Booker Noe, grandson of the legend himself, Jim Beam, created The Small Batch Collection, a “group of ultra-premium bourbon whiskies handcrafted in limited quantities from unique recipes, some dating back two centuries”: Basil Hayden’s, Knob Creek, Baker’s and Booker’s.

Booker Noe originally introduced his own signature bourbon as a holiday gift for his family members and friends, and it wasn’t until later when his bourbon was made available to the public as well. In fact, Booker was the one who introduced the world to small batch bourbon by coining the term.

Booker’s is aged between six and eight years in the very center of the rackhouse and is bottled at cask strength of between 60.5 and 63.5% ABV or, as Jim Beam puts it:

(…) reaching Booker’s standards is a mix of art, science and Mother Nature. It tells us when it’s ready, and then we’ll let you know.

Inspired by a 200-year-old tradition, every batch of Booker’s is bottled uncut and unfiltered.

Facts

Nose

Unsurprisingly, the super high strength is clearly notable. Lots of oak. Vanilla sorbet and caramel sauce. Soft and fruity sweet apple wood smoke.

Taste

Strong and oily. It burns. A lot. Then it burns some more until some toasted oak comes to light, followed by cacao, caramel syrup and cinnamon.

Finish

Long. Sweet and warming. A bit of oak, but without the bitterness.

Overall

Powerful, raw and challenging. A truly unique bourbon!

Score: very good and highly recommended (90 / 100)

Booker Noe, grandson of the legend himself, Jim Beam, created The Small Batch Collection, a “group of ultra-premium bourbon whiskies handcrafted in limited quantities from unique recipes, some dating back two centuries”: Basil Hayden’s, Knob Creek, Baker’s and Booker’s.

Named after Baker Beam, a grandnephew of Jim Beam, the Baker’s 7 Years Old utilizes a special strain of jug yeast. This yeast, supposedly discovered 60 years ago by Jim Beam, is said to provide Baker’s Bourbon “with a silky smooth texture and consistent taste from batch to batch.”

Baker’s is only aged in the upper floors of the rackhouses for a “robust bourbon flavor” and a “silky, smooth finish”.

Facts

Baker’s 7 Years Old

Nose

Spicy vanilla, joined by hints of caramel. Altogether, not that sweet for a bourbon. Strong notes of sour cherries in the back. The alcohol isn’t noticeable at all.

Taste

Surprisingly silky and smooth, despite the high proof. The sour cherries are back and even stronger. Reminds me a bit of kirschwasser. A nice mix between oak and sweetness, although the oak takes over with time. Ends with bitter chocolate.

Finish

Long. Quite dry, but at the same time also malty-sweet. More sour cherries.

Overall

If bourbons are usually not your thing — this one is definitely different. The Baker’s is less “sweet” than other bourbons, but incredible mature and complex for its age. Anything but an ordinary bourbon!

Score: 88 / 100

Booker Noe, grandson of the legend himself, Jim Beam, created The Small Batch Collection, a “group of ultra-premium bourbon whiskies handcrafted in limited quantities from unique recipes, some dating back two centuries”: Basil Hayden’s, Knob Creek, Baker’s and Booker’s.

After last weeks’s review of the Basil Hayden’s 8 Years Old (arguably the weakest of the four), let’s get to the good stuff!

Booker Noe, Jim Beam’s master distiller for over 40 years, created the Knob Creek as a homage to pre-Prohibition bourbon. He named it after the same-named small stream that flows a bit south of the distillery. Abraham Lincoln grew up on a farm close to Knob Creek and, as legend has it, he almost drowned in the creek as a child. For Booker Noe, his Knob Creek bourbon was like the sixteenth President of the United States: genuine in character and unwavering in stance.

Contrary to some rumors, the Knob Creek is still nine years old. Jim Beam just removed the age statement on the label for some international markets because (and this made me laugh really hard):

European consumers think of Scotch when seeing aged stated whiskey. (read more here)

Ah yes, those silly Europeans!

