SF Crusader: Booker's 25th

Booker's 25th Anniversary is a huge bourbon. Clocking in at 130.8°, it's shockingly drinkable neat. The packaging is beautiful too, with a gorgeous gold and dark wood combination.NoseI've always thought that Booker's has a distinct peanut, or maybe peanut-butter note (both nose and palate)¹, and this is no exception. Nosing neat I get caramel-coated peanuts, toffee, some lighter leather (as opposed to the dusty leather I've gotten off of some scotches) and of course some alcohol, though again not as much as I would have expected.PalateWithout water, immediately getting that strong, delicious roasted peanut. This bourbon is not a tannic oak bomb (though there is a great amount of barrel in there), and is in fact surprisingly sweet, maybe a maple-type sweetness, for being that such a high proof. I'm still shocked that I'm sipping it -- and enjoying it! -- at 65.4% ABV. Picking up some fresh-baked cinnamon bun (the heat from the alcohol is simulates a fresh-out-of-the-oven warmth to complement the flavors). I just got a blast of mint, which I definitely didn't notice previously. This bourbon is very complex - even though there's only 13% rye in the mashbill I think I'm starting to notice it here and there.FinishPretty good finish. No bitterness at all, this finish isn't the longest I've ever tasted, and while I'm not picking up any new flavors on the finish I'm still getting a lot of the nose and tongue. Actually I take that back, I'm getting a little chocolate which was hidden before behind that nutty nougat flavor. The heat is gone now, and a delicate sweetness remains. After about 20 seconds, it's time to reach for the glass again.I almost don't want to add water to this but I'll take one for the team and add a few drops for this review².After adding water the nose is much sweeter, almost a Cinnamon Toast Crunch sort of quality combined with those maple notes from before. The peanut thing I was picking up on has disappeared. The palate is sweeter as well, though certainly not overly so. I can still taste the nutty flavors I mentioned above, but they're much weaker. The finish is shorter as well.This particular bottle has been open for upwards of a year, so it's definitely had time to open up. I would continue drinking this without water in the future. Pretty wonderful stuff.1 - This has historically lended itself to an outstanding Old Fashioned variant I call the Peanut Butter Cup, with a few drops of water, a little simple syrup and some Xocolatl Mole bitters2 - David Perkins of High West has talked about "bottle shock" with respect to blending whiskies, where he'll put a blend together that tastes great and then a week or a month later it will taste completely different. I've heard Drew Kulsveen of Willett say similar things about Noah's Mill, I think, that in an ideal world they'd sit on the bottles for a few months more so that things get a chance to settle. I think the same is true with adding water - at the very least, when you first add it you can immediately see the viscosity difference with an oily-looking shimmer that disappears when you swirl it enough, but I do generally find that after adding water it's best to let it sit for a few more minutes. Nothing wrong with that, this is definitely a bourbon to be savored.Rating: 4 / 5