Raspberry | Strawberry | Powdered sugar | Rich vanilla | Chestnut | Baking spices | Clove

Raisin | Chocolate-covered cherry | Hazelnut | Plum

Toasted cinnamon | Rye spice | Tannic oak | Dry leather | Faint grapefruit | Lingering rye spice

The first batch release of Booker’s Bourbon for 2026 is titled “Big Easy Batch” and is dedicated to Booker Noe's love for New Orleans and its food, especially the hot dog street cart. According to the company, “He made his first trips down there as a young man, friends like Billy Roby by his side, the two of them eating and drinking their way around town.” These trips would become a staple of Booker Noe’s life, often returning to the famous Bourbon Street and on one special occasion, the city temporarily renamed Bourbon Street to Jim Beam Bourbon Street for a day in his honor.

It’s been a while since a Booker's batch rose above the brand’s relatively high quality baseline. “Big Easy Batch” tries really hard to accomplish such a feat, but doesn’t quite pull it off - but it isn't for a lack of trying.

A hearty swirl of the glass awakens a surprising amount of red fruit in the bourbon’s aroma. Confectionery sweets follow and are capped off with ground scents of chestnut, baking spices, and clove. It’s a great start. The palate is the bourbon’s most straightforward part, with raisin dominating, followed by chocolate-covered cherry, warm, nutty hazelnut, and the juicy sweet-tart flavor of plum. The finish is much like previous batches and is quite complex, but hampered by tannic oak and dry leather. Toasted cinnamon, rye spice, and faint grapefruit do their best to make up for these few shortcomings.

There are always two sides to any topic, and there are those who believe every Booker’s Bourbon batch is the same and others who feel there isn’t enough consistency between releases. Though it is true we’re still waiting on an outstanding named batch on par with the release of the limited edition Booker’s The Reserves in 2024, most will really enjoy the “Big Easy Batch.” With its wide range of flavors and nicely dialed-in proof that drinks lower than stated, “Big Easy Batch” is an easy recommendation for fans of the brand.