Facts

Knob Creek 9 Years Old

Nose

Fresh oak, intense and vigorous, combined with spicy cereals. Sweet undertones of warm caramel. The alcohol is hardly noticeable at all.

Taste

A very oily, almost creamy mouth feel with thick caramel. Becomes spicier with tender pepper and toasted oak. Dark chocolate follows. Ends with notes of cherries.

Finish

Medium. Strong and warming with a lot of oak.

Overall

Intense, vigorous and uncompromising: The Knob Creek rolls over you like a steamroller, but in a very pleasant way. This bourbon lives up to its name.

Score: 85 / 100

Booker Noe, grandson of the legend himself, Jim Beam, created The Small Batch Collection, a “group of ultra-premium bourbon whiskies handcrafted in limited quantities from unique recipes, some dating back two centuries”: Basil Hayden’s, Knob Creek, Baker’s and Booker’s.

So, in the upcoming weeks I’m planning to review each single expression, starting with the Basil Hayden’s 8 Years Old. This review is a bit outdated tough, as Jim Beam dropped the age statement some time ago and put “artfully aged” on the label instead. But from what I know, it’s still 8 years old, so please bare with me.

The recipe for the Basil Hayden was created in 1796 by Master Distiller Basil Hayden Sr and utilizes twice as much rye as the other bourbons in the collection.

Facts

Basil Haydens 8 Years Old

Nose

Pleasant, but a bit “thin”. Gingerbread paired with soft touches of caramel sauce on vanilla ice cream. With some time, the rye comes through, but it stays gently in the background.

Taste

At first, a delicate caramel sweetness, followed by spicy rye and some pepper. Rather thin and watery.

Finish

Pretty short and dry. A slight rye spiciness and some soft oak.

Overall

This is certainly not your “typical” bourbon, but a solid choice for everyone who wants to try a slightly different and more “rye-like” bourbon.  Not bad, but also not on par with my expectations for an 8 year old bourbon with a higher than usual rye content.

Score: 80 / 100

Facts

High West Double Rye (Batch 12B29)

Nose

Very “green” and “gin like” at first — eucalyptus, menthol and peppermint, herbs, pines and firs. Then vanilla and dried fruits (peaches and apricots) come through, together with freshly polished leather.

Taste

The taste resembles the aroma. A mixture of menthol, peppermint and eucalyptus candies, followed dark honey and white pepper alongside hints of citrus fruits.

Finish

Long and drying. Sweet honey, spicy oak and even more peppermint.

Overall

I think that blending a very young rye with a rather old rye is a great concept, but I’m not totally convinced by the result. Its just too “botanical” for me, but I guess some people might enjoy that.

Score: 80 / 100

Stagg Jr. is a limited barrel proof expression, which was matured “for nearly a decade” (so 8 to 9 years, I guess?) and is released twice a year (spring and fall). Compared to its elder counterpart, matured for “more than 15 years” and released once a year as part of the Antique Collection, the price is much more affordable — around $50 in the states or around 90€ to 100€ on my side of the pond. But the really good thing is that Stagg Jr. doesn’t affect the stock of barrels set aside for George T. Stagg releases.

Much to my regret, I didn’t have the chance to sample the legendary George T. Stagg yet, but maybe this is a blessing in disguise for today’s review, because when Stagg Jr. was first released in August 2013 (which is the batch I am reviewing today) the opinions were pretty mixed — to put it nicely. However, the general consensus is that the quality got much better after the 3rd batch. So I guess that I should review one of those newer batches at one point or another as well.

Facts

Stagg Jr. 67.2% (2013)

Nose

Intense and very rich, but needs it’s time to open up. Malt, sweet corn, a little rye and… plastic bags. Kinda weird, but why not. With time, fresh apple wood arrive along with a soft touch of cherries, complemented by vanilla, caramel, pencil shavings and pancakes with maple syrup. The alcohol is definitely noticeable but bearable.

Taste

A short appearance of honey, mint and coconut right before the alcohol burn kicks in. And when I say burn I really mean it. This is definitely not for the ones who are not used to drink (super) high cask strength expressions neat. Then burned caramel, nougat, a whiff of sweet citrus fruits and surprisingly lots of really, really dry oak.

