BOTM, 3/06: Baker's

[jeff]

This month's selection doesn't seem to garner the same amount of discussion on the boards as does its more popular siblings, but don't take that as a sign of inferiority. Named for one of history's great distillers, Baker's is a proud and unique member of Beam's Small Batch Collection and proof that great bourbon can made by a mega distillery.

What is your opinion?

:893drillsergeant-thSound Off:893drillsergeant-th

[SBOmarc]

I have a few mini bottles of Baker's so I will not have to buy the 750 bottle to find out what I already have experienced. I have tasted Baker's and of all the small batch collection I put Booker's ( of course ) and Knob Creek ahead of it. I do however enjoy it more than Basil Hayden and will be happy to retry the BOTM.

I never did open my bottle of Fall '05 Stagg. Looking for an occaision and so far nothing has risen to that lofty position.

[mobourbon]

A great choice for BOTM, Jeff. I think it's the best of the Beam Small Batch. It has a great taste. And the proof, at 107, is just right.

[jeff]

I have a few mini bottles of Baker's so I will not have to buy the 750 bottle to find out what I already have experienced. I have tasted Baker's and of all the small batch collection I put Booker's ( of course ) and Knob Creek ahead of it. I do however enjoy it more than Basil Hayden and will be happy to retry the BOTM.

I never did open my bottle of Fall '05 Stagg. Looking for an occaision and so far nothing has risen to that lofty position.

Just having a bottle of Stagg is occasion enough to open it!:cool:

[SBOmarc]

It was easy to come by out here. But it is rare, very rare. BT is doing what they can to market SoCal, but it is taking time. Can get ample Blanton's, Rock Hill and ETL but you better be on your toes when Stagg appears.

[Virus_Of_Life]

Marc, if you need help finding more just ask. I know of many places where GTS can be had. It's actually quite abundant from what I have found, now WLW, ER17 and Saz18 are actually more rare - in that order I have found, with WLW being almost impossbile to find. I even located a stash of Spring '05 GTS still on a shelf. But I digress, I have wanted to try Baker's so this is the perfect push to get me there. I even found a locale with an exceptional price (34) on it, I'll pick up a bottle this week and give it a try by the weekend... Good choice Jeff... I think...

[elkdoggydog]

Baker's is an excellent choice for BOTM. This may be my favorite bourbon- love that smooth, peppery taste. I agree with the poster above who said that it's the best of the Beam small batch, all of which I really enjoy.

[jburlowski]

Let me add my concurrence.... Baker's is the best of the "small batch" bunch. Hot and spicy!

[TNbourbon]

Just opened one of the early Batch B-85-001 bottles -- oddly, that's the one for which I had a duplicate. A scare upon opening -- the cork cracked, but I managed to reverse the direction and twist it out against the break's grain before it separated. Then, alas, the smell of 'bad' cork lingered in the nose from the bottle, and the cork displays streaks of black.

But, all's well -- apparently no damage (the bottle was stored upright; a lesson -- no contact with the cork by the whiskey) to the drink itself.

Pleasantly fruity (akin to JB Black?) on the nose and palate, brown-sugar richness, medium-full body. A couple of minutes in the glass really bring out the brown sugar/maple. The two years between this one and Knob Creek leave in some of the brashness of youth: fewer smoothie barrel notes and a little more spice here, which makes it more complex than KC, to me. In fact, this one calls for something I almost never add -- a (small) ice cube.

Ah, that's nice -- drinks like a spoonful of caramel topping from the bottom of the ice-cream dish.

Very good drink, even at its price ($40-ish around here).

(I think I'll let this one aerate overnight in the bottle to blow off any remaining corkiness, then cap with a replacement cork.)

[Virus_Of_Life]

A retired sports writer huh? I see now where all the creativity goes. If I wasn't already sure I'd be trying the Baker's, reading your review would have just sold me! Well stated as ALWAYS :bowdown:

Still follow sports much? The baseball world lost one of it's greatest in Kirby Puckett today. He went before his time and will be missed.....

[Ambernecter]

I have always had a respect for the small batch collection.

Bookers, just for the strength, punch and peppery flavour will remain my always remain a fave, but Bakers is a close 2nd in this basically 2 horse race.

Knob Creek has it's good days but is not even a pimple on a pig's ass, compared to the magnitude of the pack leaders - Bakers and Bookers.

I fully agree, Bakers is the perfect strength for an experienced Bourbon drinker, but the 107 proof could well be too much for a newbie.

As for Bail Haydens (Haydes?) I'd rather stick hot pins in my eyes than waste my money on such a bland and low proof drink - once bitten twice shy!

