Whisky review: Booker’s 2018-04 Kitchen Table

May is Whisky Review Month at WhiskySuggest.com. During this month, we’ll share 10 of the most entertaining, informative, unique or spot-on whisk(e)y reviews with the rest of the world. Every three days, a whisky review of one of the 50,000+ Whisky Suggest App users is selected as Featured Whisky Review. Today we’re sharing bdawson57‘s extensive tasting notes of Booker’s 2018-04 Kitchen Table.

I am a BIG fan of Booker’s bourbon and waited to open this bottle until another was secured.  My delay was rewarded with a wonderful treat … This bourbon ticks all the boxes: a favorable look in the glass, an inviting nose, flavours that explode in the mouth, and an exceptionally long finish.

Whiskey information

Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam, Master Distiller Booker Noe
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Small Batch: 2018-04 “Kitchen Table”
Mash bill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Casks: New Charred Oak
Age: 6 years 8 months 12 Days
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered
ABV: 64% (128 proof)

Review setting

I drank it neat, from a Glencairn glass.

The rating below compares to my reviews of Blanton’s Single Barrel, Booker’s 2018-03 “Kentucky Chew”, Col. E.H. Taylor Small Batch, and Four Roses Small Batch.

Nose

Booker’s 2018-04 “Kitchen Table” is a suberbly balanced and inviting bourbon with no alcohol noted on the nose.  Its simple and gentle aroma of sweet corn roasted over an open fire blends into caramelized buttery brown sugar with a hint of oak.  With deeper and prolonged scenting, ripe plums come foward then give way to dark fruit leather covered in vanilla infused chocolate butter cream frosting.

Palate

Kitchen Table is at first firey and hot, but once downed the dram becomes full, flavourful and warming.  With careful sipping, blueberries and dried prunes can be coaxed from the juice and there is the pleasent bourbon spiciness of white pepper and hot vanilla as well.  Its sweetness is an enjoyable concoction of buttery brown sugar caramel and as the dram draws low, flavours of raw peanuts, well polished leather and mild, sweet oak slide down the throat.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Kitchen Table’s fat clinging droplets drip down the Glencairn in thick clinging legs.  It is solidly balanced, big, and full, is viscous and warming and treats the throat with a little tickle.

Finish

Kitchen Table’s finish is big, balanced, pleasant, rich, warm, and exceptionally long.  When the dram is gone, pleasent scents of new sawn oak planks waft from the Glencairn.

Score

91/100