American single malt for whiskey. Completely non whiskey, it’s wine and brandy. If want a check similar 1. Is it sourced- most bourbon nowadays is sourced by a distillery called MGP thus not distilled by the distillery. 2. It’s is flavored- I’m not talking finished, that I give a pass. Templeton years ago got flack for adding flavoring. In their defense, I did just buy their rye blended with Port.
From a specs standpoint for Bourbon, I think I would say minimum is it age stated and at least 4 years old, minimum 45% abv, minimum non- allocated. The allocated stuff is impossible to acquire and buying whiskey shouldn't be anything like playing a game. We should shit on manufactures that don't produce enough product on purpose.
Cheers G, is your other Bourbon a WT Rare Breed ? On the Bookers same batch 24/o1 E but only 7yrs 1mo 12 days I guess the UK's Tote was picked first 😂.
Cheers James. Other bourbon is a Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof. Technically not a bourbon, I guess. As for your batch, that's the same age as mine!
I'd rather have a good 120 proof Knob Creek Single Barrel Select store pick than a Booker's (both KC and Booker's are Beam products). I prefer the profile and it's about 40% cheaper. Also get more age from the KC SB.
Most important to me on a bourbon label: 1) statement of who distilled it, 2) an age statement, 3) non-chill filtered. Of course I want a nice proof as well, but higher proof is pretty easy to find in bourbon and you are not forced to settle for products that are 40-43% generally.
Thanks! 🙏
Booker's is good. I like aggressive bourbon that knocks me around a little, and Booker's does the job. I have the 2024-01 batch, and I've often ordered it when I go to bars. Availability of Booker's in the United States is spotty. People in some places seem to be able to acquire it when they want it, but in other places, it is hard to find. Where I live, many of the bars have it, but it does not regularly turn up in the big stores, and when it does, it sells out fast. I have seen a lot of it at museum stores with the price marked up accordingly. The only reason I have a bottle is that I stumbled upon one for close to $100, and at the grocery store, of all places. One never knows where something good will turn up. I always check the booze selection when I go to the grocery store, just in case. You are fortunate in that you are able to acquire it easily. Incidentally, there is another high strength Jim Beam product that is more readily available in parts of the United States - single barrel store picks of Knob Creek. This version of Knob Creek is 60% ABV, unlike the standard version, which is 50%. Though it is a different mashbill, and the flavor profile isn't quite the same, it is a great alternative when Booker's can't be found, and it costs less (usually around $60-$70). I find that I like the high strength Knob Creek a little better than Booker's.
As for bourbon check boxes, the alcohol percentage is, of course, a necessity. As for what the preferred alcohol content is, it depends on which bourbon drinker you ask, though bourbons that are under 45% ABV seldom get much love. Though I tend to gravitate to cask strength firewater in both bourbon and malt whisky, I like to have a wide range around, as some situations call for a spirit that isn't trying to burn me out. For me, 45% is a bare minimum for bourbon; anything lower than that is likely to be useful only as cocktail mixer.
It is also good to know about chill filtration if the information is available, but it makes less of a difference in column still whisky, and most bourbon comes from column stills. I do enjoy good pot still bourbon from the small craft distilleries; in these cases, it is best if it is cask strength and not chill filtered. I've found some real monsters that make Booker's seem tame in comparison. If the information is available, it is good to know what type of still the bourbon comes from. I suspect that almost everything available overseas will be big brand column still bourbon, but there could be exceptions.
The mash bill, if available, is also an extremely useful piece of information. Bourbon is minimum 51% corn, and the balance can be made up of any other grain. In practice, the balance usually consists of more corn, a significant percentage of either rye or wheat (but seldom both) and a little malted barley. Rye is a lot more common than wheat, but some wheated bourbons (i.e. Maker's Mark, Weller, and Van Winkle) are very popular. It is definitely good to know whether the flavor grain in a bourbon is rye or wheat. Other grains are uncommon but might show up - I have two bourbons in which the flavor grain is triticale, and I have heard that there exists a bourbon made from corn and millet. Also, sometimes heirloom and indigenous corn varieties are used.
