What we’re drinking: Baker’s High-Rye Bourbon, Booker’s Batch 2024-3: The Master Distillers Batch, Little Book The Infinite: Edition 1 and Knob Creek 18
Where they’re from: All of these expressions arrive courtesy of James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, KY, which also crafts Jim Beam, Basil Hayden, Old Overholt, Legend and many, many more.
Why we’re drinking these: At some point, I sort of lost track of what each of the specialty whiskeys in the Beam portfolio represented. So when Baker’s announced a new high-rye bourbon, I thought it’d be a good chance to taste through the new expressions (obviously) and remind myself exactly what I was drinking.
So here goes! Baker’s is named after Jim Beam’s grand-nephew Edward “Baker” Beam. His namesake release is all about the single barrel. The bourbons are aged a minimum of seven years and come in at 107 proof. When Baker (a sixth-generation distiller) retired, his cousin Booker Noe created Baker’s Bourbon in his honor.
Speaking of Booker Noe, Booker’s only releases barrel-strength bourbon and puts as much emphasis on the location of the barrels in their warehouses as anything else. The hooch here is overseen by seventh-generation Master Distiller Fred Noe; he named it after his late dad Booker — a master distiller for 40 years and son of Jim Beam’s daughter, Margaret Noe — who coined the term “small-batch bourbon.”
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A talk with distillers Fred and Freddie Noe on whiskey innovation, a big distillery expansion and bringing in music fansLittle Book, meanwhile, is an annual limited-release series overseen by Freddie Noe, eighth-generation master distiller of the Fred B. Noe Distillery (and great-great-grandson of Jim Beam). However, this year saw the release of Infinite, the first-ever brand extension from Little Book featuring whiskey laid down by three generations of Noe family master distillers (Booker, Fred and Freddie Noe).
And finally, Knob Creek — not named for a Noe or Beam child, thankfully (who wants the name Knob?), but a small Kentucky creek — created in 1992 by Booker Noe as a part of the Small Batch Bourbon Collection. It was inspired by the Bottled-in-Bond Act to “represent the high quality and full flavor of pre-Prohibition-style whiskey” and usually comes in at 100 proof.
Got it? Don’t worry if you don’t, it’s all good stuff. Just know it’s coming from good (and boundary-pushing) family roots. “Baker and Booker really broke that mold of suit-and-tie, old-school whiskey makers,” says Tim Heuisler, an ambassador for the brands.
By the way, to make things difficult, Baker’s and Booker’s usually have the same mashbill, but not in the new bottles we’re reviewing. (Yes, there will be a test on all of this later.)
Anyway, let’s dive in!
How they taste:
- Baker’s High-Rye Bourbon (53.5% ABV, $75): This limited-edition release features a recipe that has two times the standard amount of rye in Baker’s Bourbon, so you’ll find some of those rye bread notes, a bit of dill, some mint and then the caramel, vanilla and oak spice (and a hint of dried cherry) you’d expect in a Beam small-batch release. It’s great, and I’d consider it more a bourbon for rye fans than the other way around.
- Booker’s Batch 2024-3 (65.15% ABV, $100): Most of this batch was produced in 2016 on Booker’s birthday. It’s burly and spicy but oddly approachable at 130+ proof, with lots of oak and hints of butterscotch, cinnamon and vanilla. Tame this a bit with a little water.
- Little Book The Infinite: Edition 1 (59.65% ABV, $200): As we noted last month, Infinite will be an ongoing series, with a foundation barrel of the line extension coupled with new liquid added to every future release. To start, the inaugural edition features bourbons aged 7, 8, 14 and 20 years married together. The final result is a nice mix of stone fruit, smoke, vanilla and caramel with plenty of oak spice.
- Knob Creek 18 (50% ABV, $180): I was worried after trying the 15-year expression that Knob Creek had hit a limit with its aging. This “new” expression actually came out in 2022 and is now back as a limited release. Surprisingly, the fruit notes here shine through, along with the expected caramel, vanilla and charred oak, with additional hints of tobacco, coconut and allspice.
Where to buy: Availability is limited on most of these releases, so check your local liquor store, though you can find some releases at ReserveBar and Total Wine.
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