Coming in at Number 3 on on Top 5 Countdown of 2024 is Baker’s 7 Year Single Barrel Bourbon. Baker’s is probably the least known of the four bourbons that make up Jim Beam’s Small Batch Collection. The others are Basil Hayden, Knob Creek and Booker’s Bourbon.
This pick is sure to be the most controversial as according to the website, ““No two barrels of Baker’s are the same. Each is as unique as the man the bourbon is named for. Each barrel sits in its own unique place throughout our rickhouses, patiently aging for a minimum of seven years to extract the notes of vanilla trapped within the charred oak. And with Baker’s there’s no batching or mixing. Each bottle is filled from one singular barrel. Which means inside each bottle is a big, bold bourbon, full of tiny subtle details that change barrel to barrel.” Here at The Barrel Burner, we have had a few bottles of this pour and they are relatively close to each other in our experience.
Of this particular barrel we wrote, “The front end offered a wonderful sweetness on the first sip by a powerhouse of heat on the backend that roared from my nostrils eliciting a sneeze. The sweetness can be defined as caramel with a touch of vanilla. While the backend of the sip showcases notes of rye and peppercorns. It’s an excitingly tastestful transition between the two.”
Baker’s marks the 3rd bourbon on the list with an ABV above 50% with this come coming in at 53.5% making it 107 Proof. You can read our full review at https://www.thebarrelburner.com/bourbon-review-bakers-7-year-single-barrel-bourbon/