Bourbon either cuts the mustard or doesn't in my eyes, and Bakers really should be considered an all time great!

[wskybnt]

Bakers, def on my top 10 list. Bookers also, top 10..but if I had to choose one or the other ...... Bakers

[bobbyc]

Once I spoke briefly to Baker about his signature Bourbon. I mentioned how really fine a bourbon it is. He said, " we intended for that one to be good". He also mentioned the age of 7 years as the perfect amount of time.

[photogjunkie]

Oh Baker's...my Baker's...the bourbon I call a true friend. Never fails to please. One of the BEST of the small batches.

[brian12069]

I am enjoying some Baker's now...very nice...

[TNbourbon]

A retired sports writer huh? I see now where all the creativity goes. If I wasn't already sure I'd be trying the Baker's, reading your review would have just sold me! Well stated as ALWAYS :bowdown:

Still follow sports much? The baseball world lost one of it's greatest in Kirby Puckett today. He went before his time and will be missed.....

Your kind works are much appreciated, Christian.

Ironically (or, perhaps not -- several thousand games can make one a bit jaded, I guess), my sports enthusiasm begins and ends these days with my Titans season tickets. And they haven't generated all that much enthusiasm for a couple of years.

I always enjoyed watching Puckett play, but thought he defied the laws of physics playing with that body. I guess it was the hyperactivity of playing full-speed that kept him fit -- I understand he had become shockingly out-sized the past few years.

Back on topic, the Baker's always surprises me, which ought not be the case after several such surprises, huh?:skep: It's really my favorite of the Small Batch bottlings. I'm (heretically) lukewarm about Booker's, and find both Knob Creek and Basil Hayden's (buyable at half its price) unchallenging, though pleasant.

[barturtle]

Picked up a bottle and drinking it during the chat this evening, while its good, its not as great as I remember it, might be a off night or some such, but if this was my only experience of it, I'd be crying the same chant I do for Basil Hayden..."Too expensive"

Shall revisit another night

[ProofPositive]

Picked up a bottle and drinking it during the chat this evening, while its good, its not as great as I remember it, might be a off night or some such, but if this was my only experience of it, I'd be crying the same chant I do for Basil Hayden..."Too expensive"

Shall revisit another night

I agree with every word. My same thoughts all the way. However, just for the sake of it being BOTM - I'll give it another chance on some night down the road.

[Ambernecter]

No, no, noooooooooooo!

Please don't mention Baker's in the same breath/(lifetime?) as Basil Hayden.

It may not quite cut the mustard for you at the moment, but to compare it to such a scandalously overpriced and overpackaged, nothing going for it whiskey, has just gotta be plain sacrilegious?

For sure one more bite of the cherry for this whiskey - Baker's hold it's own with the heavyweights IMO.

Oops another knee jerk reaction!

[Virus_Of_Life]

No, no, noooooooooooo!

Please don't mention Baker's in the same breath/(lifetime?) as Basil Hayden.

It may not quite cut the mustard for you at the moment, but to compare it to such a scandalously overpriced and overpackaged, nothing going for it whiskey, has just gotta be plain sacrilegious?

For sure one more bite of the cherry for this whiskey - Baker's hold it's own with the heavyweights IMO.

Oops another knee jerk reaction!

I am going to have to agree with you and Tim (above) both in that this, after truly giving it a good tasting, is most likely my favorite in the collection.

Now as much as I hate to have price a factor; money is after all, money. For what I'd have to pay for Booker's I'd rather (and always) buy GTS plain and simple without a doubt it's better, cheaper (usually anyway) and higher proof, 'nuff said!...

I don't think I need to comment on BH do I? The one bottle I have I got "on sale" for $29 and bought for the girlfriend (and other Bourbon newbies) - a good deal compared to regular price. But that, I am convinced, is still a good 10 bucks overpriced.

Knob Creek which I can pretty much always find for $20 is a good pour and will always hold a special place in my heart. It became my every weekend drink back in '98/'99 when I was all of maybe 22 years old. And I kid you knot I drank a lot of it for many months or a few years. Silly as it sounds now it became a weekend event to sit/lie on my black leather couch with a pint, or sometimes 5th, of KC and watch The Matrix on DVD - Dark City to change things up... Aaahhh the good ole days!

Anyway I am very hesitant to say this, blasphemy comes to mind, but Baker's comes closest to reminding me of ------, I'll fill in those blanks at the end of them month if I still fill the same. But I'd have to say it's the best of the s.b. Collection, anything that keeps knob close is the money I save, but otherwise Baker's is head and shoulders above the rest... Yes even Bookers, which by the way I have always loved as it helped ignite my bourbon love about 5 years ago - but is a bit harsh and peppery to me (GTS is not)...