Finishing would be a good check box. There has been a proliferation of finished bourbons in recent years, and you might encounter some of them. Standard bourbon is sometimes dumped into a different barrel for finishing. It might be a fresh new oak barrel (for a doubled oaked bourbon), or it could be a Port barrel, a Sherry barrel, or any other sort of barrel. These can be worth trying since they expand upon the relatively narrow stylistic range of bourbon.
The color check box isn't necessary since, as you said, bourbon is not colored. By law, bourbon is additive free. This is not necessarily the case for other types of whisky from the United States, so an additive free check box will be necessary if you get into rye or anything else. To be certain that it is additive free, look for "straight" or "bottled-in-bond" on the label. In practice, single malts are usually additive free, but this is not required by law unless the whisky is labeled as "straight" or "bottled-in-bond", so there might be exceptions. With premium whisky, this is seldom an issue. It's mostly the bottom shelf blended stuff that has nasty additives which can be any number of things, not just caramel coloring.
I wouldn't mind occasionally seeing other spirits besides single malts on this channel. I also love brandy, and it doesn't tend to get the exposure on UA-cam that whisky does, so I would like to see reviews of some good ones.
@@maritimeus I did. Did you have trouble?
Spot on!
I appreciate the attention and detail in what you wrote Heather. Geoff is lucky to have thoughtful fans like you on his channel
Heather, huge thanks for such a long and detailed reply. An absolute wealth of knowledge here. I've copy/pasted it into my notes and I'll be using it as a reference for my future bourbon reviews. You're an absolute wealth of information! Cheers! 🙏🥃
Good info package on bourbon, thanks!
I got this 3 months ago as my first ever bourbon after years of scotch. Bourbon will not win my heart but I love having it in my stash and I think "fun" is a really good description for it's role between the scotch. I get quite a rum kick from it.
As far as your question regarding what "boxes" should you have for bourbon, as opposed to Scotch, I would say the biggest factor would be mashbill, specifically if it has wheat or rye. Since bourbon only has to be 51% corn by law, other grains usually make up the rest, the most common being rye, wheat, and a dash of malted barley for enzymes.
May I suggest, as a scotch drinker as well who also enjoys a little American whiskey on occasion, the Jack Daniels Single Barrel, Barrel Prof whiskies from 24 are awesome!
Look at time stamp 4:31
JDBP bottle is there
Absolutely love the Barrel Proof Single Barrels releases!
Get the single barrel proof rye. You won't be disappointed
@@bizzaam1hmm sounds good
Love Bookers and Little Book. Both can be some of the best Bourbons Jim Beam makes, and that is saying something between them and KnobCreek I love them. I go thru Bourbon phases where I’m just obsessed with them.
Of course, there are quality differences, but in the end, bourbon always tastes kind of the same to me. That's why I truly appreciate the flavor variety of Scotch.
I noticed that too
I think proof/ABV, and mash bill are good points to know for bourbon. Also, age. I've tried 2.5-year-old bourbon, and it was quite harsh compared to 4-6-year-old bourbon. Bookers isn't readily available here, but I found a listing for a 2023 Bookers for $370 NZD (approx. $230 USD). Well beyond my budget. Cheers!
I’m glad to see a bourbon review! Tootsie roll is a good note. On hot days nothing beats a cask strength bourbon with a big ice cube. Cheers, Geoff!
Fun to see a bourbon review from you. Never really connected with Bookers b/c of the spice bomb thing, but it’s definitely got the “eagle lasso-ing” vibe you identified. Looking forward to your Cairdeas 2024 review!
Beam products don’t get the love other brands do from the so called(self called) experts. Some think it’s a bit overpriced but what isn’t nowadays?
