A Bold Bourbon With Agave‑Barrel Innovation — Booker’s ‘The Reserves’ 2025 Finished in Tequila Barrels
Booker’s ‘The Reserves’ 2025 represents a daring fusion of Kentucky bourbon tradition with a twist of agave‑inspired barrel finishing. By finishing straight bourbon whiskey in casks that once held tequila, this release offers a bridge between two classic spirits — combining bourbon’s grain‑driven richness with subtle agave‑barrel warmth and complexity. It’s crafted for adventurous whiskey drinkers seeking bold character and unexpected nuance in a small‑batch, handcrafted expression.
Tasting Experience
Appearance: Deep amber with copper‑gold highlights, inviting and lustrous in the glass.
Nose: Toasted oak, caramel, vanilla, subtle agave‑like earthiness, light citrus peel, and a hint of spice. Perhaps an undercurrent of light pepper or herbal earthiness — evocative of the tequila barrel’s legacy.
Palate: Rich bourbon core of caramel, brown sugar, toasted grain, and oak spice — layered with softer notes of agave‑inspired botanical warmth, mild citrus or agave‑wood nuance, and light vanilla sweetness. The finish may show a gentle dryness with lingering oak, spice, and a soft echo of barrel‑influenced complexity.
Finish: Medium to long, warming and evolving, with smooth oak, gentle spice, and a subtle agave‑barrel warmth that lingers just beneath the surface.
Craftsmanship
This bottle begins as classic Kentucky straight bourbon: made from a high‑corn mash bill, distilled and matured in new charred American oak barrels. After primary aging, the whiskey is transferred into used tequila casks for a finishing period — allowing the spirit to absorb remaining wood compounds, subtle agave‑cask character, and gentle barrel-driven nuance. The result: a hybrid whiskey that respects bourbon heritage while embracing experimental barrel finishing.
Best Enjoyed
Serve neat or with a single large ice cube to allow the layered aromas and subtle barrel influences to open up slowly. This bourbon also suits creative whiskey cocktails — offering a wild twist if used in an Old Fashioned or a barrel‑inspired whiskey sour.
Experience the experimental spirit and barrel‑driven complexity of Booker’s ‘The Reserves’ 2025 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Tequila Barrels on Royal Batch for a distinctive, boundary‑pushing addition to any bourbon collection.
