Review #: 476
Description: Little Book Chapter 4: “Lessons Honored”
Spirit: American Whiskey
Background: Wrapping up my reading of Little Book so far (I do not have chapter 5 or 6), this starts taking a slightly different turn. Chapter 4 includes 8 year “high rye” rye whiskey, 7 year bourbon, and then a 4 year Brown Rice Bourbon. I don’t think I’ve knowingly had rice whiskey, certainly not in a bourbon before. Despite the drop in ages, this had the same $125 retail as the previous chapter.
Distillery – Jim Beam
Bottler – Jim Beam
Brand – Little Book
Selection – N/A
ABV – 61.4%
Age – 4 Years
Nose – Rootbeer, cherry cider, gingerbread cookies, milk chocolate, clove, cardamom, lot of barrel and spice, raspberry cheesecake
Taste – Caramel, raspberry syrup, vanilla frosting, it has a decently thick mouthfeel but has kind of a watery taste to it. Sweetness is very restrained
Finish – Coffee beans, torched cherries, used matchstick, hint of brown sugar. It’s an odd blend of some fruit sweetness, oak bitterness, and ethanol heat
Score: 5
Would I buy a bottle? No
Thoughts: I do enjoy that Freddie is getting into some different stocks around the Beam warehouses, but this one falls a bit flat to me. Good nose and the taste starts out good but then you realize it doesn’t really go anywhere. The finish kind of works because the sweet, heat, and bitter kind of keep each in check but it’s still a bit too warm and bitter.