For a few years now, Freddie Noe, eighth generation Beam distiller and son of current Beam master distiller Fred Noe, has been releasing his own Whiskeys through the Little Book series, and he just unveiled Chapter 4 “Lessons Honored”. Now in its fourth year, the 2020 edition of the annual release features a blend of three American Whiskeys.
Chapter 4 “Lessons Honored” mixes 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 Whiskey, all of which bear a connection to Freddie’s father, 7th Generation Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe.
“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. “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.”
According to the distillery, the rice bourbon reminds Freddie of the first distilling project he handled on his own, after years and experiences under Fred’s guidance. 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.”
Bottled at at 61.4% ABV, Little Book Chapter 4 “Lessons Honored” is set to go on sale across the United States this month for $125 per 750 ml bottle.
