A lot of different whiskey is made at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Kentucky, and while most of it is bourbon there are some distinctions between brands based on mashbill, proof, location of barrels in the warehouses, and entry proof. One of those brands is Baker’s, an under-recognized member of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection that just dropped the 2025 edition of its newer high-rye expression, and this is a whiskey worth checking out.
The Jim Beam Small Batch Collection launched in 1992, the same year that Baker Beam, the namesake of this brand, retired after working at the distillery for several decades (the other members of the collection are Knob Creek, Booker’s, and Basil Hayden). Baker was the cousin of master distiller Booker Noe, the father of current master distillers Fred Noe and grandfather of his son Freddie Noe. He started out as a nightwatchman, eventually working his way up to distiller, and was ultimately inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2007. Baker’s Bourbon was originally released as a seven-year-old whiskey bottled at 107 proof, but it was relaunched as a single barrel expression in 2019, the same year that a 13-year-old limited release joined the lineup.
Last year, Baker’s High-Rye 7-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon joined the lineup. As indicated by the name, this is a seven-year-old bourbon bottled as a single barrel release, and it’s made from a high-rye mashbill and bottled at 107 proof. There are, of course, other high-rye bourbon bourbons in the Jim Beam lineup, specifically Basil Hayden and Old Grand-Dad. Both of these whiskeys are said to have about about 27 percent rye grain in the mashbill, and according to the brand this new version of Baker’s has about twice as much rye as the original, which would put it at around the same percentage as those other high-rye bourbons. Still, this is being released as a single barrel expression, the proof is different, it’s distilled to a lower proof, and it’s aged in different parts of the warehouses—all of which adds up to this being its own unique whiskey.
We have not been able to try the new 2025 release yet, but presumably it’s just as good as the first edition (which was very good). The official tasting notes describe aromas of charred oak, vanilla, caramel, and dried fruit on the nose. That’s followed by charred oak, brown sweets, and rye spice on the palate, with a hint of baking spice on the finish. Baker’s High-Rye 7-Year-Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is available to purchase now (SRP $75) at retailers around the country.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker