Little Book Chapter 4 Lessons Honored Bourbon Whiskey
Freddie Noe, eighth generation Beam distiller and creator
of Little Book Whiskey, has announced the fourth installment in his annual,
limited-release series of blends — Little Book Chapter 4: “Lessons Honored.”
Lessons Honored includes three uncut and
unfiltered American whiskies that bear a connection to his father, 7th
Generation Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe, and the pair’s shared time working
at the James B. Beam Distillery this past decade.
The blend includes a 4-year-old Kentucky straight brown
rice bourbon, an 8-year-old Kentucky straight high-rye rye whiskey and a
7-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon.
“This year’s release is an ode to my dad and the lessons
he has passed down to me about bourbon and life, all of which I hope to pass
down to my own children,” says Freddie Noe. “A lot of them go back to
honesty and integrity. He taught me to be true to myself, which is something
that’s very important in our family, and to know when to slow down and be
patient. Dad’s values carry over into our whiskey brands, and I’m proud to
honor him with this special blend.”
The rice bourbon reminds Freddie of the first distilling
project he handled on his own, after years and experiences under Fred’s
guidance, the company says. The rye is an ode to Booker’s Rye, one of the first
commemorative releases that Fred and Freddie tasted and selected together. The
extra-aged bourbon rounds out the blend with flavors reminiscent of Beam’s
Small Batch Bourbon Collection, a spirit enjoyed by Fred, the company says.
Though he didn’t know it at the time, Fred actually helped select this final
component when Freddie sought his opinion on several different samples.
“Going into the selection and blending process for this
year’s release, I had a very clear idea of how I wanted to honor my dad and the
story I wanted to tell with this whiskey,” Freddie Noe says. “I knew
right away these were the whiskies I wanted to work with, so I spent most of my
time perfecting the blend to balance the flavors to create a whiskey that would
make Dad proud. I think I did just that – all the way down to the blue neck tag
which represents our favorite sports team, the Kentucky Wildcats.”
Little Book “Lessons Honored” is cask strength at 122.8
proof. It features flavors of full-bodied brown sugar, charred wood and dried
cherries, the company says, before a finish of warm caramel followed by
spiciness.
When Jim Beam eighth generation distiller Freddie Noe
began blending his top-shelf bottles in the Little Book Line, he was
all about the experimentation. Drawing on creative malt and corn whiskeys and
using rare old barrels from the company’s stocks around the continent, the
first two releases played with blending in a way Jim Beam never had. But last
year’s Chapter 3 and this year’s Chapter 4, an ode to the man who
taught Freddie his family craft, have relied on the Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Whiskey that the Noe family is known for.
“This year’s release is an ode to my dad and the lessons
he has passed down to me about bourbon and life, all of which I hope to pass
down to my own children,” Freddie Noe said. “A lot of them go back to
honesty and integrity. He taught me to be true to myself, which is something
that’s very important in our family, and to know when to slow down and be
patient. Dad’s values carry over into our whiskey brands, and I’m proud to
honor him with this special blend.”
Chapter 4 features three completely different whiskeys –
aa 4-year-old Kentucky Straight Brown Rice Bourbon, an 8-year-old Kentucky
Straight “high rye” Rye Whiskey, and a 7-year-old Kentucky Straight
Bourbon Whiskey, all mixed with one man in mind. The Brown Rice Bourbon,
Freddie says, reminds him of the first project he distilled solo after years of
working under his father, while the rye whiskey stirs a memory of blending
Booker’s Rye, the first limited edition project the pair worked on together.
And of course, the Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is one Freddie found
reminiscent of the Jim Beam Small Batch line, with samples tasted and selected
unknowingly by Fred before they went into the blend.
“Going into the selection and blending process for this
year’s release, I had a very clear idea of how I wanted to honor my dad and the
story I wanted to tell with this whiskey,” Freddie Noe explained. “I
knew right away these were the whiskies I wanted to work with, so I spent most
of my time perfecting the blend to balance the flavors to create a whiskey that
would make Dad proud. I think I did just that – all the way down to the blue
neck tag which represents our favorite sports team, the Kentucky Wildcats.”
The release “features flavors of full-bodied brown sugar,
rich charred wood and dried cherries,” read tasting notes from the distillery.
“The finish is soft and decadent, leaving a warm caramel taste on your tongue,
followed by a spicy finish.” Like all Booker’s and Little Book releases, it’s
bottled uncut and unfiltered, at 122.8 proof.