Finish

Very long and dry. Burned oak followed by hints of vanilla, mint and something that I had never before in any whisky… dentist’s disinfectant.

Overall

Pleasant enough, but not wow. The nose is pretty fascinating but the palate is just way too raw and oak infused once you get beyond the heavy alcohol.

Score: 83 / 100

So where does this bourbon come from? First off, I think it unlikely that it comes also from Heaven Hill, because otherwise MoS could have just printed that on the label, besides the fact that Heavens Hill actual distillery is not in Bardstown but in Louisville. Which brings me directly to my next point: the ‘misspelling’ of the town’s name is most likely a direct hint to the distillery in question.

Facts

Images of Bartstown ‘Main Street of Bartstown’ (MoS)

Nose

Fresh wood, but not necessarily oak. Lots of strawberries followed by more red fruits, most noticeable cherries. Warm caramel, buttered toast and nougat.

Taste

Who put pencil shaves into my fennel tea? Gets more syrupy now. Sugared lemon juice followed by black coffee, tobacco leaves and dark chocolate.

Finish

Medium and drying. Mint combined with fruity hints and ginger.

Overall

The focus here lies more on the spirit, but this is exactly what makes this bourbon so interesting and different from other ones. Definitely for everyone who wants to try out a more ‘naked’ than usual bourbon.

Score: 86 / 100

Facts

Heaven Hill 2001 Port Cask Finish (MoS)

Nose

A pleasant interplay between fruits (blackberries, currants, strawberries and dark cherries) and fresh brownies with caramel sauce. Candied lemon peels. Hints of green herbs and fresh oak.

Taste

Starts pretty spicy but gets sweeter and fruitier after a few seconds. The port cask dominants now. Again red fruits, most noticeable cherries. A bit sour around the edges. Dark chocolate followed by caramel.

Finish

Medium. Sweet and sour at the same time with a bit of oak.

Overall

To answer my initial question: yes, they can! This is obviously not your typical bourbon but a very pleasant change for sure. The nose is a real highlight. Only the finish could use a little more depth and finesse.

Score: 88 / 100

Facts

Heaven Hill 2001 Sherry Hogshead (MoS)

Nose

A lot of sherry aromas at the beginning. Dark cherries and cinnamon. Gets more bourbon-y with the time. Fresh oak, wood polish, vanilla and caramel. Cacao powder. Rum nut chocolate.

Taste

Sweet but also pretty thin on the palate. Gets even sweeter now. Caramel, hints of vanilla, popcorn and wild berries with rock sugar. Followed by cinnamon and licorice.

Finish

Medium and drying. Hints of oak. Menthol followed by burned popcorn.

Overall

Although the sherry hogshead gives this bourbon the ‘little something extra’, its not a marriage in heaven between the two in my opinion. Frankly, the sherry feels more put on than well integrated.

Score: 85 / 100

Whereas today’s bottling is your typical bourbon, the other two releases are quite special: one was fully matured in a sherry hogshead while the other one got a finish in a port cask. I will review those two in the upcoming episodes of American Monday (23rd respectively 30th November). So stay tuned!

Facts

Heaven Hill 2005 (Malts of Scotland)

Nose

Light and fresh. Corn syrup, wood polish and dusty cupboard. Although this bourbon is made out of a low-rye mashbill (like all bourbons from Heaven Hill), the nose isn’t particular sweet. There is only a slight hint of vanilla somewhere in the background. Lemon drops and cherry blossoms. The alcohol isn’t noticeable at all.

Taste

Gets stronger and spicier after a few seconds, but the alcohol strength stays manageable at all times. The vanilla is a bit more pronounced now. Very ripe pears tossed in thick caramel sauce. Charred oak.

Finish

Medium. Wood polish. A bit spicy, gets dryer and creamy then.

Overall

Solid – in the best sense of the word. Although without the ‘oomph’ I am expecting from a single barrel bourbon with that age. Maybe that has something to do with the (relatively speaking) low strength?

Score:  84 / 100