Booker's Rye

Booker's
Rye, "Big Time Batch"
Aged 13 years, 1 month, 12 days
68.1% ABV (136.2 proof)
~$300 - sample provided

Color: rich, medium/tawny brown

Smell: "big time" indeed. It smells old and dusty, in the best way. There's definitely some rye spice, but this doesn't have either the allspice/clove attack of Sazerac 18 or the dill/mint party of Lot 40. Instead, it hews much more closely to old, smooth bourbon - at least on the nose. Lots of oak, some furniture polish, and plenty of caramel and vanilla like "regular" Booker's bourbon. The tertiary, "just a whiff" aromas I pick up are anise and mint. Lots to unpack, and very enjoyable. Remarkably smooth-smelling, given the teeth-melting proof.

Taste: yeah, this is really good. The palate is where the rye elements really shine - tons of toasted rye grain, along with much more anise and mint. And - no surprise - a massive wood influence. It is definitely a bit of a proof monster - I recommend a bit of water to really open things up. After a few drops, I get much more caramel sweetness and leather to complement the rye spice and oak. The finish is massive.

Overall: what a whiskey! In typical Booker's fashion, this is an absolute bruiser. But the flavors are undeniable. Being nit-picky, the oak is a little too prominent for my taste, but overall it's still pretty well-balanced. Summing up, I've had smoother-sipping, more complex, and (frankly) more enjoyable ryes - Michter's 10 year comes to mind. However, this is as viscerally gripping a whiskey as I've come across. Totally unforgettable, and well worth a taste if you get lucky enough to find it. A- for me.