Today’s pairing is a contrast-driven pairing where barrel strength bourbon meets elegant Connecticut refinement—bold without overwhelming, nuanced without being lost. I am pairing Booker’s Small Batch 2024-01 with Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne.

⸻ Spirit —

Booker’s Small Batch 2024-01
 • Producer: Jim Beam Distillery
 • Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
 • Batch: 2024-01
 • Proof: Barrel Proof (approx. 125–127)
 • Filtration: Uncut & unfiltered

Mash Bill
 • Corn: 77%
 • Rye: 13%
 • Malted Barley: 10%

Background Booker’s Small Batch 2024-01 continues the Beam family tradition of bold, center-cut barrel selections bottled at full strength. Known for its muscular profile and deep barrel influence, this release leans heavily into classic Booker’s traits—rich sugars, roasted nuts, assertive oak, and warming spice—showcasing the distillery’s high-rye mash bill and long warehouse aging.

Tasting Notes
 • Nose: Brown sugar, roasted peanuts, vanilla bean, cinnamon bark, charred oak
 • Palate: Bold right out of the gate—no watering down here. Cinnamon spice hits first, backed by sweet brown sugar, vanilla, and a solid layer of leather and oak. There’s a nutty edge too, like honey-roasted peanuts or peanut brittle sneaking in, with just a whisper of dark fruit and caramel to balance the heat., toasted barrel staves.
 • Finish: Long and warming with oak tannin, nut oils, leather, and lingering spice

 ⸻ Cigar —

Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne
 • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
 • Binder: Cuban-seed Nicaragua
 • Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaragua
 • Strength: Mild–Medium

Background

The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne is a refined expression of aged Nicaraguan tobaccos wrapped in a silky Connecticut Shade leaf. While approachable in strength, the cigar benefits from extensive aging, delivering nuance, balance, and a creamy texture that elevates it well beyond a typical Connecticut offering.

Tasting Notes
 • Nose (Wrapper): Sweet hay, cedar, light cream, toasted almond
 • Cold Draw: Vanilla wafer, fresh bread, mild white pepper
 • Palate: Creamy cedar, cashew, light honey, subtle citrus zest, soft pepper

⸻ The Pairing

This pairing succeeds through contrast and balance. Booker’s barrel-proof intensity brings heat, depth, and oak-driven richness, while the Perdomo Champagne offers a calming, creamy counterpoint. The cigar tempers the bourbon’s proof, drawing out sweeter notes of vanilla, caramel, and roasted nuts, while the bourbon sharpens the cigar’s delicate spice and aged tobacco character.

Pairing Takeaway

 It’s a power-meets-elegance match—bold Kentucky fire softened by Nicaraguan finesse. A solid 9/10 pairing. If you’re chasing that big bourbon punch but want something to keep it civilized, grab this duo. Pour it neat (or maybe a single ice cube if the proof bites too hard), light up slow, and enjoy the ride. Perfect for a relaxed evening on the porch.

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