Beam Suntory’s Booker’s release named for Booker Noe’s chocolate malted milkshake ritual is a 7-year, 6-month, 12-day bourbon bottled at 124.4 proof. This brief explains what it tastes like, how it was blended, and who will likely enjoy it.
Bottled at 124.4 proof and aged 7 years, 6 months, 12 days, the Milkshake Batch is a high-proof, full-bodied Booker’s expression.
Tasting notes show dark, earthy oak and cigar smoke balanced by cherries, apples, vanilla, chewy toffee, and bitter chocolate.
This is a classic, bold Booker’s release: rewarding for experienced high-proof drinkers and cigar pairings, potentially confrontational for casual drinkers.
Booker's Milkshake Batch 2026-02 is the second installment in Booker's 2026 small-batch, uncut, unfiltered series. Beam Suntory describes the expression as aged 7 years, 6 months, and 12 days and bottled at 124.4 proof. The name references a family tradition started by the late Booker Noe, who mixed Jim Beam into chocolate malted milkshakes. Fred Noe recalls afternoons fishing and stopping for milkshakes, and that his father began adding bourbon to them.
The whiskey pours a clear tawny color with quick, thin legs that don't cling to the glass. On the nose, cherries lead and then open into softer fruits such as apples and orange peel. Aged oak, vanilla, a touch of straw, and cinnamon sit behind the fruit notes.
The palate is dry and full-bodied with a complexity that mixes sweet and savory elements. Initial sweetness gives way to a pronounced bite and smoky, earthy components: charcoal, oak, clove, and dark cigar wrapper. Peppery pops and a current of chewy toffee periodically soften the earthier profile.
The finish moves back toward vanilla and sweet sugars before settling into bitter chocolate and cigar smoke. The overall impression is dark and somewhat broody, with oak and earth running through the experience.
If you already enjoy Booker's or other high-proof bourbons, this release aligns with expectations: intense flavor, tobacco and cigar-friendly notes, and strong oak-driven character. The review rates it as a good bourbon and a solid introduction to higher-proof whiskeys for someone willing to confront bold flavors.
If you prefer lower proofs or lighter, fruit-forward bourbons, the 124.4 proof and the earthier, smoky elements may feel confrontational. The reviewer notes it makes a good gift for someone who likes a cigar and a warm patio.
Booker's Milkshake Batch 2026-02 is a classic Booker's release: dark, broody, and unapologetically bold at 124.4 proof. It will satisfy collectors and fans of assertive bourbon but may be too confrontational for casual drinkers seeking a lighter, more approachable pour.
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