Top Shelf Bourbon - Booker's

By Lu

Just want to tell a crazy story about Booker's Bourbon and our adventure in trying to find it.

Well, last October, I was planning to go home to Jakarta in November. My sister, Ri, was spending a month keeping me company here in Chicago, and we would go home together. How fun was that? I got to spend a month here with her doing fun stuff and then we would travel together. Well, we ended up leaving on the same day same time to Jakarta on different planes. We met again at Changi airport in Singapore, and then we finally got to fly in the same plane for the last hour of our 30 some hours journey home. But, it's better than not able to be together at all!

My college roommate and buddy, Adi, knowing I would be coming home, sent me an email... "Lu... you got to bring me some stuff."

I was like.."Cigars again??"

And he was like.."No, I still have the cigars you brought me last time. I want Booker's Bourbon. Oh, they're hard to find, and they're about $60 a bottle."

Well, he wasn't lying. It was hard to find.

When Ri was here, we always go on road trips. In 2009 when my mom and dad were here too, we went to St. Louis and Traverse City, MI. When Ri was here, we went to Indiana, Green Bay in Wisconsin to see her college friends, Dawa and Matthew, and we also went to Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.

I've been looking everywhere locally for that damn Bourbon. I couldn't find it. I found it online but then I thought isn't that Bourbon made in Bourbon county, Kentucky? We're going to pass Kentucky on the way to Tennessee! And sure enough, did a little research and there's an area called Bourbon Trail where all the distilleries are located.

So I thought..how cool is that to get him the Bourbon from the actual Bourbon Trail?

On the way there, we couldn't find a liquor store at all. So, we thought we would get it on the way back. We left Thursday night and we would come back on the sunday. We had a great time in Tennessee and we even stopped at the original Kentucky Fried Chicken in Corbin, KY. It's called Sander's Cafe. That's me there on the picture with my sugar daddy, the Colonel himself. He had a broken foot though, poor guy. You should know that Indonesians are fanatical about their KFCs. KFC is huge in Indo and funny, their chicken taste much better in Jakarta. I actually ate in KFC twice when I was home because they were really yummy and super crispy. Plus, they sell rice at the KFC there so it was just perfect for me cuz that's how I like to eat it. Going to Sanders Cafe was like a pilgrimage for an Indonesian. They should give me an honorary title for it.

My friend, Adi, is a crazy dude. I met him on the first day of orientation at Northern Illinois University. Since we came from the same country, we became instant buddies. We would walk to find dinners some nights together. Just Adi and me, in this lonely world called DeKalb, IL. Then, our circle of friends expanded when we met some other Indonesian students. After a year or two, I couldn't remember, Adi became my roommate. We shared a basement apartment the 3 of us, Adi, me, and my sister, Ri. I've never seen anyone who could sleep as much as he does, and eat as much as he does. He didn't do shit but if I told him to do something, he'd do it - like clean his damn bathroom!

Adi's vision is also very bad. The funniest thing is when he ordered pizza one day..he was eating pepperoni pizza. I was like.."dude...that's pork." He's a muslim. He was surprised.."what??? I ordered green pepper." LOL!! Green pepper is hardly pepperoni, dude! hahahahaha.

But he always has impeccable taste in being an "Aficianado" for better things in life like expensive cigars and great spirits. Because of him, when one of my VPs, Arturo challenged me about cigars..I said to him.."I smoke... I like mine dark..maduro maduro.. or how do you call it, Oscuro." Arturo made faces.."yeah?" He was surprised. I was smokin' nothing. It's cool at times to know little about a lot and a lot about little. Thanks, Adi.

On the way back from Tennessee, we tried to find a liquor store by Bourbon Trail..all are closed! Sunday, either they weren't opened, or they wouldn't open until noon. When we get to Bourbon Trail we passed the exit! Then we found out all the distilleries are closed on Sunday.

We were so exasperated. My sister said.."This is what happened when you try to buy Alcohol for a muslim. God just won't let you." It's trooooo!!

But finally we found a place by Bourbon Trail.... huge huge store...Liquor Barn! When I went in..I was trying to find the Bourbon and guess what..they have a lane dedicated to all Bourbons..and it's called Avenue of Bourbon. And there it is...Booker's...in a special case.

Booker's is a small batch highest grade Bourbon made by Jim Beam distillery and it is especially hand picked by Jim Beam's grandson, Booker Noe. It is a special Bourbon obviously and very rare. At first it was only made for their personal consumption but then they realize they're sitting on a goldmine. It is about 120 proofs, quite strong but smooth. It is also un-filtered and aged about 8 to 10 years. So, in short, it is top shelf.

When I finally gave it to Adi in Jakarta, he was all smiles. He was so happy. We had dinner together - Adi, Ri, me, and our other dear friend from college, Erlangga. Erlangga took us to his swanky apartment at Oakwood in Kuningan, Jakarta where we cracked open the bottle.

Adi as soon as he poured and sipped it, he let out his signature hum.."mhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" ever so low and steady. Erlangga, once he took a sip, he put down the glass and said.."Oh, that is strong."

But they were both satisfied. Look at them. Erlangga is on the left in Batik, and Adi is on the right with the striped shirt. They think they're the coolest dudes.
Ri and I were like Harold and Kumar trying to find White Castle. The trip and the looking around was not a problem at all after looking at my friend Adi's smiling face.