Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 90 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 62.9% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $100.00 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Reviewed | 2025-01-07 |
Booker's Bourbon ‘Jimmy’s Batch’ 2024-04 Review
For nearly a decade, master distiller Fred Noe, Freddie Noe, and the team at Beam have named batches of Booker’s Bourbon in honor of various people, locations, milestones, and even regional delicacies. (The “Country Ham” batch is a delicious example that springs to mind.) The fourth and final regular Booker’s of 2024 pays homage to a true titan of American whiskey, and one of the late Booker Noe’s closest friends and contemporaries in the industry: Wild Turkey’s Jimmy Russell.
(We say “regular” to differentiate from Booker’s The Reserves, which from now on will be an annual and even more limited release.)
To bourbon fans, Russell is a name that needs little introduction. He’s been a mainstay at Wild Turkey since the 1950s and recently celebrated his 70th anniversary in American whiskey. According to a Beam press release, this latest Booker’s batch — “Jimmy’s Batch” — pays tribute to this cherished friend of the Noe family.
It’s a 7 year, 9 months, and 19 day-old bourbon, putting it on the older end of the spectrum for recent Booker’s releases. It’s bottled at 125.8 proof, slightly below its immediate predecessor this year. The whiskey in the bottle came from one of four distillation dates, with barrels aged across the following warehouses:
- 12 percent came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Z
- 20 percent came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse 1
- 46 percent came from the 3rd floor of 7-story warehouse 3
- 22 percent came from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse Q
Let’s see how it tastes!
Booker's Bourbon ‘Jimmy’s Batch’: Stats and Availability
Booker’s Bourbon “Jimmy’s Batch” carries an MSRP of right around $100. Lately, I’ve been seeing Booker’s Bourbon retail from anywhere between $85 (some big box retailers and holiday specials) and $140 (a pretty big markup). These are regular, annual releases. Though technically limited, Booker’s is one of those bourbons we’re used to seeing in somewhat significant quantities, and most fans are generally able to track down a bottle with a little searching.
Booker's Bourbon ‘Jimmy’s Batch’ Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
Spicy, smoked paprika leads on the nose, and it’s quickly backed by an undercurrent of peanut brittle that brings both welcome sweetness and classic Beam roasted nuts. Peanuts and dark praline are frequent notes I’ll smell on high-proof Beam distillate, especially Booker’s. And while the aromas are plenty potent here, even at a touch over 125 proof, the ethanol is relatively restrained. That makes for an overall nosing experience that’s pronounced but not overpowering, the alcohol taking a backseat to specific scents. While not always the case, Booker’s often seems to hit a pleasant sweet spot between 125 and 130 proof on the nose, getting the benefits of cask strength bourbon without too much heat or astringency.
Let’s get back to some specific scents. That smoke and spice both lean closer to capsaicin (a variety of red peppers) than some other Booker’s batches, which in recent years have trended more toward campfire smoke and even burning mesquite wood. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but with Jimmy’s Batch, we’ve got a nose heavy in peppers and peanuts. Other spice eventually develops in the form of freshly cracked black and green peppercorns, along with cinnamon-spiced baked apples and — surprisingly, at least to my nose — a touch of dijon mustard.
Taste
Creamy peanut butter leads on the first sip, a touch fatty and carried by a semi-creamy mouth feel. Freshly baked cinnamon rolls and birthday cake frosting are up next, forming a one-two punch that certainly places Jimmy’s Batch in the sweeter quartile of Booker’s releases. It’s not until a third sip where that smoky, peppery component comes out to play, layered on top of another sweet and lightly grain-forward note; it’s a bit like sprinkling paprika over honey-laden cornbread.
Flavors continue to develop and never quite seem to sit still from one sip to the next. That’s a positive for those who like a continually evolving, every-taste-is-different bourbon. However, folks who want something a bit more predictable may prefer this year’s prior Booker’s releases. Peanut butter meets pepper jam toward the midpalate, along with toasted almonds and buttered pumpernickel rye bread. Continued vanilla frosting reaches a crescendo just before the back palate, then quite suddenly drops off, leaving behind leather and cinnamon sticks for a dryer-than-expected final taste.
Finish
For all its complexity on the palate, with Jimmy’s Batch, oak is nearly an afterthought until the (lengthy) finish. Lingering flavors are big on barrel char and dried peanut skins. One critique on this finish is the relative lack of sweetness, which would go a long way to support the cinnamon gum, brown butter, and very dark toast that wrap up the final act here.
Booker's Bourbon Jimmy’s Batch Rating
90/100
Recap
“Jimmy’s Batch” starts off on a great foot, with a rich yet hardly overpowering nose I wanted to spend an afternoon with. The palate brings significant complexity, never sitting on its laurels, and it’s a bourbon I’m sure some drinkers will have fun wrestling with. The finish left just a bit to be desired, leaning perhaps too heavily into dry spice. (It’s worth noting, however, that a few drops of water helps pep things up noticeably.)
Overall, 2024 was one of the most memorable for Booker’s in years. Of the five expressions released — which includes “The Reserves” — “Jimmy’s Batch” doesn’t rank among my top three, though it still has a lot to offer from the classic Booker’s profile.
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