Booker’s ‘Springfield’ Small Batch Bourbon 2024-01

This is the very first 2024 installment of the limited production project from the Bourbon leaders, Booker’s and their iconic master distiller, Freddie Noe. They’re calling this batch ‘Springfield Batch’ as an homage to Booker Noe’s hometown in Kentucky where he was born and raised. This is a little bit of an older age statement than the last few in the series at 7 years, 7 months, and 8 days. It was bottled at 62% (124 Proof).

Like all batches of Booker’s Bourbon, ‘Springfield’ Batch was selected by Seventh Generation Master Distiller Freddie Noe. Springfield Batch is composed of whiskeys with five different production dates, whose barrels were all aged at Beam’s Clermont campus, in four different warehouses. The barrels were pulled from the following Clermont locations:

7% from the 4th floor of 9-story warehouse H
17% from 5th floor of 9-story warehouse G
31% from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Z
45% from the 4th floor of 7-story warehouse 3

The color of this Booker’s batch invites you to take a long look and enjoy the rich, beautiful color. The nose is very pleasant, with all the characteristics Dad looked for in his namesake bourbon. The vanilla and brown sugar sweet notes come through very well from the white oak barrels this bourbon aged in for over seven years. The taste is great and full bodied; when I added a splash of water, it opened up some great flavors, with a finish that gives a lovely “Kentucky Hug” that isn’t too hot, but just right.

Bonus fun fact for all of you New York Giants fans, Springfield is also the town from which Super Bowl winning quarterback Phil Simms hails.