Baker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Review: Baker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey   94/100
Review by Chip Dykstra
Posted July 7, 2023

Baker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is an original member of  Jim Beam’s Small Batch Bourbon Collection composed of Booker’s, Baker’s, Knob Creek,and Basil Hayden’s.  Although Jim Beam Distillers no longer promotes the Small Batch Collection, I would like to suggest that this selection of premium bourbon played no small part in the explosion of popularity of the spirit for whiskey enthusiasts. (It certainly has a positive impact on me.)

Baker’s Bourbon is named for Baker Beam, who was the grand-nephew of James Beauregard Beam (Jim Beam). Each bottle is poured from a single barrel. When that barrel is used up, the next bottles will come from a new barrel. This means that the overall flavour profile is unique to each barrel produced. As well, there is no particular location in the Beam/Suntory aging warehouses that is identifiable as the location where the ‘Baker’s Barrels’ can be found. Instead Baker’s Barrels are identified only by tasting the bourbon within to see if the barrel’s contents fit the flavour profile and quality standards set for the brand.

Baker’s Bourbon is bottled at 107 proof (53.5% alcohol by volume) and produced from whisky which was aged for a minimum of 7 years.

In The Bottle 4/5

In my locale, Baker’s arrives in the medium tall clear bottle shown to the left. The bottle and label have been kept very simple and my feeling is that the company is attempting to link the bourbon to a not to distant past when this style of bottle presentation would have been more common place. Beam Global is trying to insert the notion into the consumer’s mind, that it is the bourbon that they are paying for, not the bottle. I admit, that I personally would prefer a bottle with more ‘wow’ factor, although I understand that others may disagree. I am pleased with the wax dipped corked closure which helps to bring out the message that protecting what is inside the bottle just might be important. However, I am concerned that this cork closure seems to be very spongy and lightweight. I wonder to myself, just how sturdy this particular cork is?

Note: Since receiving this bottle, I have noticed that a new bottle is being released (see below). I guess the folks at Beam may have agreed with me that a nicer presentation was in order.

In the Glass 9.5/10

In the glass, Baker’s Bourbon shows itself as a rich copper coloured spirit. When I tilted and twirled that glass, the crest which formed held fat little leglets which refused to drop back down into the whiskey. The breezes above the glass were rich and enticing with the scents of sappy oak, rich vanilla and caramel chocolate. Honeycomb joins in with luscious baking spices (particularly cloves and cinnamon) drifting into the breezes.

As I wait, the scents and smells in the air all seem to meld together, and it becomes more and more difficult to separate one impression from another. A vague nuttiness seems to bring an impression of marzipan forward which is seemingly interlaced with spicy orange marmalade. This is truly wonderful to nose!

In the Mouth 57/60

This is one of those spirits where you take a sip and your mouth and taste-buds explode with an expression of ‘wow’! The bourbon spirit has a rich flavour profile full of all of the good things which makes me love whiskey! The spiciness is off the charts, no doubt aided by the 53.5% alcohol by volume bottling strength of the Baker’s Whisky. Despite the full barrel of spice (and despite the obvious push of alcohol) the spirit is remarkable easy to sip. This is because all that spice is accompanied by an equally forceful explosion of oak flavour and caramel sweetness.

It is a dark sweet caramel with chocolate, rich pipe tobacco, heavy vanillans, and sappy oak all coming together with fine wood spices forming a wonder elixir that begs to be sipped. I can taste roasted walnuts, charred coconut, hints of dark rum and treacle, and even a touch of salt which all add to the whiskey’s character.

In the Throat 14/15

The finish is long and spicy leaving the heat of peppery cinnamon and cloves and the flavours of bittersweet chocolate and caramel toffee lingering upon the palate. The only deterrent is a walnut-like bitterness which builds with each sip. Having said that, it might also be true that this bitterness would be for some, a welcome foil to the abundant caramel sweetness the spirit possesses.

The Afterburn 9.5/10

As you can see from the image to the right, the folks at Beam Suntory seem to have already addressed the only obvious flaw with their Baker’s Bourbon. The new bottle is snazzy and is a much better match for the quality of the bourbon inside,

You may read some of my other Whiskey Reviews (click the link) if you wish to have some comparative reviews.

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As always you may interpret the scores I provide as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74   Now we have a fair mixing rum or whisky.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79   You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84   We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89   Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94   Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+        I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be more familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)