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Bookers

Unread postPosted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:02 pm
by Rickey Rotten
Picked up a bottle for the holidays and am singularly unimpressed. All I get from it is alcohol and dust. Did I get a bad bottle or does it normally taste like that?

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:21 pm
by Dana
I bought my first Bookers just after Thanksgiving and after my first drink I was thinking I made a $45 mistake. Like you, I tasted the harshness of the alcohol, my bottle was 127.9 proof. I corked the bottle and put it up because I was buying and tasting several other brands. About 2 weeks ago I pulled out the Bookers to give it another go. I poured it neat into a glass, swirled it and let it set for about 5 minutes, then I added 4 filtered water ice cubes and sipped (I don’t pour the bourbon over the ice). I’ve had a dram of Bookers every day served this way. I absolutely love it.

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:28 pm
by Rickey Rotten
After reading some of the reviews I'm convinced I have a bad batch. It isn't the alcohol that's bothering me, it's the lack of flavor. The first few pours literally tastes like dust and little else. I expect a lot more from a $55 bottle. Hopefully it will improve over time.

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:30 am
by bourbonv
It could be a bottle with cork taint - that gives it a musty flavor. It happens time to time with bottles sealed with cork.

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:32 pm
by cowdery
Cork taint is extremely rare. More often than not it's just something that doesn't appeal to you. I also tend to find Booker's a bit on the bland side.

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:09 pm
by Dump Bucket
cowdery wrote:Cork taint is extremely rare. More often than not it's just something that doesn't appeal to you. I also tend to find Booker's a bit on the bland side.


I have seen a trend in soem liquor stores to take the higher proof bourbons (higher cost usually) and store them in a locked cabinet on their sides. I have seen then more with Scotches, but plenty of times with the BTAC and Booker boxes. That could easily give taint.

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:03 pm
by jburlowski
When it was a rarity as a barrel-strength bourbon, Booker's was something special. Today (IMO) it's just over-priced, relatively under-aged (for it's cost) JBW.

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 10:31 pm
by Mike
I had a $10 shot of Bookers at a restaurant into which I put two ice cubes. It was superb! The folks with whom I was dinning were none of them bourbon drinkers. Yet, each liked the aromas so much (oak, vanilla, caramel, spice), that they all wanted to taste it. The alcohol was a bother to them, but they came away with a newfound appreciation for bourbon. At times Booker's is more to my liking than others, but I have never found it to be mediocre.

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:42 pm
by smallfrenchman
I'll admit up front that I'm a fan of Bookers, although I do find the price to be a bit much. I enjoy it very much neat, but I do find that letting it sit for a bit before getting into the glass is a big help. I also drink my Bookers out of a Brandy snifter (raises pinky finger high in air), and take it slow. In chatting with some of my good friends (who are big fans of bourbon) their reaction has been that it's got too much alcohol and not enough of anything else. Although I most definitely disagree, I'll certainly let them have their opinion because it means there's more for me! But absolutely no disrespect meant here at all. To each his/her own!

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 9:57 pm
by dickelfanaustralia
it's easy to drink cause its so smooth, no alcohol reek, clean, mega loaded with oily soft tannins.
But it too heavy for my weak body and made me tired rather then give me as lively kick.

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 9:38 am
by boneuphtoner
I've only had two pours of Bookers in my life, one a mini I bought on a recent trip to Louisville (which I sampled neat), and in a bar a couple of nights ago with one large ice cube. It is my favorite of the Beam bourbon line by far. Although at nearly $50 around here, I don't plan on regularly stocking this.

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:04 am
by Birdo
I only had a tiny sample at the Beam Distillery. Good as it was, I like Knob Creek from Beam better, and I have a great deal more comfort paying $25/750ml as opposed to $45, F-ing Yikes!!!

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:38 pm
by William
a friend at my favorite liquor store told me the master distiller said to pour two shots or double shots into a glass and drink them with some water, then pour the rest in a blender and lightly blend it for 12 minutes. he said its never been better and always does that. you can look around for similar stories if you want, but when i get a blender ill try it out.

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 3:00 pm
by gillmang
That's interesting, I've never heard the blender idea. Does he put whiskey-and-water in it or just the whiskey? I wonder why 12 minutes, that is a long time to run a blender I think. I don't have much experience with them but in cooking it's usually 30 seconds or a minute or so. Can these things overheat (given too all that high test in there...)? Again I have no experience with it and just asking.

Gary

Re: Bookers

Unread postPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:16 am
by dickelfanaustralia
I may skip bookers. some 2012 reviews mention it too spirity and needs ice cubes. I don't recall in being like this.