There’s this bromide in the bourbon world when talking about a new Booker’s batch, “IT TASTES LIKE BOOKER’S!” Cue riotous laughter and slaps on the backs of Titleist polos from dudes who stare longingly at their unopened cornwater action figure collections.

Sure, Booker’s is always going to be cask strength around 125pf, around 6-7 years old, and in the modern era, around $90 retail. The fun in each iteration is highlighting what’s new or salacious about each batch.

Enter Donohoe’s Batch, the first quarter release of 2021. Straight out the staves, this is amongst the darkest mosquito in amber look to is, this side of Stagg Jr. Oversteeped ice tea and dehydrated long haul trucker urine, that dark radiance.

The nose leans towards baker’s spice, apple fritter, and peach pie. The fusel waves are sometimes like dry scooping C4 preworkout and hit your jawline hard. This is a bit more tempered but it’s still young with irresponsible plans of buying a van and taking a gap year. That reckless heat of someone into solo bouldering and Hot Tamales dab rigs.

Every Booker’s drop I wonder if this will be the one where it goes full McKenna and hoarding middle management insurance adjusters begin stacking them on some Container Store furniture in a Midwest basement never to be opened. Kentucky made the original NFTs.

Donohoe was this ex-NFL BILL BRASKY time of legend who used to light people’s chests up with the 90’s Beam drippings. In way, Booker’s truly is the antithesis of stasis fetishists whose enjoyment of bourbon begins and ends with possession itself.

The taste is on the drier side for Booker’s but still has a nice almond and caramelized pecan to the swallow, which is predictably spicy. The finish is solid and long albeit swerves a touch into the muddled cider and children’s aspirin realm. It’s uncut, that Mitsubishi Lancer with a transmission that has trouble gripping second gear and shudders on the third date so she’s blushing and looking down at her Madewell shoes on the way to Macaroni Grill, that supportive heat. 

Booker’s stands by you when you need it most, until covetous baby palates take her away from you.