Bourbon

Little Book Chapter 3: The Road Home

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Little Book Chapter 3: The Road Home

61.3% ABV
$125
Website

We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Freddie Noe, eighth generation Beam distiller and creator of Little Book® Whiskey, is proud to announce the third installment in his annual, limited-release series of blends – “Little Book Chapter 3: The Road Home.”

Following high acclaim for the first two blended whiskies within the Little Book series – 2017’s “The Easy” and 2018’s “Noe Simple Task” – the third chapter delivers on Noe’s passion for creating one-of-a-kind blends, while also honoring his storied family roots in Kentucky. Little Book Chapter 3: “The Road Home” features a blend of four super-premium Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskies, one from each brand of the original Small Batch Bourbon Collection created by his grandfather Booker Noe in the early 1990s. The result is a meticulously blended whiskey with depth of flavor and legacy.

FREDDIE’S NOTE
“The Road Home” batch pays tribute to my grandfather as the name Little Book is actually the childhood nickname that he gave me. And so I thought after having a couple of chapters under my belt that it would be a great time to pay honor to him and blend some of the liquids that he gave the bourbon industry. The four liquids that I chose to go into this batch of Little Book® are from the original small batch collection that my grandfather, Booker, created. The Road Home is a blend of nine year old Basil Hayden®, nine year old Knob Creek®, 11 year old Booker’s® and 12 year old Baker’s®, and as always with Little Book®, these liquids are at barrel strength and will be bottled at barrel strength as well. The name “The Road Home” references the road that I travel to and from on a regular basis, the same road my grandfather, Booker, traveled back when he used to work here at the distillery. I tinkered with a lot of different recipes, 57 to be exact, before finding what I was looking for – layers of vanilla, char and dried apricots with lingering oak. The final recipe I selected was 51 of the 57 I tried – a lot more trial and error than the others, but I thought if someone is going to play with the liquids that my grandfather developed, they had better produce a damned good blend. – Freddie Noe, 8th Generation Beam Family Distiller

Blend Overview:
9-year-old Knob Creek® Bourbon
9-year-old Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon
11-year-old Booker’s® Bourbon
12-year-old Baker’s® Bourbon

TASTING NOTES
COLOR: Deep golden brown with auburn hues
AROMA: Caramel, smoky barrel char, sweet baking spices and vanilla
TASTE: Vanilla, char and dried apricot with a lingering oak
FINISH: Lingering, warm and sweet, layered with tones of oak

What Gary Says

Nose:  Lovely rickhouse mustiness rich with vanilla custard, salted caramel, dark chocolate, peanut brittle, charred oak, bits of blood orange, allspice and cinnamon.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel, warm with caramel drizzled atop brownies, vanilla flan with cinnamon, rich chocolate notes, cinnamon and pepper spice.
Finish:  Long, drying with oak, chocolate and lingering spices.
Comments:  I get a lot of similarities to Booker’s, what I imagine barrel-proof Baker’s might be like, and Knob Creek in this (but less of the Basil Hayden . . . bottled at 40% ABV, a little more challenging to pin how that would be at cask strength). This is a delightfully well balanced blend of some fine bourbon! Rich and thick, this nails all of the ‘bourbon’ notes I look for while including some oak (but not overdoing it). Fans of the Small Batch collection I think will find this to be lovely.

Rating: Must Try

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J.T.S. Brown Bottled in Bond

/ / Bourbon, Review /

J.T.S. Brown Bottled in Bond
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$10-$12
Website (ok, not their web-site, but the closest thing, eh)
JTS Brown Bottled in Bond

What the Distillery Says

(No mention of this brand on their web-site, so below is what is on the bottle)
J.T.S. Brown Kentucky’s Finest
Established 1855
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
100 Proof
Distilled and Aged in Kentucky, Bottled by
J.T.S. Brown’s Son Company, Bardstown, Kentucky

Distilled by Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc
D.S.P.-KY-1
Louisville, Kentucky

What Gary Says

Nose:  A tad hot, charred oak and vanilla, hint of caramel with a bit of cinnamon, and a trace of dried mint.
Palate:  Crushed vanilla wafers with a watered-down caramel sauce, bit of oak with a sharp bite of cinnamon candies.
Finish:  On the shorter side, drying with cinnamon.
Comments:  This is definitely a ‘value brand’. No age statement, although as ‘Bottled in Bond’ it is at least four years old (I’d guess it is pretty close to exactly four years old). My Dad would point out that this was the whiskey that ‘Fast Eddie’ Felson (played by Paul Newman) drank in “The Hustler“.  If you like ‘smooth’ bourbon, this ain’t it – although adding a bit of water brings out some corn sweetness and softens the edges a bit – without completely losing them). This drinks a little hotter than 100 proof to me, and is edgy like bourbon aged at the top of the rickhouse. But for $10, it is a pretty serviceable bourbon – and there aren’t many at that price point that meet that bar in my opinion.

