In case you missed it, the Booker’s 25th Anniversary edition was released this weekend. I was woefully unprepared for this event, as I had been under the impression it wasn’t going to be released until March. I’ve been to three liquor stores already with no luck. I’m about to hit store #4 this afternoon. But with a limited release of only 6000 bottles, I might have to get into someone’s good graces to try a nip.
What’s so special about this bottle? For starters, it contains some of the last juice produced by Booker Noe himself before he passed away ten years ago. A few weeks ago I was witness to this conversation between Fred Noe and Tom Fischer of Bourbon Blog. It’s not often you see a master distiller of the largest bourbon maker in America get sentimental over one of his products. But it was a beautiful moment I fully intend to toast with some of this bourbon.
Booker Noe was partially responsible for the current popularity boom of bourbon across the world. He invented small batch bourbon. Elmer T. Lee, Jimmy Russell, and Booker Noe are what Fred Noe refers to as the “elder statesmen” of the bourbon industry. He credits their hard work pounding pavement and talking to bourbon enthusiasts with the upswing in the bourbon industry.
Booker’s Bourbon is always uncut and unfiltered, “just like dad,” says Fred Noe. Along with this special anniversary bottle dipped in bronze wax with a painted-on label, you will receive 25 “Bookerisms” in each box. After hearing Fred Noe tell stories about his dad, I can’t wait to read some of these.
The juice that went into this bottle is a little older than most of what goes into a typical bottle of Booker’s. As a result, it’s slightly higher proof than your regular Booker’s and the color is slightly darker. See The Bourbon Guys review here. Also see The Bourbon Review’s story about the release here.
Now stop reading and go find a bottle. Then tweet me @LouGirl502 and tell me all about it.
Photos Courtesy of Bourbonblog.com, Tom Fischer, and Maggie Kimberl
