One of my whiskey regrets is not grabbing the two bottles of Booker’s 25th I saw sitting in Bevmo. It’s a mistake that makes me say “dammit” everytime someone is kind enough to pour me a glass of theirs. It’s a mistake I definitely won’t make with this Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon… if I ever see it in the wild at MSRP that is.
Which, unfortunately, I probably won’t. The whiskey world is nuts and these things disappear off shelves for 2x the MSRP and sometimes go for even higher on the secondary. I consider myself lucky I got to try it at all and I hope if you get one you’re one of those kind souls I spoke of earlier so your friends can enjoy it as well… and I hope you’re one of my friends 😉 Anyways, on to the whiskey review!
Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon Review: Details and Tasting Notes
“30 years ago, my dad, Booker Noe, released the first batch of his namesake Booker’s® Bourbon as his vision of what the perfect whiskey should be. In honor of Dad’s legacy and in celebration of 30 years of the damn good whiskey he created, we’re celebrating in the best way we know how – by releasing a special extra-aged, limited edition Booker’s® Bourbon.”
Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon price, ABV, age and other details
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam
Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 9 years (70% 9 yo, 30% 16 yo)
ABV:
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Batch: 30th Anniversary
Price: $200*
Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon Tasting Notes
EYE
Caramel
NOSE
OAK, dark chocolate, dark fruit, complex baking spice, peanut brittle, caramel and bits of orange peels and leather.
PALATE
Oak, dark fruit, cinnamon-heavy baking spice, cocoa, peanut brittle and a touch of herbal.
FINISH
Long -> Oak, dark fruit, cocoa and spice.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance, full round body and a heavy oily feel.
Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon Review: OVERALL
Wow this is a dense heavy whiskey. Robust, deep and rustic it delivers a big ol’ smacking of oak and dark sweetness across the senses. The aroma is dense and oaky with dark sweet fruity supports. The palate has essentially the same report but with more spice which slides through the finish. Adding water… doesn’t do a whole lot.
It opens it up a bit and the aroma picks up a bit more sweetness and tones the oak down a hair. Opens the palate as well and a bit more nuttiness comes through, but it’s not a major shift; it’s great straight outta the bottle. In a nutshell, the Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon is just as good as you would think it would be.
SCORE: 91/100 (A-)
*Disclosure: This sample of Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Booker's 30th Anniversary Bourbon Review 200
Booker's 30th Anniversary Bourbon Review Summary
Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon is a deep, dense, sweet, rustic and bold whiskey that is pure joy on the senses.
Overall
- Nose - 92
- Palate - 90
- Finish - 91
- Balance, Body & Feel - 91
User Review
( votes)( reviews)
I have to disagree about the finish. I thought it was actually quite dry (other people agreed) and didn’t last that long. Tried this last friday at a bar.
I can definitely agree on it being dry (tannic/oaky). Cheers Rob :)
Can you describe the finish more? I haven’t opened my bottle yet and Fred himself stated this has a short finish so I was surprised to see you say it has a long finish. I LOVE all the descriptives in your review and hope it tastes exactly as you describe it, but I just have a hard time believing Fred would be wrong.
Hey Bryan,
I thought the finish was elegant. I was still tasting the oak and sweet notes for several minutes after, it definitely wasn’t short in my opinion.
Thanks for the reply! I am definitely looking forward to opening one. I hope I have the same experience.