Booker’s 2025-04 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

2025-04

The fourth and final Booker’s release of 2025, “Phantom Pipes Batch” is literally named after pipes. In this case, the company states that the name comes from “a maze of pipes discovered in the rafters of the Boston distillery that led…nowhere. Turns out, those ‘phantom pipes’ were remnants of Booker Noe’s restless tinkering - an engineer’s playground born of determination, creativity, and a dash of good old-fashioned stubborn genius.” As Fred Noe recalls, “Dad was always connecting one thing to another, chasing the next great idea with whatever he had on hand.”

The thing with Booker’s Bourbon is that more often than not, you can expect it to be the stable workhorse in the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection. The 2025-04 “Phantom Pipes Batch” is no exception, delivering a great well-rounded pour that is everything you could want out of a barrel proof Kentucky bourbon. The sip is full of flavor, highlighting classic sweet and spicy bourbon notes from start to finish. While it would be nice to see the tannic oak tamed a bit, the other flavor notes thankfully never let it steal attention away from the overall sip. Those who have enjoyed a pour of Booker’s Bourbon in the past will certainly be at home with this final release of 2025.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Vanilla bean, aged, seasoned oak, caramel chews, baking spices, cinnamon cake, faint coffee liquor, black peppercorn.

Palate: Mixed peppercorn spice, rye spice, slightly tannic oak, caramel chews, yellow cake, vanilla powder, brown sugar.

Finish: Cinnamon powder, rye spice, tannic oak, faint peach, leather, lingering rye spice.

Mashbill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley

63.2% ABV / 126.4 Proof

750 ML