Booker’s hasn’t necessarily been a rare sight for my blog or collection, but it’s been a hot minute since I last covered it. In fact, if we don’t include samples, the only Booker’s that graced my presence was 2019-02 “Shiny Barrel.” That is, until 2023, when I decided I wanted to add more Booker’s to my collection. This started with 2023-01, dubbed “Charlie’s Batch.” After trying a good variety of bourbons from a decent range of distilleries, I’ve started narrowing down the profiles I really gravitate toward. Even when I viewed Booker’s more critically (mainly due to the price), I still had a soft spot for it since few bourbons could capture what it did: a uniquely chewy mouthfeel.

Plenty of whiskeys achieve high levels of density, viscosity, or other thick-adjacent adjectives, but Booker’s always registered more distinctly to me. The profile from batch to batch could be inconsistent, yet that oily, borderline puckering consistency has always held true. Not everyone is a fan of this aspect, but for those like me who tend to enjoy it, Booker’s is a delight when it scratches that itch while checking a few other boxes (pun not intended). Many old school Booker’s fans seem to be fans of the classic, peanut shell profile of batches like the appropriately named Kentucky Chew, but I usually lean on the other end, craving sweeter notes like those in Pigskin and Country Ham.

Another factor that I’ll shamelessly admit pulls me toward Booker’s, despite my usual aversion to marketing gimmicks, is the inclusion of the iconic box. These wooden boxes are almost certainly a way for Jim Beam/Suntory to justify classifying Booker’s as a premium product, yet they’ve also become a common point of criticism for wary consumers. I certainly understand (and even agree with) it. Even so, there’s something oddly endearing about the refusal to update Booker’s, from the bottle design to the arguably superfluous packaging. Plus the boxes can be repurposed in a variety of ways with the right mind, so there’s that, assuming it applies to you.

Speaking of Booker’s boxes, that’s where we get back to today’s Booker’s batch in question. Charlie Hutchens, the titular individual of 2023-01 “Charlie’s Batch,” is noted for being the man who came up with the boxes that every batch of Booker’s comes with. Hutchens is a long-time friend of the Beam family who started making the Booker’s boxes in his garage. He’s since left Jim Beam to run a cabinet shop with his brother, some of which ended up at the new Fred B. Noe Distillery, where Booker’s is presently distilled.

A welcome aspect of Charlie’s Batch comes from it following in the footsteps of the 2022 Booker’s batches: a slightly higher age statement. 2022-02 “Lumberyard Batch” saw Booker’s cross from six to seven years and since then, the batches have trekked upward. Charlie’s leans a bit younger in that sense, but still clocks in at seven years, one month, and eight days for its minimum age. The barrels used for it came from the following warehouses, all of which are seven stories tall:

• 3% 5^th floor of warehouse Q
• 17% from 4^th floor of warehouse G
• 24% from 4^th floor warehouse Z
• 27% from 5^th floor warehouse Z
• 29% from 5^th floor warehouse I

Like all Booker’s, 2023-01 “Charlie’s Batch” is bottled at cask strength and forgoes chill filtration. The final ABV is 63.3% with MSRP hovering around the $100 price point.

Nose: Big-time spice cabinet vibes. Red pepper flake and mild cinnamon stick with hints of clove and torched orange rind. The lightly roasted corn note characteristic of Booker’s is present yet discrete here, presenting the expected accompaniment of almond and light brown sugar notes you frequently get in modern Jim Beam products. Unsurprising for Booker’s, but absolutely enticing.

Palate: The proof pulls few punches. Even so, it’s a tactful emulation of the nose, combining an upfront sweetness with ensuing dryness. Loads of barrel char, tobacco, freshly roasted nuts, toasted marshmallow, leather, and burnt orange notes to go around as each sip comes to life.

Finish: Classic, chewy Booker’s finish is fully present. Creamed corn, almond butter, light marzipan, and subtle vanilla all contribute a familiar-yet-pleasing persona that few other bourbons can pull off to this degree. And as with the palate, there’s a great, underlying presence of barrel char that Booker’s doesn’t usually provide.

When you’re familiar with Booker’s, you generally know what to expect: A big, bold personality underpinned by Jim Beam’s ubiquitous nutty profile. Some batches may lean further into a caramel, cream, and cornbread profile while others play up a dry, peanut shell, and heavy barrel char personality, but it tends to reside on a generally limited spectrum. Then you have a batch like Charlie’s, which might be my favorite of the handful I’ve tried.

That bold, nutty personality is in full swing here, but it feels like one piece of the puzzle rather than the entire show. More specifically, it acts like a foundation for the other notes to build upon. The winning formula for me is how Charlie’s Batch incorporates the big-time spice cabinet vibes I immediately called out on the nose. Spices are practically a given with bourbon, but Charlie’s brings a combination that perfectly complements its underlying Jim Beam personality while adding other wood-influenced notes, from the tangible barrel char and tobacco to the subtle toasted marshmallow and burnt orange notes. The end result is a winning formula that makes me look at other Booker’s batches more critically, because this is a high I wish the line would hit more regularly.