Booker's The Reserves 6 Year Old Rye Whiskey 2026
Booker's The Reserves 6 Year Old Rye Whiskey 2026 is the third annual release in The Reserves series and only the second rye whiskey in Booker's history, following the legendary 2016 Big Time Batch. Distilled at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky from the original Booker's rye mash bill, it is aged 6 years, 2 months and 23 days, finished in French apple brandy casks and infused with real cinnamon, then bottled uncut and unfiltered at 125.1 proof (62.55% ABV) in a 750mL bottle. Eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe built it from his grandfather Booker Noe's winter ritual — an apple wine he called A.B.C. Wassail, for apples, bourbon barrels and cinnamon — reworked here as A.R.C.: apples, rye and cinnamon. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 125.1 proof (62.55% ABV), uncut and unfiltered
- Age: 6 years, 2 months, 23 days
- Finish: French apple brandy casks, infused with real cinnamon
- Size: 750mL, presented in the Booker's wooden case
- Distillery: James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, Kentucky
- Release: The Reserves 2026 — the second Booker's rye ever released
A Wassail, Rebuilt as Rye
Every winter, Booker Noe made a batch of apple wine from apples, bourbon barrels and cinnamon, and shared it around Clermont. Freddie Noe grew up on that tradition and turned it into this whiskey: the elusive Booker's rye, laid down in the center cut of the rackhouse the way Booker liked his whiskey big and bold, then given a second rest in French apple brandy casks while real cinnamon sticks steeped in the blend. The Reserves series exists to push Booker's legacy somewhere new each year — a bourbon blend in 2024, a tequila-cask bourbon in 2025 — and 2026 is the year it brought the rye back.
Tasting Notes
The nose opens with bright apple and seasoned oak. The palate is classic Booker's weight — barrel char, vanilla and sweet caramel — layered with baked apple from the brandy casks, and the finish lands warm and spiced, like the last bite of apple pie with cinnamon over charred oak. Shop more rye whiskey, browse the Booker's collection, and see the full whisky shelf at Del Mesa.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a Glencairn, with a few drops of still water to open the orchard fruit, or poured after dinner in place of dessert — the apple and cinnamon do that work on their own. At 125.1 proof it also stands up in a stirred whiskey cocktail, but a bottle this limited deserves a straight first pour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Booker's The Reserves 2026 a bourbon or a rye?
It is a Kentucky straight rye whiskey — only the second rye Booker's has ever released, after the 2016 Big Time Batch.
What proof is Booker's The Reserves 2026?
125.1 proof (62.55% ABV), bottled uncut and unfiltered straight from the barrel, as every Booker's release is.
How is The Reserves 2026 finished?
The rye is finished in French apple brandy casks and infused with real cinnamon, a nod to Booker Noe's A.B.C. Wassail apple wine.
How old is Booker's The Reserves 2026?
6 years, 2 months and 23 days, printed on the neck tag of every bottle.
Does it come in the wooden box?
Yes — like every Booker's release, it is presented in the signature wooden case, stamped for The Reserves 2026.
Order Booker's The Reserves 6 Year Old Rye Whiskey 2026 online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — one bottle on the shelf, and when it's gone, it's gone.