Baker's Bourbon is named for Baker Beam, grandnephew of Jim Beam and a former distillery manager. It is one of Jim Beam's Small Batch Collection — alongside Knob Creek, Basil Hayden's and Booker's — and occupies the middle ground between Knob Creek's accessibility and Booker's unfiltered intensity. Aged for seven years and bottled as a single barrel at 107 proof, Baker's represents the Beam house style at a level of refinement that the standard range cannot match.
The single barrel format is the distinguishing feature. Each bottle comes from a single barrel rather than a blend of many, meaning each release carries its own individual character. The seven years of maturation in the heated warehouses of Clermont, Kentucky, provide enough oak influence to develop genuine complexity, and the 107 proof ensures the flavour arrives at full strength.
Baker's is the overlooked gem in Beam's Small Batch Collection. It lacks the cult following of Booker's and the ubiquity of Knob Creek, but the quality of the liquid — the refined nuttiness, the single barrel individuality, the balanced proof — makes a strong case for being the most satisfying all-round pour in the range. For Beam enthusiasts and single barrel bourbon seekers, Baker's offers excellent quality at a reasonable price.