I’ve been more prone to Bakers so maybe I’m the oddball.🤪
I would have to agree bourbon is a much more narrow road than scotch. I think using a secondary barreling is heavily used to get more variety of flavor (obviously the first new oak barrel is the law) and I believe there should be a separate category of finished bourbon. Like your content!
Bookers is crazy in my market. About 200 when you see it. It’s a shame because I have quite a bit of nostalgia for that brand. Nowadays If i want that profile I pick up a Knob Creek single barrel. Same distillery (Beam), 120 proof, 9 years at least age stated, and can find it everywhere for about 60 doll hairs.
Ouch, yeah that's too pricey for Booker's. I've had Knob Creek. I agree, it's fantastic. One I should try again, I think. 🥃
Beam definitely has wonky pricing. Some bottles are a great bang for the buck while others are ridiculously expensive. They must have some good herb in Kentucky.
@@yanksrule311 I actually don’t mind the Beam SRP generally. Even their high end stuff retail price is < 200. In the modern bourbon world they are more than fair. The issue (at least in the states) lies with the stores charging huge markups when they know they have something the public wants.
@@Gwhisky I’m going to turn you into a bourbon guy. If you like bookers, I highly recommend Elijah Craig barrel proof. It comes in 3 batches/year, age is over 10 years (used to be 12…but that’s a bit of controversy), retails for 75 doll hairs, and is far more findable (and imho better) than Bookers. Comes from Heaven Hill distillery. Rumor has it they use same yeast strain as Beam which imparts similar “nutty” flavor profile. If you can track one down or get a sample, check out the C923 batch.
Your timing with this review is impeccable! I've been eyeing the Bookers 2024-01E that just got released at the LCBO but I'm humming and hawing over whether it's worth paying $146.90 for it. The value doesn't seem to be too out to lunch compared to the U.S. pricing at least. It sounds like an excellent Bourbon though so maybe I'll spring for it before they sell out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I have a bottle of Bookers I purchased back in about 1995 or so I have yet to open. I guess I should do that and see what I get out of it. Cheers!!
Or check its value on the secondary market.
Thanks Geoff, very nice review.
I think I will go for a a sample to check it out.
hyped for a new affordable single malt in my market, clonakilty bordeaux finish, 46% $40. i think it might be a new product in general cuz i can only find reviews of their single grain. off to the store to see if this online info is accurate
Bourbon Specs: 1) Proof (100+ would be generally preferred) 2) age stated (6+ would be generally preferred beyond basic Bottled-in-Bond 4yrs) 3) Non-chill filtered (still applies but is not considered as important in bourbon, but should be).
Thanks! 🙏
Would like to see a rum-finish single malt comparison. One warning though … I bought a Jura rum finish. It was so bad it almost became the first Scotch I’ve ever poured down the drain. Don’t worry, I didn’t. I just gagged it down as quickly as possible to get it off my shelf. Cheers.
Interesting. Glad to hear it's not too sweet, the main reason I veered away from bourbon. Thanks.
Bourbon dorks are going to care about age, whether or not it’s chill filtered, & they are all proof hounds so maybe anything over 100 proof. Hope that helps I’ve been into bourbon for about 12 years.
You forgot the highest quality mark for bourbons, it's the Bottled-in-Bond label
@@planetBoe agree to
disagree ? Age kinda covers that as well. Who gives a shit if some gov emp has a key to a rickhouse?
@@BourbonJazzyLife it is not only about the age or the key to the rick house but it is about a single disclosed distillery, something like a single malt or single grain. So you know what you are drinking and where it comes from 😉
@@planetBoe I don’t typically confuse ndp’s with actual distilleries but if that’s an issue sure. Maybe something about if it’s sourced or not. You can still buy a BIB from MGP or somewhere else & not produce it. Single distiller single season
@@planetBoe he’s looking for a checklist for bourbon fans did you realize the question. BIB’s make up like 5% of the market. Useless stat to put in his channel because every bottle pretty much won’t hit that mark. I think you’re way off. People care way more about mashbill, age, chill filtration, & proof. I’ll stand by that.
