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Booker’s Rye Whiskey Named Jim Murray’s World Whisky of the Year

Jim Murray names his 2017 World Whisky of the Year Booker's Rye Whiskey, labeling it "a staggering example of a magnificent rye, showing exactly what genius actually means."
  • Nino Kilgore-Marchetti, founder of The Whiskey Wash, is an award-winning whiskey journalist, expert, and judge
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Jim Murray, author of the highly regarded and sometimes controversial Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, has gone an interesting route this year in his choice for his 2017 whisky of the year. In the last few years he’s skipped over the whiskies of Scotland in favor of Japan and Canada. This time around he has gone once again to the New World, naming the already highly regarded and hard to come by Booker’s Rye Whiskey as his World Whisky of the Year.
whisky of the year
Booker’s Rye (image via Beam Suntory)

Here’s what Murray had to say of his choice for his Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2017 choice:

A unique Kentucky rye has been crowned the planet’s finest dram by the latest edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Booker’s Rye 13 Years, 1 Month, 12 Days began life as an experiment by Booker Noe – grandson of Jim Beam – at the family distillery in Clermont, KY, shortly before his death in 2004.

Now it has become his remarkable legacy after landing the title of World Whisky of the Year.

Jim lavishes praise on its “brain-draining, mind-blowing” nose and finish of “amazing depth”.

And he hails it as a “staggering example of a magnificent rye, showing exactly what genius actually means. A very big, unforgettable whiskey from a very big, unforgettable man”.

Booker followed in his iconic grandfather’s footsteps by becoming master distiller at Jim Beam, but he was long-retired when he dabbled one final time.

After he passed away aged 74, son Fred kept an eye on his casks – and the result is pure liquid gold, scoring 97.5 out of 100 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Following behind the Booker’s Rye in top choices were the Glen Grant Aged 18 Years Rare Edition, which is the first Scotch on the Whisky Bible podium since 2014, and, following up in third place, the William Larue Weller (134.6 proof) bourbon. Regional winners included Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye (Canadian Whiskey of the Year); Redbreast Aged 21 Years (Irish) ; English Whisky Co. Chapter 14 England (European); Yamazaki Sherry Cask (Japanese).

“On behalf of my dad, Booker Noe, I could not be more proud to see Booker’s Rye named ‘World Whisky of the Year,’ said Fred Noe, Beam’s 7th Generation Master Distiller, in a prepared statement. “Dad was more than just a distiller. He was a big thinker and a man who loved to experiment — and Booker’s Rye is a true celebration of that. Together with my son, Freddie Noe, I’m excited to carry on this legacy of innovation — and our family’s 220-year tradition of crafting the highest quality bourbon and whiskey — for years to come. Let’s just say we have some exciting things ahead.”

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti is the founder of The Whiskey Wash, an award-winning whiskey lifestyle website dedicated to informing and entertaining consumers about whisk(e)y globally. As a whisk(e)y journalist, expert, and judge, he has written extensively about the subject, been interviewed in various media outlets, and provided tasting input on many whiskeys at competitions.

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