Booker's Bourbon Launches A New Batch Inspired By Sunny Kentucky Days By The Pond

Have you ever wished you could bottle up a memory? Booker's Bourbon, one of the best bourbon brands out there, has actually managed to achieve it. The brand has just released a new batch of bourbon called By the Pond, which is an ode to the warm afternoons Fred Noe spent with his father, Booker Noe (the grandson of the legendary Jim Beam), sitting by their backyard pond. Fred personally tastes every barrel of the brand's bourbon; when he first saw the color of this particular batch, it reminded him of the horses competing in the Kentucky Derby. The aroma has hints of vanilla and oak, the latter likely a testament to the brand's faithfulness to bottling the bourbon straight from the barrel.

By the Pond was created from bourbon in eight different warehouses. It's well-aged, too: seven years, one month, and 20 days. At a 126.5 proof, it's a high-proof bourbon, so you can expect a sharp and intense taste, but according to Noe, it comes with some sweetness too. The bottles are expected to retail for around $100. "I feel sure my dad would have enjoyed sipping the 'By the Pond' batch sitting by his pond feeding his fish," Fred said in a press release, "waiting for them to grow so he could enjoy eating them with some great Booker's Bourbon."

Fred Noe is the 7th-generation Master Distiller of the Beam family. The brand that carries his father's name was created in 1987 as a celebration of authentic barrel bourbon — unfiltered and never diluted or tampered with. To this day, the company has stayed true to the mission, which is why the release of the By the Pond batch is so special; new releases only happen every so often. As Booker's Bourbon explains on its website, "It's ready when it's ready. We release a few batches every year. Each varies in age and proof because reaching Booker's standards is a mix of art, science, and mother nature. It tells us when it's ready, and then we'll let you know." This patience and tenacity is one of the reasons why the brand makes some of the best high-proof bourbons.

For the By the Pond batch, the long aging process was clearly worth it, as the batch was ultimately selected in a record-wet Kentucky spring. In a way, the process somewhat mimics the building of Noe's childhood backyard pond, which we're told took a lot of time, hard work, and even a few mishaps along the way. Eventually, though, it became a place of serenity and reflection, one that Noe wishes for you, too. In his own words, "I hope you savor this batch in a place where you find your own bit of happiness, wherever that may be."