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Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon vs Booker’s
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon and Booker’s sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a sourced, classically built blend versus an uncut, rye-forward heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon | Booker’s |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 7 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +25 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$85 – $100 ~$5 less | ~$85 – $110 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon and Booker’s do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Booker’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon Booker’s
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 5/10 heat: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10, Booker’s 10 out of 10
fruit 8/4 fruit: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 8 out of 10, Booker’s 4 out of 10
nuttiness 5/8 nuttiness: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10, Booker’s 8 out of 10
spice 5/7 spice: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10, Booker’s 7 out of 10
oak 6/8 oak: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 6 out of 10, Booker’s 8 out of 10
sweetness 8/7 sweetness: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 8 out of 10, Booker’s 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Proof and heat dominate the difference.
- Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon: Finished in Oloroso sherry, Pedro Ximenez sherry and Cognac casks. The casks layer dried fruit, orange and dark chocolate over the bourbon and leave a long, clove-spiced finish.
- 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.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon if you want a sherry-and-Cognac-finished bourbon full of dried fruit and dark chocolate at a slightly lower price point.
- 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.
Best enjoyed neat (Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon); neat (Booker’s).