Booker’s Bourbon, Booker’s Bluegrass, Is a 127.9 Proof Monster

And the Booker’s Bourbon beat of limited edition releases continues. The first Batch Collection release for 2016, and the first of six planned bottlings for this year, is named “Booker’s Bluegrass” after former Beam distiller Booker Noe’s famous love of bluegrass music.

“My Dad, Booker, created Booker’s Bourbon to be his version of the perfect whiskey — uncut and full of rich flavor,” said Fred Noe, Beam’s seventh-generation Master Distiller, in a statement. “‘Booker’s Bluegrass’ is a reflection of just that, and is a true testament to Dad’s larger-than-life personality. Whenever there was bluegrass music, he could be found dancing front-and-center or trying his hand at playing with the band.”

Booker’s Bourbon, Booker’s Bluegrass, features “a custom label depicting a banjo, one of the most popular and distinctive instruments in bluegrass music.” As for what is inside the bottle itself, that’s a hefty 127.9 proof bourbon which is six years, 11 months in age and drawn from barrels culled from seven different rack houses.

Should you not know much about Booker’s, here is its backstory from Beam marketing material:

Booker’s Bourbon was inspired by a 200-year-old family tradition and came to life when Booker Noe selected the first bottles of Booker’s as holiday gifts for his friends and family. With its instant popularity within Noe’s close circle, Booker’s Bourbon was soon after bottled and made available on shelves for everyone to enjoy. Booker’s Bourbon is one of the only bourbons bottled straight-from-the-barrel at its natural proof, which varies from batch to batch. Crafted in small batches and aged for six to eight years in charred oak barrels, which are stored in the center of the rack house, Booker’s Bourbon is hand-selected barrel-by-barrel by Fred Noe to ensure every bottle contains a robust, full-bodied whiskey that has a taste, aroma and proof that matches Booker’s whiskey preference.

Tasting notes for this batch are below, courtesy of Beam, and should you choose to track down a bottle expect to pay at least $60.

• Color: Our darkest and deepest amber and henna color.
• Taste: Deep and complex flavors of vanilla, nuts and oak.
• Aroma: Robust vanilla and caramel notes; slightly smoky.
• Finish: Long and full; perfect for easygoing sipping.