Roasted mixed nuts | Charred oak | Black raspberry | Light pepper

Chewy caramel | Burnt brown sugar | Roasted nuts | Charred oak | Milk chocolate | Robust intensity of flavors | Slightly dry

Rye spice | Tobacco | Stone fruit | Increasingly dry on the backend | Long with lingering savory spice

Baker’s 13 Year is a limited edition version of the company’s standard product, which carries a 7 year age statement but is otherwise also bottled as a single barrel at the same 107 proof point. The brand derives its name from Baker Beam, sixth generation Master Distiller and the grand nephew of Jim Beam, working at Jim Beam Distillery from 1954-1992.

The flavor profile features a similar roasted nut undertone as 2023’s release, which will please fans of the brand who approach it with expectations based on their past experience with the whiskey. On the nose, roasted mixed nuts combine with charred oak, black raspberry, and light pepper. Chewy caramel, burnt brown sugar, and charred oak emerge on the palate, which is underscored by roasted nuts and a pleasant milk chocolate note. The flavors are robust, and the sip begins to turn slightly dry at the backend of the palate. Rye spice, tobacco, and stone fruit creep into the finish, which is increasingly dry and quite long with lingering savory spice.

Compared to last year’s release, Baker’s Bourbon 13 Year comes in similar packaging, clocks in at the same age, and comes with a $20 increase to its suggested price. Having similar underlying flavor characteristics and a dry finish makes it a similar bourbon to previous releases. Overall, it doesn’t lean heavily into its age with heavy oak, doesn’t attempt to be an easy drinking bourbon, and doesn’t have a flashy finish or overly unique marketing trait that automatically gets your attention. What it does do is nail a slightly higher aged, slightly higher proofed Kentucky bourbon flavor profile that’s robust and immediately satisfying.