Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/948966
march 2018 / the tasting panel / 101 That flavored spirit, a fruit punch rum, "will never see the light of day," Freddie adds with a laugh. But the other—a blend he created from a four-year Jim Beam Bourbon, a four-year corn whiskey, a four-year malt whiskey, and a four-year rye whiskey, all from Beam's library of whiskies—seemed to hold more promise. While Freddie's prototype never evolved into an actual release, he circled back to the concept of creating his own blended whiskey a year and a half ago and quickly set about finding the perfect blend. The final result, named Little Book after Freddie's lifelong family nickname, features 13-year-old corn whiskey, six-year-old high rye, and a six-year-old 100% distiller's malt whiskey blended with four-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon. "I made 27 different blends before deciding the second one was always my favorite," Freddie admits. "Each component was added for a reason: the corn whiskey adds sweetness, the rye brings spiciness, and you get a great mouthfeel from the malt whiskey." To introduce Little Book (SRP $80) to the West Coast F&B industry, Freddie flew over from Kentucky and led a tasting with Los Angeles bartenders focused on the components of Little Book—and, of course, the final product. With the corn whiskey clocking in at 133 proof and the rye and malt whiskey at 126, Freddie cautioned the bartenders to "sip slow." Little Book is bottled at 128, or barrel proof, and Freddie explained the "whiskey is meant to be the way it is, straight out of the barrel, so you can enjoy it any damn way you please." "I like it on the rocks, because as the ice melts, the flavor of the whiskey changes," he added. Little Book will be released annually with a new blend each year; it's a first not only for Freddie, but for the distillery, too, as its inaugural blended straight whiskey. "I wanted to create something new and unique," Freddie recalls. "I'm excited to keep exploring all the possibilities with blending and to share them with whiskey fans in the coming years." And since its October 2017 release, the whiskey has received favorable reviews from those both behind and in front of the bar: This news bodes well for Freddie as it helps cement his own burgeon- ing legacy within the Beam family. Freddie Booker Noe IV, the creator of Little Book Whiskey, is the son of Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe and the great-great- grandson of Jim Beam. Freddie Noe led a tasting of the components of the blend for LITTLE BOOK WHISKEY, which includes corn, malt, rye, and bourbon whiskies. LITTLE BOOK™ BLENDED STRAIGHT WHISKEY, 64.1% ALC./VOL. ©2018 JAMES B. BEAM DISTILLING CO., CLERMONT, KY.