Rating: Average

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Old Forester Statesman

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Forester Statesman
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

47.5% ABV
$50
Website
Old Forester Statesman
We would like to thank Brown-Forman and Weber Shandwick for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Inspired by the dynamic characters in the film,”Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” Old Forester Statesman offers bold flavor blended to a smooth 95 proof from hand-selected casks of our famed Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky from the warmest places in the warehouse. Because true character is only revealed after a little heat, the Statesman product offers an exceptional balance of heat and spice.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Devil’s food, clove and oak spice with an undercurrent of raw vanilla
TASTE: Buttery leather is quickly dominated by a bold flash of pepper, cinnamon bark and sharp citrus
FINISH: Intense spice and eucalyptus which fade into orange cream and caramel

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sharp caramel corn with coffee cake, charred oak, vanilla, rickhouse mustiness with a hint of orange blossom.
Palate:  Caramel sauce over coffee cake and vanilla ice cream, sharpens with oak, nutmeg, a bit of cinnamon, a hint of clove, and pepper spice; bit of water brings out a lovely orange creamsicle note.
Finish:  Moderately long with caramel, oak and pepper.
Comments:  This has some lovely baking spices going on, which isn’t surprising in Old Forester. I tried this shortly after it was released and didn’t care for it, although I’m not sure why (great example of ‘any given Sunday‘). I had an opportunity to try it recently at an Old Forester Taste Through History event and thought “Wow – this is pretty tasty! Why didn’t I like it?” Oh well – bygones. I’m thankful for the opportunity to spend some quality time with this one, as it really is a solid pour. It is on the sharp side, but a little water softens those edges and brings out some really nice orange notes. A nice addition to the Old Forester lineup!

Rating: Stands Out

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Four Roses Super Premium

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Four Roses Super Premium

43% ABV
$50 (bottled for the Japanese market)
Website
Four Roses Super Premium

What the Bottle Says

(No mention of this product on Four Roses website, and this is one of the worst labels I’ve seen on a bottle. The gold print is very difficult to read.)
Four Roses Super Premium
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Four Roses Bourbon was born and crafted in the traditions of old Kentucky. From producing a unique sour mash to ageing the Bourbon in hand made, charred oak barrels, the same traditions prevail to produce Four Roses Super Premium, a Bourbon of rare smoothness, richness and strength.

The Four Roses distillery is a Kentucky landmark and the home of one of the world’s premier Bourbons. Age old craftsmanship and the rugged Kentucky climate work a special magic to create this smooth, mellow Bourbon.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Freshly baked vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting, subtle baking spices, buttered popcorn, a hint of oak.
Palate:  Sweet vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce, a hint of corn sweetness.
Finish:  Short, sweet and slightly drying with notes of vanilla.
Comments:  They’re right about ‘smooth’. Its been a bit since I’ve had Four Roses Bourbon (sometimes referred to as “Yellow Label”, but it no longer has a ‘Yellow Label’ and during a tour they made it clear no one should refer to it that way), but this reminds me more of that than any other Four Roses product. From what I recall, that had more spice than this, and more of those floral notes I associate with Four Roses. I’m not sure I would have picked this out of a blind lineup as being a Four Roses bourbon. While nothing offputting, it is a little too smooth and bland for my taste. I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way to seek it out, being a Japanese offering.

Rating: Average

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J. Riddle Peated Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

J. Riddle Peated Bourbon

45.5% ABV
$45
Website
J. Riddle Peated Bourbon

What the Distillery Says

Two James Spirits is proud to announce the release of our newest spirit, J. Riddle Peated Bourbon. This unique spirit pairs the sweet robust flavor of corn bourbon with the elegant smokiness of single malt whiskey. The mash bill possesses subtle notes of vanilla, buttered popcorn, sea salt, fresh cut grass and light smoke. What started off as an experimental mix of grains developed into a delicious bourbon unlike any other on the market. Distilled on-site from 79% Michigan Corn and 21% Scottish Barley and aged in full-format 53-gallon new American oak barrels, we are excited to release our first barrels and for you to savor and enjoy!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Funky, wet leather, cardboard, buttered popcorn with celery salt, malted barley, freshly cut green wood, hints of vanilla, cornbread, and odd vegetal notes.
Palate:  Sweet entry of butterscotch, vanilla, a soured grain note, caramel, earthy peat sneaking in with some tame ginger, a hint of clove and creamed corn.
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with lingering peat and creamed corn notes.
Comments:  This is an odd dram, reminding me more of an American single malt than a bourbon. I like peated whiskey, but if your frame of reference is Islay scotch whisky, this isn’t anything like that. The peat is there, but it is different – more earthy/vegetal than sea air/brine/coastal. Plus only a fraction of the grain is malted with peat – so it is much less intense. The corn is quite evident. On the nose, I wouldn’t have guessed this to be peated, but it shows up more on the palate. It is a very interesting pour. I had to make several passes at it, as the aromas and flavors didn’t jump out as being things I get in whisk(e)y – which for me is intriguing.

Rating: Stands Out

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