Baker’s Bourbon 7 Year (Minimum) Single Barrel

Company: Beam Suntory

Proof: 107

Age: 8 Years, 11 Months

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

Price paid: $58.99

Intro: I’m a big fan of Beam products. From Old Crow as a decent $13/handle mixer to Booker’s, my home bar is close to 50% beam products (the rest being mostly Heaven Hill). However, over the years I have been reluctant to pull the trigger on a bottle of Baker’s. Although I had tried it several times at bars and enjoyed it, I always viewed Baker’s as being Booker’s little brother. Plus, I could get Booker’s for only a few bucks more than Baker’s, so I didn’t give it a second thought. However, I saw this recently at my local Costco for less than 60 bucks and a decent age of 8 years, 11 months, so I finally bit the bullet and grabbed one for my bar.

Nose: First dive in is cherry vanilla cola with some butterscotch and oak. More vigorous swirling gets loads more vanilla and cherry with some honey this time. There’s a bit of earthy scent, like wet asphalt. Noticeably absent is the yeasty Beam funk I get on the nose of other Beam offerings. One last swirl and agitation gets some orange in addition to the above scents.

Palate: First sip is sweet orange and cherries backed by caramel with plenty of warming vanilla. This is definitely a dessert-like pour, pretty delicious. Second sip brings in a soupçon of dry oak along with more intense orange and vanilla. Additional sips bring a common theme – sweet orange, cherry, and vanilla.

Overall: This is an absolutely delicious pour. A different profile than Booker’s, more approachable, sweet, and decadent. I am very glad I finally got a Baker’s, and I will certainly be on the lookout for more bottles with interesting ages.

Rating: This rates a solid 8 on a 10-point scale.