The Book of Beam: Baker, Chapter 6
Written: Jan 27 '01 (Updated Jan 29 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Full-bore, overproof, slightly rough whiskey, the way Mom used to like it.
Cons: Slightly 'spensive for bourbon, and too much freakin' wax on the cork.
The Bottom Line: Not overly sophisticated--thank God. An excellently rough ride, full of flavor, and able to stand up to a mixer or a cigar. This one can hang with the boys.
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| beerfly's Full Review: Baker'S Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 7 Years |
And behold, Jakob Beam did tread the dark and bloody ground called Kentucky And he did find it a land rich in corn and buffalo. He built him a still and made good corn likker.
And he took onto him a wife and begat David Beam, who also made good corn likker. And David begat David M., who distilled Old Tub whiskey. And in the fullness of time, David M. took to him a wife, and begat the great Beam, Jim, who would lead his people out of Prohibition, and the lesser Beam, Park. And Park begat Carl, and in the great time of Repeal, Carl begat Baker, who was a distiller at the great Beam distillery in the town of Clermont. So did six generations of bourbon knowledge and heritage culminate in Baker Beam, may his name be praised.
And why not praise him? Have you ever had a whiskey named for you? Baker has, and a damned good one. It pours a dark, leathery brown, and (with those sly overproof ways) starts filling the air immediately with corn and caramel, honey and mint.
The bottle I'm sampling from came from the gala at last year's Kentucky Bourbon Festival. I was sitting with my publisher at one of the Beam tables. The night was not quite a disaster. The food was 90 minutes late and stone-monkey cold, the wine was truly iffy and the beer was of wretchedly limited choice (and yeah, after two days of drinking the finest whiskies around, we were ready for a beer). But it wasn't hotter than hell, we had a few shots of Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old in us (and a couple of Julian Van Winkle's cigars in our pockets for later), the company was pretty good and we were staying sober enough to take off on a late-night whiskey shopping run after the gala.
And there, on the table, was a full bottle of Baker's. Baker's is a winter-time bourbon for me, something to drink when you've been chilled to the bone (or forced to look out a window at bone-chilling weather, that's bad too) and want to be warmed back to life by something a bit less impersonal than forced-air heat. That's when I reach for the Baker's. No one else seemed to want the Baker's, the whiskey writers were all hitting the barrel-proof Booker's, the Beam people will all drinking wine or Knob Creek.
I wanted the Baker's. I wanted the overproof hit of it, the spicy flame in the mouth, the snap of the small grains and the surprisingly delicate, somewhat floral dryness in the finish. I wanted that roar that lets you know you're really drinking whiskey, perhaps the least tame of the Beam Small Batch Collection. Don't even bother crying foul, Booker's fans: alcohol don't equal wildness, Booker's is chosen for its smoothness. Baker's is chosen for impact.
Of course, I didn't want it right then! I wanted it for now, in the winter. So I did what any writer would do; After dessert, I nonchalantly hefted it and slid it in the capacious inside pocket of my tuxedo jacket, and calmly stared back at the Beam marketing person who was staring at my casual glomming. Hey, he should have been proud and happy that I wanted to snag the bottle. I was leaving a liter of Very Old Barton on the table!
So I brought Baker home with me. And when it's cold, I sit me down with the bottle and pour a small tot, toss it in my mouth and wait for the shock waves to die down... and then I do it again. The impact of this one is tremendous, like Rare Breed without the big honey pillow. Some of that's the 107 proof, some of it's the rocking ride of a bourbon picked for old-time flavor.
Blessed be Baker Beam!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
beerfly
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Member: Lew Bryson
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 79 members
About Me:
One bourbon, one Scotch, one beer, eh? I'll take Kentucky Spirit, Scapa, and HopDevil.
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