Booker’s Bourbon has unveiled the first batch of its 2022 Collection — Booker’s Batch 2022-01, aka “Ronnie’s Batch.” The whiskey is named in honor of Ronnie Land, a longtime employee at the Jim Beam Clermont and Boston, Kentucky plants, when Booker Noe was master distiller.
Ronnie worked at Jim Beam for 40 years, eventually working his way up to Warehouse Manager. Ronnie was responsible for keeping inventory of aging barrels, a key part of the bourbon-making process, and he knew the quantities and locations by heart. He also knew exactly where Booker preferred to store his namesake barrels and was trusted to prepare the samples for batch evaluation. Once, Ronnie sent Booker a box of small samples to taste, and Booker immediately knew they weren’t big enough to get a proper sense of the whiskey. Ronnie then went back and prepared samples that were notably bigger, and Booker was more than pleased. This became the standard sample size which 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe and his son, 8th Generation Beam Family Distiller Freddie Noe, still use to this day.
Booker’s “Ronnie’s Batch” was selected by 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe to ensure it upholds the qualities and standards that his dad set for Booker’s Bourbon more than 30 years ago. Uncut and unfiltered, this batch was chosen with the following characteristics:
Bottled at 124.3 proof, Booker’s Ronnie’s Batch was aged for 6 years, 11 months, and 22 days. It has a nice color and a rich vanilla aroma with hints of brown spice that is enjoyable even before the first sip. It has a sweet taste that comes from the time spent aging in the Kentucky climate. It has a warm and pleasant finish, making it an ideal pour.
The brand recommends enjoying the whiskey neat, over ice, or with a few drops of water.
Booker’s Bourbon is one of the only bourbons that is bottled uncut at its natural proof. Inspired by a 200-year-old family tradition, Booker Noe, Jim Beam’s grandson and 6th Generation Master Distiller, first created Booker’s Bourbon as a Christmas gift for close friends and family. Booker took barrels found in the center-cut of the rack house, and bottled the bourbon straight-from-the-barrel. Each batch of the 2022 collection will be released in limited quantities featuring a unique label and batch name honoring Booker Noe, his love of family and his spirit of experimentation.
Booker’s Ronnie’s Batch is available nationwide beginning in June in limited quantities with a Suggested Retail Price of $89.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
For more information head over to Booker’s Bourbon’s official website.