The Little Book series of blended American whiskeys, as we’ve seen thus far with the releases over the last few years of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, has emerged as a rather fascinating line up of expressions cooked up by Freddie Noe, eight generation Beam distiller and son of legendary master Beam distiller Fred Noe. For Freddie Noe it has been a way to take the traditional Beam offerings in some new directions, and for the just announced Chapter 3 we see that playing out once again.
How this breaks down specifically, and why it is possible one might consider this the ultimate in a blended Beam bourbon, is that it is an uncut and unfiltered mix of 9-year-old Knob Creek and Basil Hayden’s Bourbons, an 11-year-old Booker’s Bourbon and a 12-year-old Baker’s Bourbon. Specifics on the percentages of each were not offered, and as a whole it is bottled at 122.6 proof.
“This particular blend carries a lot of sentimental value for me,” said Freddie Noe in a prepared statement. “Each of the individual bourbons are special to me, just as they were to my granddad, and I really wanted to make sure they came through the final blend in a way that would make him proud.
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“Every aspect of Chapter 3 had to be absolutely perfect – the vanilla notes, the finish, the aroma – so I meticulously tested each blend to get it to a place that represented the entire Small Batch Collection while creating something totally new that I think people are really going to love.”
As it stands now plans call for Little Book Chapter 3: The Road Home to be made available starting this month for around $125 per 750 ml bottle. Limited official tasting notes suggest that “on the front of the palate, there’s a complexity from the vanilla, wood and caramel notes signature to the Knob Creek and Booker’s Bourbons, balanced out by the spiciness known to the Basil Hayden’s Bourbon. The 12-year-old Baker’s contributes a lingering, warm and sweet finish, layered with tones of oak.”
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