Bourbon prices have gone crazy in the States. When I was drinking Bourbon (2009-2016) Booker’s was around $50 and Blanton’s was about $45. I liked the wooden box Booker’s came in, with that spiceyness I thought it was quite sweet and I got a strong vanilla flavour. The ABV offset that, all-in-all a good, smooth drink.
My other regulars back then were Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (apparently batchy, but I got lucky as I never had a bad one), Eagle Rare, Elijah Craig barrel proof.
I found that like French bread, part of the appeal of drinking bourbon for me was being in its land-of-origin (Teh South). Bourbon is perfect over ice in that environment, outdoors on a hot day with meat on the grill and friends and family around. Bottles I took home with me to England didn’t travel well, and I gradually lost my interest in bourbon and went back to Single Malts.
I’d be mildly interested in picking up a Blanton’s SFTB or Booker’s again, but only at 2010 prices!
Great review Geoff. I do like to dabble in the odd bourbon sometimes, but I find most are far too sweet. The Booker sounds like it might be one for me to try!
As Ralfy would have ranted about, the online bourbon thing is a very important part of the whisk(e)y scene. There is really to many small players to keep track of and releases like this from a big company get different love than big Scotch companies.
I realized a few months ago that of the 2 dozen bottle of whiskey that I do have, there are not many under 60%.
Although I have been buying American single malt for a few years, that seems to be the next real frontier. In my experience we do have the ability to make bad whisky, pot stilled malted barley is my wheelhouse.
As long as it's aged in a used barrel. There is nothing more disappointing than single malt that is indistinguishable from bourbon
My favorite cask strength bourbon is the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. It's about $15-20 cheaper here than Booker's and each batch is aged on average 11 years and some change. I've never had Booker's before, but considering that they have an almost identical mash bill as far as corn, rye and barley percentages go I'd be willing to bet their flavor profiles, especially the spiciness, are similar in strength.
From a bourbon drinkers perspective, chill filtration is not a big sticking point. Typically, only the cheapest bottles are below 45% ABV, so chill filtration becomes a choice the distillery makes for taste, rather than chill filtering to avoid a cloudy spirit when chilled.
I'd like it if you did a top 5 of IBs, along with an example for each one.
Not sure if theres really a craft checklist for bourbons. Single barrel, bottled in bond, straight, higher than 46 probably still applies, etc are some but even some lower proof and sourced stuff can be good too. A big thing is if the distillery is transparent about production, like with some not disclosing they source their whiskey
Would reccomend knob creek 12 and old forester 1920
"Have I ever sniffed a pine cone?"
Dude, your Canadian, Im sure you've done way worse things with a pine cone than just sniffed it 😂
True. It's tradition. 🇨🇦
Your pricing is right on in the US. Except for the crooks that try to gouge those that don’t know better.
Great review Geoff!
Bourbon reviewer always love the overly sweet stuff and trash bourbons that are not so I’m glad to see a bourbon review from a fellow scotch whisky snob. A bourbon I find really tasty and interesting is Johnny Drum from the Willett Distillery. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it if you can get a bottle…..also, the Willett 4 year rye is really great.
Throughly enjoy your channel but I tune in for the Scotch coverage.
Mash and Drum reviews for Bourbon.
Can you move the compass box bottle, it's hypnosis me 😅glad to see bourbons appear now and then. I kinda find them too sweet recently, but still happy to drink it from time to time. Thanks for review 🎉
You should try to get the Master Distiller’s edition. 2024-03 is phenomenal
Dude I agree - Vanilla Coke is awesome 😎
Liked how you sneaked in that "that's what she said" almost unnoticeably lol😂
Hehe
Great review my friend, I will try this definitely in a bar next time I see it.
Cheers Buddy
🥃🥃🎩
Cheers man! Yeah it's a good one. Good call trying it at the bar first! 🥃
What is the other open bottle of bourbon you have?
