I'm always looking for a bottle of Bookers, they used to be easy to find then they cut back production! Eagle Rare is a another that I would like to pick up. I've got lots of things on my list, just comes down to finding them!
Ah yeah, I have never seen Booker's in the wild. Only when I was at the Jim Beam distillery. I have a bottle of Eagle Rare sitting on my shelf right now. Good stuff. I also have an opened and an unopened bottle of Blantons. I'd love to get my hands on some Weller, but it is pretty rare here. I like the wheated bourbons. If you can find a barrel select offering of Larceny, it is pretty good.
Part of the problem is always the regional distilleries that make really good stuff, but it never makes it to California. I've tried Larceny before and it was really good, and Weller is just plain hard to find! Have you ever tired Bakers? It's pretty good too and easier to find than Bookers!
No, I haven't tried it. It's actually been a long time since I had any of the Jim Beam offerings like Knob Creek and stuff like that. I do have a bottle of Old Tub that I bought when we were on the property and I also have a small bottle of the Distiller's Share. I think it's tied really closely to the "little book" offerings. I'll keep an eye out for Baker's. If you don't mind rye's, Old Pepper has some good single barrel offerings and Michter's is always a favorite of mine, bourbon and rye.
I've tried both and I like them! There are few that I don't like to be honest except the very young bourbons that aren't aged long enough. That and heavily peated Scotch, I like a little peat but not a mouthful of it!
I haven't tried many different scotches yet. I know what you mean about young whiskey. We have a local place that started and their early bottles are rough!