Booker’s “Pigskin” Bourbon Review (2020)

By Douglas Fraser

Average Rating: B-

Booker’s “Pigskin” (2020-03)
(Credit: Beam Suntory)

Booker’s Small Batch Bourbon is the creation of legendary Jim Beam Master Distiller Booker Noe, continued by his son and successor Fred Noe. Booker’s was a forerunner of the seminal Jim Beam Small Batch Collection of the early 1990s, which did so much to cement the foundation of bourbon’s comeback.

Each year, four batches of Booker’s Bourbon come out, and these remain highly sought after, and in recent years these batches have each had their own particular name. This one, Batch 3 from 2020 (and still very present on liquor store shelves) was timed for the end of the football season. In my experience, some batches have been fantastic, and some not as much.

The Bourbon
Booker’s Bourbon Batch 2020-03 “Pigskin” was bottled at 127.3 proof/63.65% ABV after about six and a half years of maturation. The mash bill is the normal Beam recipe, consisting of 77% corn, 13% rye, and 10% malted barley. The taste profile for this bourbon is very straightforward with its typical bourbon notes.

The color is clear tawny. The nose is full of sweet bourbon notes of butterscotch, cinnamon, brown butter, and caramel. Accompanying are notes of cherry pie, banana bread, toasted oak, and a slight nuttiness. The palate opens with burnt wood notes, almost like burnt saw dust. This is followed by roasted peanuts and more butterscotch sweetness. There is a heavy alcohol burn, and the whiskey feels younger. The finish is long accompanied by heavy alcohol burn, charred oak, and cherry notes. Although the nose was fantastic, the palate and finish lack in complexity as the taste did not hold up to the aromas.

Addendum by Randall H. Borkus

The nose is bold and dry putting on me notice of the proof to come. After my brain acclimates to the alcohol burst, I notice hints of apple-cherry candy with loads of rickhouse oak and sawdust.

Upon my first sip, the bold proof is immediately prevalent with a blistering front palette.  The whiskey is hot and exhibits a viscus oily mouthfeel and a solid Kentucky Bourbon burn.  I was looking for leather or some hint of bacon that some of my peers have described, but I’m not getting any of it.  When I add a few drops of water, I find a smoky burnt oak flavor that reminds me of smoked meat.  The mid-palette continues hot and juicy with loads of oak wood and dryness. I have to say the proof makes it tough for me to enjoy without a few drops of water as the burning sensation is rather dominant.

The finish is bold, spicy, and intense.  With a few drops of water, I find an oily feel that gives way to hints of burnt sugar sweetness and sawdust that linger on my tongue.

This whiskey screams traditional Kentucky for those who need a bourbon hug.  Nonetheless, for my, I need a little water to knock down the proof to open up the flavor profile and then I am able to enjoy the whiskey.

The Price
Booker’s Bourbon Batch 2020-03 “Pigskin” can be found for $90.