Booker’s “Shiny Barrel” Bourbon Review (2-2019)

By Emily Mullis

Rating: B+

Booker’s new bourbon release is a nostalgic nod to the old days when rickhouse workers would sneak a few sips of whiskey from the barrels through the use of hidden, plastic tubes carried in their overalls called “mules.” When these surreptitious sips were taken, the workers’ overalls would rub against the barrels, buffing away the dust and dirt leaving the barrel “shiny.” These cleaner barrels were often found in or around the center of the Rickhouse leading previous Master Distiller Booker Noe to figure that this was where the best whiskey in the warehouse could be found. Following up with this tradition, Master Distiller Fred Noe of Jim Beam Distillery chose barrels from the middle floors of the rickhouses for his “Shiny Barrel” release.

What actually makes these barrels so much better? It has to do with temperature and humidity. The center levels of warehouses are ideal for the aging process because water cannot evaporate too slow or too quick; it’s just right. Booker’s Shiny Barrel Batch includes pulls from a 6th floor and two 4th floor barrels of three different 9-story warehouses. Fred Noe claims to taste each and every batch to ensure that it meets his standards as well as Booker fans’ standards.

The Bourbon
Booker’s is known for its high alcohol content; Shiny Barrel Batch is no different, sitting at 124 proof (62.0%). It is bottled uncut, straight from the barrel and aged at 6 years, 5 months and 1 day. It has a dark chestnut coloring in the bottle and a brilliant gold-chestnut in a glass.

As with most whiskeys, the initial opening of the bottle hits your nose pretty hard with the alcohol smell but once you get it in a glass you’ll find the nose is actually quite subtle. There is a hint of leather accompanied by a distinguishable sweetness that can be described as vanilla but I think is something more.

Because of the high proof, it’s important to note that this whiskey has a strong numbing effect after tasting. With that said, don’t expect to get a lot of tasting notes after a few sips. In your first taste, you will get hints of that same sweetness in the nose as well as a sweet cherry followed by a sharpness in the swallow. I highly suggest that in order to get more tasting notes, bloom the whiskey or even split it if you’re not accustomed to Bookers.

The finish will leave you with the typical bourbon burn but also has a follow up of a sharp, bright flavor leading into a bitter final finishing note.

The Price
The bottle is suggested to go for $79.99 at retail price.