I think it's Wild Turkey Rare Breed.
Look at time stamp 4:31
You'll see Jack Daniels Barrel Proof
I think your buddy's right... Booker's has always had its own export batch AFAIK. Bourbon tickboxes are a bit easier, color is not allowed. Chill filtration is just as much a thing with bourbon as it is with malt, and the equivalent to 46% is going to be 50%.
You have to try the Russell’s Reserve SiB Private Select! Quintessential Bourbon! You’re catching the bourbon bug. I can tell
Thanks for the tip, buddy. Haven't tried that one!! 🥃
I have 4 check boxes for Bourbon. 1.) ABV; I go for 55% alcohol and higher to combat its inherent sweetness (because of corn) 2.) Age; unlike scotches, there's no age requirement for bourbon unless the terms "straight" and or "bottled in bond" is/are claimed on the label, by age definition, straight means at least 2 years old, and BIB at least 4 years old. But for me, 6 to 10 years old are my best bets. Any numbers beyond could add tannic flavor from the oak which I hate. 3.) High rye content; again, "sweet" profile must be complimented, and everyone would agree with me that there is no better taste to compliment bourbon's "sugary vanilla" character than a "spicy" thing, which is very rich in rye grain; so I would go for high rye mash billl of at least 18% (the higher the better, up to probably 38%) 4.) Finishing cask; since bourbons are mandatorily aged in a brand new charred oak barrels, I believe that polishing its edges with an extended aging to another cask works palatably well with the spirit. Bourbon is very friendly to almost every used cask you can think of depending on your palate's preference, but my favorites are ex-rye, ex-port, and ex-peated barrels.
Those boxes are okay, actually. Bourbon dances more between 45-50% and chill filtering is common but an unfiltered bourbon will always be better. Maybe swap “Natural Color” for a color descriptor? Lots of bourbon reviews make remarks on the color of the juice.
Any brandy channels you recommend?
Ever had any Serbian Slivo?
I don't follow any brandy channels, although I probably should! Slivo? Not familiar. 🥃
Hi Jeff! Big fan of your videos! May I ask if you have any online whisky shops to recommend? Got a friend visiting Taiwan soon and she offered to carry a bottle back for me. Was hoping I could buy online and get it delivered to her hotel. Appreciate the help! ;-)
Bourbon is hard to make a checklist for imo i think the base things i currently look for after having hundreds of Bourbons is:
1. ABV above 100 proof
2. Mashbill (Is it rye, wheat,4 grain etc..)
3. Batch Size and other Legally Required Modifiers (Is it small batch, single barrel, is ir bottled in bond,kuntucky straight,age stated.)
Boirbon fascinates me so much compared to Scotch because there's so many more laws agout it and the process to make it is so much more complicated and varietal.
Scotch is basically always just barley and theres really only 3 factors that make a scotch what it is generally. Thats is it peated or not, how long is it aged, what cask(s) was it aged in. This is kust generally speaking i know there ade blends andnother special rhings like solera batches etc.
I think bourbon has way way more contributing factors. Just in the mashbill alone i think bourbon is more complex. its because it only NEEDS to be atleast 51% corn. So it can vary so widely depending on the grains used and their percentage in each mashbill. Some of the dofferent grains ive tried are: Rye, Chocolate malted rye, Wheat, Chocolate malted wheat, barley, malted barley, honey malted wheat, and various stouted grains. And thats just 1 aspect of what gives bourbon its flavor. Then theres the lawful descriptors like is ot kentucky straight, bottled in bond, small batch, extremly small batch, Single Barrel, is it aged stated. Then theres other things like what level of char is fhe barrels,are the warehouses temperature controlled via modern tech or just old school windows, is the warehouse rotated, what levels did the cask spend its lifetime on, was it finished in another cask etc..
