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Booker’s vs E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Booker’s and E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an uncut, rye-forward heavyweight versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Booker’s | E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 7 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +25 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$85 – $110 | ~$45 – $90 ~$30 less |
| Availability | Limited easier to find | Allocated |
- Booker’s and E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Booker’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Booker’s E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 10/5 heat: Booker’s 10 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
nuttiness 8/4 nuttiness: Booker’s 8 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 4 out of 10
spice 7/5 spice: Booker’s 7 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Booker’s 7 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 6 out of 10
oak 8/7 oak: Booker’s 8 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 7 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Booker’s 4 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Proof and heat dominate the difference.
- Booker’s: Uncut, unfiltered Beam at batch strength, and the most concentrated expression of the house peanut-and-oak character. Enormous and hot, with a finish that goes on well past where you expect it to stop.
- E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch: Bottled-in-bond from the same low-rye Buffalo Trace recipe, and the extra 10 proof over standard BT gives it noticeably more grip. Butterscotch and tobacco with a long, drying finish that outlasts most bottles near its shelf price.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Booker’s if you want the Beam house style at full power and you have water on the table with significantly more proof behind it and without hunting for it.
- Go with E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch if you want the Buffalo Trace house profile with real structure and a bonded 100-proof backbone at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat (Booker’s); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch).