Booker’s The Reserves 2025 Review
In-Depth Review
2024 was a big year for Booker’s. It marked the first time Jim Beam had added an expression to the lineup since the Booker’s 30th Anniversary release in 2019. That 2024 release of The Reserves made waves for giving bourbon fans some of the oldest Booker’s ever bottled – providing a masterclass in higher aged, high proof, unfiltered bourbon goodness. I loved the 2024 version – and didn’t know how they expected to build upon that outstanding first release.
Enter 2025’s release of The Reserves – an expression that takes the typical Booker’s experience and completely flips it on its head. They’ve brought the age back to a more traditional Booker’s profile—just shy of 9 years—but added a unique twist: a finishing period in El Tesoro’s 85th Anniversary tequila barrels. Tequila finished Booker’s? I can already see the horror on the purist faces. But at only $30 more than a typical Booker’s release it feels like a worthwhile gamble – if you can get your hands on it. This will be a very limited release, but I was lucky enough to pick one up at this year Kentucky Bourbon Festival for $130. So, what does an uncut, unfiltered bourbon married to tequila taste like? Let’s dive in and find out.
Age: 8 Years, 10 Months, 11 Days
ABV: 61.65%
Cask: Straight Kentucky Bourbon Finished in Tequila Barrels
MSRP: $129.99
Distillery Name: James B. Beam Distillery
Review Date: 9/13/25
Color: Mahogany
Nose: From the first sniff, the nose delivers everything you’d expect from a classic Booker’s: deep, powerful, and unapologetically full-bodied. It’s a high intensity array of classic brown sugar, peanut brittle, toffee, and worn leather. Upon first meeting, it isn’t shy about punching you in the face - but as it settles, an unmistaken aroma of fresh agave, with zesty citrus, and a vegetal sweetness tries to poke through. Strangely enough, it ends up feeling… refreshing.
Palate: On the first sip, it’s hard to get past the onslaught of oak, toffee, peanut shells, but looking a bit deeper you can once again feel the impact of the tequila finishing. There’s a freshness throughout that’s accentuated by sweet agave syrup, white pepper, orange blossom and dare I say... grassiness? The mouthfeel is fantastic, with a rich, viscous feeling that expertly soaks the tongue and delivers a full-bodied experience to the palate.
Finish: Extremely long finish that sticks around with drying oak and a dollop of caramel ice cream before it moves on to more agave sweetness, more herbaciousness, and a lovely warming spice.
Final Thoughts: Jim Beam doesn’t mess with Booker’s too often—they’ve got other outlets for that - but for 2025, they took a big swing with the 2025 release of The Reserves 2025 and hit it out of the park. While this isn’t your traditional Booker’s experience, it’s one worth seeking out and will challenge your perceptions around what a marriage between tequila and bourbon can be. The tequila has an unmistakable impact on the whiskey – and may upset some purists in the process. But the addition of agave sweetness and the vegetal herbaceous qualities provide a lighter, more refreshing experience than your typical cask strength Jim Beam. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I prefer this to the 2024 inaugural release, but if you’re looking for something a bit different without going full on weird, this may be your best bet. And at only $30 more than your typical Booker’s release, the 2025 release of The Reserves, might be the best value in above $100 bourbon today.
