Description
2016 - 04 BLUEGILL CREEK
MASTER DISTILLER NOTES
“I’m pleased to share the fourth release in the Booker’s Bourbon 2016 Batch Collection, Batch 2016-04, also called “Bluegill Creek.” This batch honors my dad, Booker Noe, and one of his favorite pastimes – fishing for bluegill. When I was selecting this batch, the hot and humid Kentucky summer weather reminded me of the days Dad and I spent together on the water. We used to go down to the creek and sit for hours, hoping to reel in some bluegill to fry up for dinner. When my son Freddie was a boy, Dad took him fishing too, and I know it’s a tradition that will continue to live on. I guess you could say fishing for bluegill runs in our family, so it seemed like a natural fit to name a batch in honor of one of Dad’s favorite pastimes. I know Dad would enjoy “Bluegill Creek” for its signature flavors of robust vanilla true to every Booker’s batch. If he were here today, he’d sit down by the water with a glass of this bourbon in one hand and a fishing pole in the other. — Fred Noe, Beam Family’s 7th Generation Master Distiller
LABEL INSPIRATION
Booker’s “Bluegill Creek” batch is made up of barrels from four different rack houses and five different production dates. It is bottled at 128 proof and was aged for 6 years, 5 months and 28 days. It was unseasonably warm even by Kentucky standards on the day that I selected the barrels for this batch, and it brought me back to the hot summers that my Dad, Booker Noe, and I spent together fishing for bluegill. When selecting this batch, I wanted something that could be enjoyed in the summer heat while staying true to Booker’s Bourbon standards, and I think Dad would be proud of how “Bluegill Creek” turned out.
This batch would make a great Kentucky Tea, which was one of Dad’s favorite ways to enjoy his Booker’s and includes a healthy splash of water in the glass, which really opens up the flavors and aromas of the liquid. “Bluegill Creek” contains the robust flavors of vanilla that Dad always looked for when selecting batches of Booker’s, and I know he would be proud to have a batch of his bourbon named after one of his favorite pastimes.
-- Fred Noe, Beam Family’s 7th Generation Master Distiller
Proof: 128