Plus the things i like about bourbon is that age doesnt matter as much and mostly everything is aged to taste rather than year. Also blending is encouraged to unlock new depths of flavor. Although its funny cause by scotch standards alot of the blending in bourbon wouldnt be considered blending for a single malt rule loosely speaking.
Just some interesting things to think about for bourbon. I like Scotch and Bourbon equally. My main gripes on scotch is that its EXTREMLY RARE to find anything over 100 Proof. And i like my whiskey at about the 110-115 range. Also 15-18 yr scotch is my sweet spot for aged which means way extra $$$$ especially in the states with the lofty import taxes on scotch. But i really like that Boirbon experiments alot more compared to scotch. And to all the mega scotch snobs about bourbon: Theres a reason why most scotch is aged in Ex-Bourbon its what gives it all its flavor and it wouldnt be half as good without bourbon paving the way 😉😉😉😉😏😏😏
Geoff, I know you're moving but my week is lost without your sub-par, mediocre, cheeky jokes and single malt review. What will I do with my life without my weekly dose of this channel? Please come back to us soon
"#3..... my girlfriend"
really made me laugh
Tongue twister of the day: better Booker’s bourbon batches
Booker's Pinkie's Batch was one of, if not the best, whiskys I've had. Unfortunately it's truly a batch whisky by design so I'll never get that flavor profile again. Weller 107, if you can get your hands on it at a reasonable price, would be a suggestion from me. It's a wheater with some real spice character I don't find in Maker's or other wheaters I've tried.
I just tried Weller 107 the other day. Absolutely fantastic bourbon! 🥃
Can you do a poll on what bourbon scotch drinkers like the best
Good idea! 🥃
Interesting, that is the same batch we received in Canada (Ontario) as well. $146 CAD. Worth it? I don't know, Roseisle is $31 more. What would choose?
I'd go Roseisle as it's much more my style. If you're big into bourbon though this is solid! 🥃
My favorite non scotch alternative is American single malt for whiskey. Completely non whiskey, it’s wine and brandy.
If want a check similar
1. Is it sourced- most bourbon nowadays is sourced by a distillery called MGP thus not distilled by the distillery.
2. It’s is flavored- I’m not talking finished, that I give a pass. Templeton years ago got flack for adding flavoring. In their defense, I did just buy their rye blended with Port.
From a specs standpoint for Bourbon, I think I would say minimum is it age stated and at least 4 years old, minimum 45% abv, minimum non- allocated. The allocated stuff is impossible to acquire and buying whiskey shouldn't be anything like playing a game. We should shit on manufactures that don't produce enough product on purpose.
Mash bill.
Cheers G, is your other Bourbon a WT Rare Breed ? On the Bookers same batch 24/o1 E but only 7yrs 1mo 12 days I guess the UK's Tote was picked first 😂.
Cheers James. Other bourbon is a Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof. Technically not a bourbon, I guess. As for your batch, that's the same age as mine!
I'd rather have a good 120 proof Knob Creek Single Barrel Select store pick than a Booker's (both KC and Booker's are Beam products). I prefer the profile and it's about 40% cheaper. Also get more age from the KC SB.
KC is excellent too. 🥃
Paid $90 for my bottle.
Stuff
Ha! I was thinking of doing that. You beat me to it!🤣
@@SimonneNZ I bet Geoff was waiting for it 😜
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Scotch over your girlfriend is understandable, but Brandy over your girlfriend is just cruel 😅
Wilson Jessica Moore Brian Martin Maria
Bourbon trend is ending. So lets not start.
Burp-on...
I'm out
...
But because you've asked: stuff.
And now back to normal, please.
😂😂😂
Forspoken at home.
Booker's Bla, bla, bla . . . .too unreliable. Stick to scotch everybody '-)
You stick to scotch. I’ll enjoy bourbon, Irish, scotch, and whatever else appeals to me.
I main scotch, but i do enjoy some bourbons from time to time, as well as tequila, ryes, and especially rum!
Why limit yourself to one style. I love all whiskey/whisky much to the regret of my bank account 😂
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