Style: Single barrel Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Age: At least 13 years
Proof: 107
Region: Clermont, Kentucky

A 13-year-old, single-barrel bourbon? Yes, please! Named after former master distiller Baker Beam, the 13-year expression was first released in 2019, when the brand was relaunched as a single-barrel product. This extra-aged expression of Baker’s is meant to highlight the effects of an additional six years of barrel maturation on this unique bourbon. As with all single-barrel products, there are variations in flavor from barrel to barrel. Let’s see how good this specific barrel actually is.

Tasting notes

The color on this bourbon is a gorgeous, rich, dark amber bordering on chestnut. Aromas of creme brulee, hazelnut and dominate the nose, while tobacco, baked apple, allspice, and clove round things out. On the palate, the torched, caramelized sugar notes remain prominent, but the spice notes are much more assertive on the back palate. The caramelized sugar and spice are bolstered by a bit of cherry and sweet red apple. The finish on this bourbon is outstanding. It’s long, velvety and lingering and leaves a pleasant note of warm cinnamon, vanilla and caramel with just a whiff of barrel char and spice.

Final thoughts

For anyone who appreciates Jim Beam’s more heavily aged expressions, or enjoys the variability and uniqueness of a single barrel bourbon, Baker’s 13 is absolutely worth hunting down. The barrel that I sampled is everything that someone could want from a deeply aged single barrel whiskey. It’s still sweet and approachable, but it has just the right amount of barrel influence to give it a smoky, leathery depth that I found to be extremely enjoyable. As far as releases from major producers are concerned, this is as good as any single barrel bourbon I’ve tried.