Like I mentioned yesterday, I’m still playing catch-up to make up for the 2+ years I was out of the retail loop, but I’m working at a breakneck pace to get back up to speed, tasting as much booze as I can while reaching out to my friends across the industry for more information.

One Bourbon that caught my attention this week was the updated Baker’s 7 Year Old Bourbon from Jim Beam, now with a new package and single barrel status that gives it an updated look and a modern desirability. Not only was the bottle I purchased absolutely delicious, it came with the opportunity to track my single barrel’s individual journey as part of an interactive journey on the Baker’s website. We’ll get to that in a second. First, let’s break it down:

• WHY: The new and improved Baker’s 7 year old 107 proof Bourbon is hands down one of the best high-proof whiskey options on the market right now, exploding with flavor and finishing with equal blasts of vanilla, oak, and spice.

• HOW: Jim Beam does not disclose any of its mashbill recipes, but the general belief is that Beam Bourbons use 13-15% rye in addition to 75% corn, the rest being malted barley. When dialed up to 53.5% ABV, the fruit and clove flavors really punch through.

• WHAT: Part of the Jim Beam Small Batch Series (in addition to Booker’s, Basil Hayden's, and Knob Creek), Baker’s has long been the overlooked sibling in the family. That changed in 2020, however, when positive reviews for the new edition began simmering online with reviewers and consumers alike. Named after former distiller Baker Beam, the label was first released in 1992.

I’m nosing my particular single barrel expression of Baker’s right now and, again, I’m getting lost in Big Red cinnamon gum aromas, mixed with Blackjack cloves. The vanilla comes through as you pull your nose away, then you sip and BOOM: your palate lights up with herbaceous rye notes, citrus, and more baking spices.

The Baker’s 7 year single barrel is not the rich, supple, mouth-coating Bourbon you’ve been looking for as a Blanton’s alternative. It is, however, the big, spicy, sweetly-scented powerhouse of Bourbon you need for a rocks pour, or a more potent Manhattan. Even as a straight sipper, if you like bold, assertive Bourbon concentration, this is a great grab.

Like I mentioned above, if you input the serial number on the neck of your Baker’s single barrel bottle, you can virtually roll your barrel through the rickhouse and track the data on your particular whiskey. My barrel was aged towards the top of the pile, meaning it likely went up in proof over time due to evaporation and the 102 degree heat it withstood.

But that doesn’t necessarily translate into why my bottle of Baker’s tastes so darn good, it’s just a fun little diversion to help me better understand how the transformation occurred. Personally, having spent my formative years obsessing over Bourbons from Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey, I’ve been very impressed by a number of Beam whiskies this year, from this single barrel of Baker’s, to some of the Knob Creek editions out there, to the last batch of Booker’s I tried. Something good is happening in Clermont, KY. Whatever it is, I’m on board.

-David Driscoll