Booker's 2018-01 "Kathleen's Batch"

So this is another lengthy, time-lapse review. According to the internet, this is the breakdown of barrels for this particular batch of Booker's:

• 4% from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse ONE
• 6% from the 4th floor of 9-story warehouse F
• 3% from the 7th floor of 9-story warehouse F
• 19% from the 4th floor of 9-story warehouse H
• 30% from the 5th floor of 9-story warehouse H
• 13% from the 6th floor of 9-story warehouse H
• 25% from the 7th floor of 9-story warehouse H
• The bourbon is aged 6 years, 3 months, 14 days.

November 1 2019 (neat from a Glencairn)

• Nose (undiluted): brown sugar, dark cherries, floral vanilla with time, fresh corn on the cob
• Palate (undiluted): hot arrival, rich, dark cherries, buttered cornbread, oak heavy, barrel char, pepper
• Finish: long and deeply warming, vanilla, brown sugar, dark cherries, wood-smoke, mildly pulling wood tannins
• Random thoughts: a little hot, tasty, but not as much "wow" factor as I had expected. Identifiable as a Beam product, which is a positive thing for me, since I like most of their stuff. Not entirely sure it's worth the price of admission though.

Initial Rating: 88/100

November 7 2019 (with water from a Libbey Bourbon Glass)

• With water, a wood varnish note (albeit not an unpleasant one) presents itself on the nose along with some waxy cherries, like Cherry Nibs. The sweet aromas become more syrupy with water, think dark corn syrup, cherry cough syrup (I promise it's the good kind, not the "it tastes awful, and it works" kind). The palate is a bit more tame with water, but there's more spice (black pepper, allspice) and herbal funk (rosemary? sage?) with the addition of water. The finish doesn't change as much with water as the nose and palate did.
• Random thoughts: more interesting with a few days of air exposure and the addition of a little splash of water. The herbal funk won't be in everyone's wheelhouse, but I like it a lot. Different is good, especially when it fits the profile. This is unapologetic bourbon; whiskey that tastes like whiskey.

Rating: 89/100

November 14 2019 (neat from a copita)

• Nose: fresh corn, wood varnish, fresh cut oak, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark cherries and syrup
• Palate (undiluted): still a bit hot, but not unmanageable, rich, a touch waxy, cherry nibs, a little barrel char, cinnamon, oak
• Finish: long, yet drying and slightly tannic from the oak, peanut butter, vanilla, a hint of nutty grains (barley, mostly), icing sugar near the tail end
• Random thoughts: that herbal funk isn't coming through tonight. Pity, I really liked it last time. The peanut butter note becomes more prominent the longer this sits in the glass. It's the same peanut butter note I find in Jim Beam Bonded, which should be a surprise to nobody. The waxy cherry note is prominent throughout, luckily I like that note in a bourbon.

Rating: 89/100

December 10 2019 (neat from a Libbey Bourbon glass, HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY TO ME!)

• Nose (undiluted): brown sugar, red apples, cinnamon, Wood varnish, fresh cut oak, vanilla
• Palate: not as hot as before, rich, waxy, cherries, barrel char, oak, cinnamon
• Finish: long, oaky, nutty, creamy, apple skins, icing sugar, vanilla
• Random thoughts: I'm really getting it as far as this bourbon goes. It's gotten better with time and I wish I had another bottle I could drink 1/3 of the way down and then tuck away for a few months.

Rating: 90/100

February 7 2020 (neat from a Libbey Bourbon Glass)

• Nose: caramel, red apples, oak, cinnamon, brown sugar, wood varnish, vanilla
• Palate: cherries, rye spices, brown sugar, vanilla
• Finish: long and warming, ginger, oak, red apples, icing sugar, vanilla, barrel char
• Random thought: I wish I had more of this, but I'm still not sure I want to pay $110 CAD for it.

FINAL RATING: 90/100