We’re behind on new Booker’s releases, so we’re ganging up the latest pair of releases in this head-to-head look at two offerings, both landing at about the 7 1/2 year-old mark. Details on each (and an explanation of their names) follow alongside our reviews.
Booker’s Bourbon “Milkshake Batch” 2026-02 Review
Perhaps an obvious one: Booker Noe loved milkshakes, and this namesake offering hits the bottle after 7 years, 6 months, and 12 days in barrel, blended from four production runs, all warehoused separately. The name also feels apt, as there’s a certain chocolate bent to the finished product, evident on the nose alongside a more strenuous vanilla character. Racy cinnamon and nutmeg amplify the sweeter side of the whiskey, lightly smoldering barrel char lingering in the nostrils.
The chocolate element pops right away on the tongue, and though the whiskey is naturally on the boozy side, it doesn’t overwhelmingly feel hot. Water is helpful all the same, tempering any overt pushiness and letting the sweeter side to be revealed of what is increasingly a seductive and cheery bourbon. Brought down to about 100 proof or so, a dark caramel-toffee quality becomes prominent, the finish reminiscent of Skor candy bars, though further analysis sees an even sweeter conclusion — vanilla cake frosting, approaching butterscotch — emerging into view. Dialing in the right amount of water tempering takes more than a little doing.
I’d love to have seen more fruit on this whiskey; as it stands, there’s just a hint of maraschino cherry that flits in and out of view, chased off by touches of tobacco. All told, though, it’s a high-end expression in the series. 124.4 proof. A- / $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Booker’s Bourbon “Southern Thunder Batch” 2026-03 Review
I will let you guess who “Southern Thunder” describes. This whiskey is aged 7 years, 8 months, and 14 days, pulled from a collection of five batches from four different rickhouses. Booker’s almost goes two for two with this release, which is bombastic on the nose — heavier on char and savory elements compared to 2026-02 — with a clear tobacco note that becomes increasingly smoky the longer it sits in the glass. Eventually the whiskey settles heavily into this groove, though it remains a little off-putting thanks to its even toastier bottling proof, which hits the nose heavy on the barrel.
The palate offers a bit of a twist. Savory, almost beefy to start, a latent sweetness offers notes of citrus peel and Maraska cherry, hinting at anise, later more strongly at clove. Caramel dominates as the body fills things in, with more cherry and spice filling in the gaps. Again, finding the perfect amount of water is a worthwhile endeavor, which balances out notes of nougat, spice, and fruit — but only if you work at it. At cask strength, the barrel remains overtly dominant, though it ultimately lands on notes of dried banana, with which I think every last one of us has an arm’s length relationship. 127.3 proof. B+ / $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
The post Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Milkshake Batch” 2026-02 and “Southern Thunder Batch” 2026-03 appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.
