Booker’s Bourbon Kathleen’s Batch (2018-01) is the latest batch of Booker’s, and the first batch of 2018, to be released. This batch is named after Kathleen DiBenedetto who has been with the company for almost 30 years.

She was key in launching Booker’s, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s and Baker’s alongside Booker Noe and even became the first brand manager of the Beam Small Batch Bourbon Collection. She’s been so influential and dedicated to the art and craft of bourbon making that In 2015 Kathleen was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.

Kathleen helped with just about every part of this batch of Booker’s including the roundtable where she described the aroma as “leather and floral honey”, noted some “rich butterscotch, brown sugar, dried cherries and a little allspice” on the palate and finished with “a nice balance of toasted oak with caramel and brown sugar”. Let’s see what I pick up in the Booker’s Bourbon Kathleen’s Batch review below!

Whiskey Review: Booker’s Bourbon Kathleen’s Batch

In Jim Beam’s Words: Booker’s Bourbon Kathleen’s Batch

“Booker’s “Kathleen’s Batch” was selected by myself, Kathleen and the Booker’s Bourbon Roundtable. The batch is made up of barrels from five production dates aged in several different locations within three warehouses. The breakdown of the barrel locations is as follows:

4% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse ONE
6% came from the 4th floor of 9-story warehouse F
3% came from the 7th floor of 9-story warehouse F
19% came from the 4th floor of 9-story warehouse H
30% came from the 5th floor of 9-story warehouse H
13% came from the 6th floor of 9-story warehouse H
25% came from the 7th floor of 9-story warehouse H”

Booker’s Bourbon Kathleen’s Batch price, ABV, age and other details

Region: Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Jim Beam
Mashbill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 6 Years, 3 Months, 14 Days
ABV: 63.7%

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Batch: 2018-01

Price: $75*

Booker’s Bourbon Kathleen’s Batch Tasting Notes

EYE
Caramel

NOSE
Caramel, oak, dark fruit, molasses, Necco Wafers, fresh cookies and a bit of leather and licorice.

PALATE
Caramel, oak, vanilla, toasted corn, spice, dark fruit and a bit of honey and cinnamon.

FINISH
Long -> Dark fruit, caramel, spice, oak and roasted corn.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good sense of balance, full round body and a warm feel.

Booker’s Bourbon Kathleen’s Batch Review – OVERALL

Booker’s Bourbon Kathleen’s Batch is not too shabby. Lighter and softer than some of last year’s batches, but still quite nice. The aroma brings up images of my Grandparent’s kitchen during the Holidays, the palate, on the other hand, brings up thoughts of camping and dutchoven cooking. This is an interesting and a-typical Booker’s release… though to be fair I did taste it next to two giants in the Booker’s world.

My first tasting of this was next to the Booker’s 25th Anniversary and Booker’s Center Cut and it got blown away. So I waited a day, came back and poured it again and while it couldn’t hang with those releases, the Booker’s Bourbon Kathleen’s Batch is a unique and delicious release in its own right. Honestly, it reminds me more of some of the better Knob Creek single barrels I’ve had than Booker’s releases, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

SCORE: 87/100 (B+)

*Disclosure: This Booker's Bourbon Kathleen's Batch sample was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

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