Little Book
Freddie Noe, 8th generation Beam family master distiller, has just released the eighth chapter of ‘Little Book‘, his annual limited release that allows him to step outside of typical mashbills and blends.
Normally released in August, Christmas came early this year for whiskey aficionados who have enjoyed this project over the years. Little Book Chapter 8, ‘Path Not Taken,’ is Freddie Noe’s first rye whiskey-only release. I asked Freddie Noe why so early this year and not in August and he hinted at some big things to come this year so stay tuned for that.
For Chapter 8 ‘Path Not Taken’, Freddie artfully blended together seven rye whiskeys:
- 18yrs Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (High Rye)
- 11yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
- 7yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Malt Whiskey
- 5yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (KY Family-Style, Char 4)
- 5yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (PA Family-Style, Char 1)
- 5yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (PA Family-Style, Char 4)
- 4yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
I’ve been fortunate enough to sample all of the Little Book chapters over the past 7 years and very much look forward to tasting Chapter 8 as my palate has gravitated toward rye spice over the past few years more and more.
For Little Book Chapter 5 I was actually at the historic Knob Creek House on the Jim Beam Distillery Campus for the debut and got to be one of the very first people to sample the finished blend alongside Freddie Noe and a handful of others. Little Book Chapter 6 was ‘all about the smoke’ as he experimented with malt whiskeys and various woods.
For Little Book Chapter 7, Freddie Noe revisited the best of the liquid streams that had appeared in the Little Book limited release series over the years. He brought back an 18-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon from Chapter 5, a 17-year-old bourbon from Chapter 3, and others.
Chapter 8 is interesting as it’s Freddie’s first all-rye whiskey blend. It is bottled at 118.2 proof which will pack both plenty of heat and flavor. And in a press release, the brand says the aroma is full of butterscotch and rye bread with apricot and heavy oak on the tongue and a deep copper color.
Why rye? Freddie Noe said in the press release “knowing that rye has roots extending to the beginning of American Whiskey and holds more than two centuries of heritage, you could say, ‘it’s been done.’ But with this chapter, Path Not Taken, we explore the future of American Rye by blending a unique range of rye whiskies together and show you that rye still has plenty of stories left to tell.”
Little Book Chapter 8 is already hitting shelves nationwide in limited quantities with a suggested SRP of $149.99 putting it firmly in the ‘ultra premium’ category where Little Book has always been sold. More information on the latest release can be found on the Little Book website.