Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 88 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 53.5% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $74.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Reviewed | 2024-11-19 |
Baker’s High Rye Bourbon Review
Of all the bourbons from Suntory-owned James B. Beam Distilling Co., I often refer to Baker’s as the most “fun.” Starting around 1992, the Baker’s brand was a component of Beam’s Small Batch Collection. And in 2019, Beam relaunched Baker’s as a two-expression line that focused exclusively on single barrel bottlings of 7 and 13 year old bourbon. (For reference, 2024’s 13 year Baker’s is a clear hit.)
In my mind, the sometimes subtle, sometimes bold variations from barrel to barrel make Baker’s quite fun. Now, bourbon fans will get to try out the Baker’s line with another variable: mash bill.
The newly-launched Baker’s High Rye Bourbon is a single barrel product aged for a minimum of seven years, then bottled at 107 proof. According to the brand, it contains twice the rye as the core 7- and 13-year Baker’s expressions. While Beam isn’t terribly public with its in-house mash bills, the distilling behemoth is generally believed to have two main recipes for bourbon: a low-rye mashbill rumored to be around 13 percent (which includes Jim Beam), and a high-rye rumored to be around 27 percent (Basil Hadyen and Old Grand-Dad, for starters).
Though we don’t know for absolutely certain, that might imply this version of Baker’s comes from the latter mash bill. (And I’d be willing to bet on it.) If anything, this latest Baker’s seems like a logical conduit for Beam to showcase its higher-rye bourbon in single barrel form. And it does so by leveraging a brand that’s built a recent reputation off some very good releases.
One might even think that if this 7-year expression is a hit, it’s possible we may see a 13-year Baker’s High Rye in the not-so-distant future. Your guess is as good as mine, though with millions of aging barrels, Beam might very well have the stock.
The bottle we’re sampling today comes from a barrel aged for seven years and nine months in warehouse CL-3. Let’s see how it tastes!
Baker’s High Rye Bourbon: Stats and Availability
Baker’s High Rye Bourbon launched as a limited expression in Fall 2024. It’s distributed nationwide with an MSRP of about $75. This is a bottling I’m already seeing on shelves close to retail, and I don’t anticipate it commanding super-premium markups. Beam has a history of promoting hit limited releases to its regular lineups, so keep your eyes peeled in case this the public responds well to a higher-rye Baker’s.
Baker’s High Rye Bourbon Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
Part of the fun of drinking Baker’s is exploring some common notes while remembering the sometimes-significant difference from one barrel to the next. Basically, mileage (and specifics) will likely vary between our bottle and yours!
The nose starts off with green apple candy, grape soda, bourbon sour mash, and sorghum molasses. Oak isn’t quite as potent on the first smell, but it builds quickly, taking a bit of attention away from the slightly grainy, sour notes. Another return to the glass brings both miso and red bean pastes, adding a series of savory notes without getting into the burnt ends/BBQ scents I often nose on batches of Booker’s Bourbon.
That sour mash aroma fades even more with time as herbs build. Chalk it up to the rye content, the aging environment, or just barrel-to-barrel variation: this is a greener, grassier, more herbaceous nose than any other Beam-distilled bourbon I’ve tried recently. Light sawgrass, lemongrass, and shallots vie for attention, though to be clear, this never gets fully into the potent dill scents of some American rye whiskeys.
This particular bottle of Baker’s features an early trifecta of sweet, sour, and savory that certainly piques my interest. Overall, I think the sour element — again, sour mash and proving dough — brings a grain characteristic that almost overshadows the sweet sorghum molasses; more sweetness overall would have elevated this to a great nose.
Taste
While the nose pulled my senses in a few directions, the first couple sips are composed, with classic bourbon flavors progressing at a welcome clip. Pan caramel, brown sugar, snickerdoodle, and candy corn bring a sweet start that remarkably doesn’t turn into a syrupy mess. That’s largely thanks to pronounced oak, which isn’t remarkably complex here but brings enough tannins and charred bitterness to cut the sweetness and noticeable amount.
Dark cherry builds along the midpalate, alongside some very dark chocolate (think 90 percent-plus). Each sip brings more cherry and a more muted raspberry note, the red fruit adding some punch and complexity even though it exists across a relatively narrow band here. Full-sugar cola develops later and continues through to the finish. Paired with the aforementioned fruit and a semi-viscous mouth feel, it’s an experience not unlike Cherry Coke.
An aside: I pick up a lot less nuttiness than with some related Beam products, which often manifests as peanut butter, macadamia nuts, or roasted hazelnuts. Again, that could be variation dependent on barrel, but I can’t help but think the changeup on mash bill has something to do with it.
Finish
I probably spoke too soon about the lack of Beam nuttiness, because a hint of roasted peanuts starts at the back palate and grows in intensity. That’s paired with continuing cherry cola, and together, they make for a lengthy finish I found somewhat superior to both the nose and early palate.
Baker’s High Rye Bourbon Rating
88/100
Recap
With so much potential variation from one barrel to the next, it’s tough to review a modern Baker’s product without a few caveats. With this particular bottle, I thought quality built from nose to taste to finish, resulting in a bourbon I didn’t love at first sniff but really appreciated by the end. Overall, it’s a welcome addition to Beam’s lineup and indicates the company’s continued interest in promoting single barrel expressions.
In the meantime, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for a 13 year version.
As of 2024, VinePair no longer participates in any affiliate programs. All links included in our content are as a convenience to our readers, not for earning commission — we receive no monetary value from them. Learn more about our tastings & review department here!
Related Reads
Learn About Bourbon
Related Baker's Bourbon Reviews
Baker's 13 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon (2023):
Of the entire Jim Beam whiskey line, Baker’s Bourbon is perhaps the most fascinating but least talked about. First released in 1992 and ...
Baker's 13 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon (2024):
The bourbon world first encountered Baker’s 13 in 2019, when parent company Beam Suntory (now Suntory Global Spirits) introduced it as an ...
Related Bourbon Reviews
Town Branch True Cask Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Batch #005):
This year’s True Cask release from Town Branch arrives at a relatively low proofing for a cask-strength bourbon, but it continues to ...
Old Fitzgerald 8 Year Old Bottled in Bond Decanter (2023):
Heaven Hill has been releasing the bottled-in-bond Old Fitzgerald line in a collectible decanter since 2018. In that time, age statements ...
Featured Bourbon Articles
Whiskey From… Macy’s? Decades Before the Bourbon Boom, Department Stores Sold Private-Label Booze:
In the mid-20th century, a Macy's shopper could have left with bags full of not only ties and slippers, but gin and bourbon.
The Key to a 30-Year-Old Old Fashioned? Dehydrated Whiskey:
I spent a memorable evening this summer enjoying Kevin Peterson’s strange multi-sensory cocktails at his small space in midtown Detroit.
Artificial Accounts and Bogus Bottles: Social Media Has a Problem With Whiskey Scammers:
Whiskey scammers have gotten creative, going so far as to create accounts using extensive false identities to con others into fake sales.
Can Black-Owned Distilleries Finally Claim a Piece of the $9 Billion Kentucky Bourbon Industry?:
Black-owned distilleries are fighting for a foothold and a slice of the sales and tourism generated by the $9 billion bourbon industry.
