A blend of Brown Rice Bourbon, Kentucky Straight Bourbon and High-Rye Rye Whiskey, compiled by Freddie Noe, is what’s in a bottle of the Little Book Chapter 04: Lessons Honored. When you read that first sentence did the same thing catch your eye that caught mine? When I read the press release that came with this sample, one specific component stuck out.
“High-Rye Rye Whiskey”… interesting. When I see “High-Rye Rye Whiskey” + Jim Beam I immediately think of Booker’s Rye, but that’s long gone and from the success of the first release there’s no way they’d not bottle it if they had more, right? I contacted JB and turns out that’s exactly what it is… kind of.
That component is a younger, more recently made rye whiskey using a mash similar to the Booker’s Rye ratios, a recreation if you will. This rye hasn’t been offered to the market, nor has there been a peep about it, so this makes me wonder if this isn’t their subtle way of letting folks know it’s in the works. There’s a lot you could take from this, and speculation is a lot of fun, but we’re here to talk about whiskey so let’s get to drinkin’ and see what this one is all about.
Little Book Chapter 04: Lessons Honored – Details and Tasting Notes
Whiskey Details
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam
Blend: Brown Rice Bourbon (4 yo), Bourbon (7 yo), High-rye Whiskey (8 yo)
Cask: New Charred Oak, ex-Bourbon
Age: 4 Years
ABV: 61.4%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Batch: 04
Price: $125*
Tasting Notes
EYE
Amber
NOSE
Caramel, dried orchard fruit, butterscotch, spice, olde candy, biscuits, touch herbal, oak and banana. The super sweet and oddly dry aroma comes through like a Canadian whiskey with a bit more rustic bourbon character.
PALATE
Dried corn/raw grain, butterscotch, banana, dried orchard fruit, spice, olde candy, copper, touch herbal and farmy and peanutty. Dry and warm, Little Book Chapter 04: Lessons Honored has an overall earthiness to it that kicks up the complexity over the sweet aroma and ends up coming through more Beam-like.
FINISH
Medium -> Malty hay, banana, butterscotch, dried apples and baking spice fades to a soft, oddly sweet, metallic note.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Decent balance, medium-full body and a lightly oily feel.
Little Book Chapter 04: Lessons Honored Review – Overall Thoughts and Score
Starts sweet and layered, but slowly approaches a one-tone profile as the sweetness grows as the aroma opens. On the palate, it keeps that sweet tone, but thankfully some earthiness shows to offset the sweetness and adds a nice balance and complexity to it. A metallic ping picks up in the finish that isn’t exactly pleasant but isn’t off-putting either just… notable.
The nose is light, the finish is interesting, but the palate is where this really shines and it’s quite a nice sip; I like the Little Book Chapter 04: Lessons Honored. I’ve also enjoyed the previous ones I’ve had, but I have to say, Little Book Chapter 01 is still my favorite. There was something super unique about that one – it hit just right. CH 4 is interesting but it misses that punch the first one carried.
SCORE: 3.5/5
*Disclosure: The sample for this whiskey review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Little Book Chapter 04 Lessons Honored Review $125
Summary
A decent whiskey that starts sweet, moves to earthy and finishes metallic. Enjoyable, but not a robust as previous releases.
Overall
3.5- Nose (3.5)
- Palate (3.5)
- Finish (3.5)
- BBF (3.5)