Thanks Jeff for helping push me to give this great bourbon a month long try.... which is going to grow on me as a lifetime favorite!

[bluesbassdad]

VoL,

I don't think I need to comment on BH do I? The one bottle I have I got "on sale" for $29 and bought for the girlfriend (and other Bourbon newbies) - a good deal compared to regular price. But that, I am convinced, is still a good 10 bucks overpriced.

I suggest you keep that fancy, caped and belted bottle and replenish the contents with Old Grand Dad BIB, appropriately dluted. I'd bet no one would be the wiser.

Anyway I am very hesitant to say this, blasphemy comes to mind, but Baker's comes closest to reminding me of ------ . . .

Dang it! I wish you hadn't said that. If memory serves (far from a sure bet) Baker's does have a quality that's similar to some of the sherry-finished, malt beverages. I have neither one on hand right now, so I can't test my recollection. If anyone has both Baker's and The M________n 12 y/o on hand, I'd love to hear the results of a head-to-head tasting.

Perhaps it would be better to post the results in some other thread.

If, as you imply, that's too far out, then a comparo of Baker's and Eagle Rare Single Barrel (often likened to grape spirits) might be interesting.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[elkdoggydog]

VoL,

If, as you imply, that's too far out, then a comparo of Baker's and Eagle Rare Single Barrel (often compared to grape spirits) might be interesting.

I actually did that one this past fall. The Baker's really stood out as a more balanced flavor, while the Eagle Rare had a sort of rubberiness to it that was unflattering when compared to Baker's, though the ERSB is a fine bouron. I think the major advantage of the Baker's in this tasting was its spiciness, which complements the warmth of a higher-proof bourbon, in my opinion. I have a limited tasting vocabulary, so I'm sure I'm not expressing it that well, but this comparison really showed me how much I like Baker's.

I'd like to try it again with the grape spirit comparison in mind, but alas, I have neither Baker's nor ERSB on hand right now. The comparison to sherry-finished whiskies is also interesting.

[bluesbassdad]

Just to clarify, do you mean "rubberiness" in the sense of lacking sturdiness, focus, or backbone, or in the more literal sense, as "tastes like rubber"? I ask only so I'll know what to keep in mind, assuming I can remember that long, the next time I have the opportunity to compare them.

To clarify my own post, I should have said "likened", not "compared". I'll make that change if the time allowed to edit my earlier post hasn't expired.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

This BOTM finally tipped the scales and made me go out an buy my first bottle of Baker's. For some reason, here in Sapporo, Baker's is usually more expensive than Booker's, about ten bucks more. So, I hadn't been too tempted to try it. Recently, I noticed that some places sold it at a more reasonable price, so, I had been mulling a purchase over.

Yesterday I paid 3550 yen for it. I was on a bit of a shopping spree, I bought five other bottles as well. Blanton's Silver, Corner Creek 8 year old, Old Charter 12, Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year old 90 proof and an Irish whiskey, Paddy's.

As soon as I got home I had a pour of Baker's. My first impression was disappointing. It seemed spirity and lacking in the spiciness that I value in a well aged bourbon. A little harsh on the throat. With some water added it was uninspiring. I went on to try some of my other purchases. I had a pour of the Corner Creek, another first, and it was okay. No wow. (I had a glass of Guinness in here somewhere.) Then I had a pour of the Paddy's and it was a nice Irish. I look forward to getting to know it. One of these nights I will line up all my Irish whiskeys and see what happens. Then I opened my Blanton's Silver, now that was more like it! Lovely cookie spices, sweet, Ahh.... And then I thought that I should give the Baker's one more try. I poured myself maybe 5-10 ml to rinse the glass out, swirled it around and it was wonderful. Now that the glass was 'clean' I poured myself 10 ml more and it was still great. A different kind of spiciness from the Blanton's was present. Licorice. So, my second impression was much better than my first.

Tonight, after work, I will give the Baker's another try, maybe two or three pours, to see what my third impression is.

Ed

[Ambernecter]

Tonight, after work, I will give the Baker's another try, maybe two or three pours, to see what my third impression is.

Ed

That's a good plan Ed!

I can very rarely judge a whiskey on just one measure/sitting - the only one recently was the VW Lot B that I just knew was right.

I remember that Baker's was always better the further down the label I got.

In fact I'm off to London soon - guess what I'll be bringing back with me? Well it'll be more that 1 bottle, but Baker's will be there for sure!