Little Book Chapter 3: The Road Home

Nose (neat): Rye spice, leather, tobacco, very fine oak notes, cedarwood, salt-water taffy and roasted peanuts. Over time the nose fills out further as vanilla, caramel, mint and menthol notes emerge. Nose (watered): A pleasant marriage of the notes that are apparent when neat, but a great deal of the bold character is lost. It tends to become merely a very nice example of the Jim Beam house nose. Palate (neat): Big, spicy and dry arrival with a fair amount of heat. There are certainly identifiable notes such as cinnamon, dill, clove and sour cherry, but any nuance is throttled by the overly busy oak tannins. This palate is so dry, bitter and hot it is almost a caricature. Palate (watered): Much softer arrival, still spicy and dry but the heat is tamed and the whisky is considerably more welcoming. Most importantly, the palate opens and develops to clearly display dark fruit, brown sugar, toffee, espresso and an excellent chewy woodiness. Overall water provides desperately needed balance and allows the whiskey's undeniable qualities to shine, and I thought the texture was also greatly improved. Finish (neat): Long. Dominated by hot and bitter spices that eventually just wear off. Finish (watered): Still long, but the bitter notes are now balanced by just the right degree of sweetness. A dark cherry and chestnut wood flavour is distinct in the aftertaste. When first poured neat there is a blast of ethanol on the nose - let it rest for 10 minutes and this blows away leaving the whiskey more approachable. It's authoritative but a little austere and it reminded me slightly of some dry cask-strength Speysiders I've nosed. On the whole, however, I thought it was a very good nose. The palate, on the other hand, leaves a great deal to be desired. The arrival was promising but it quickly took a wrong turn in the development, which to me seemed more like a collapse of the arrival into a melange of bitterness. To be quite honest I thought it bordered on undrinkable. However generous dilution completely transformed the palate, and the spirit is certainly bold enough to take water with no effort at all. I'm sure there are more seasoned bourbon drinkers than I who would love the neat palate, but for me it was just out of control and needed the discipline of water, which I thought rendered it far more elegant. If I rated this as neat I'd give it 2 stars and consider it a failure, however with water it's a 4-star dram, so I'm splitting the difference and rating it at 3. Many thanks to @Soba45 for the tasting sample. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)

Chapter 2 was fantastic. Chapter 3 is a 122.8 proof blend of a cask strength incarnations of Jim Beam's former Small batch Series: Baker's, Basil Hayden's, Booker's, and Knob Creek. Aged 12, 9, 11, and 9 years respectively. Bottled at 122.6 proof. Let's check it out. Nose: Apricot and toffee. Some leather and cocoa. Almond. Tobacco smoke. Caramel and gala apple. Ginger and orange peel. Carrot cake. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and oak. It's a well-rounded spice bomb. Very nice. Palate: Peanut brittle. Tobacco smoke. Almond and walnut. Dry woody, oaky note. Apricot, toffee, vanilla, and orange peel. Sawdust, clove, nutmeg. Black pepper and cinnamon. Caramel and Gala apple. Hevay butterscotch. A bit drying but tasty nonetheless. Great once again. Finish: Orange citrus/orange peel. Cocoa and caramel. Some sawdust. Clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and heavy oak. Spices hit like a truck. Long finish, as you'd expect at 122.6 proof. This is an amalgamation of the old school JB Small Batch Series on steroids. In every sense. It's a great representation of the Jim Beam core spirit, and it hits with the power of a 245-pound heavyweight with the grace of a 145-pound featherweight. Great stuff. I got this late in the game--I actually managed to get Chapter 4 before I could track this down. I waited too long--which added an extra $40 to my purchase, I had many months to buy this at $100 and ended up conceding $140 for the bottle. With that in my, I've not to fault this one for the price hike. 4.5/5. Jim Beam is a force to be reckoned with at 50%+. This embodies that fact as well as any other offering.

Another weekend on lockdown. Family movie time and some whiskey. This comes to me to longtime whisky pal across the other side of the the Hudson, @PBMichiganWolverine . The nose is dense with a mix of aromas found in single barrel bourbons. Nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, dill spices. Sweetness of butterscotch , licorice, peanut brittle, cherries seep through the spice. All of this is encased with oak wood. The initial sip is a blast of spice and wood and lidocaine. Subsequent sips become easier to discern flavors and the palate acclimates. Dominated by wood spices and tannins, whisps of vanilla, cherry NyQuil, ground cinnamon, cloves and dill. The cherry NyQuil flavor remains on the palate with a wooden dryness, spearmint that with a timeless end. A healthy dose of water softens the spicy edge and the buried sweetness is unveiled. Dark brown sugar, caramel, coffee, and bitter dark chocolate. A potent whisky that is better developed and formed with the addition of water. However, overall, the whiskey seem very restricted, bound and wanting to be more and find itself. Not a bad dram, but I was anticipating more from a single barrel whiskey. A better experience can be had with Elijah Craig Barrel Proof it Four Roses Single Barrel. Stay well. Stay safe. [84/100][Tasted: 3/4/20]

I couldn’t disagree more with the distiller reviewer here. Describing this as smoky and fruity with no structure is extremely puzzling to me. I get the beam peanut brittle, chai tea spice, cinnamon, honey, and clove on there nose. The proof is definitely apparent but isnt distracting or overwhelming. The palate offers a kick of rye spice up front quickly followed by a sweetness of brown sugar and caramel to balance out the sip. The finish has hints of bananas foster, vanilla icing and creme brûlée. While I think there are some batches of bookers and KC 14-15 store picks that are marginally better than this, an 81 ranking is way off and the description of smokiness and floral notes perplex me even further. There is some rye spice in here but I just don’t even come close to those notes here. I’d love for another reviewer to restate this as I believe it is a quality offering and worth $89-99 if you enjoy bakers/bookers beam in general

The color is rich amber with a caramel hue and leaves the glass coated in a thick and distinct veil of oils. The nose leads off with buttered toast balanced by ripe fruit, with vanilla and caramel following all with an underlying oakiness and a very inviting richness. The palate is right away dry but chewy, with a richness that coats the mouth along with oak, filling the mouth with butter, vanilla, caramel and a wonderful creaminess. The fruitiness takes more of a backseat but is there in the background to tie everything off. The finish is medium long with a lasting oakiness and richness that keeps the mouth feeling chewy, while a rye spiciness presents itself as the rest of the palate fades. What a wonderful experience this bourbon is.

Damn. This is a great pour. I’m having it at a bar right after Elmer T and am blown away. Obviously it’s a higher proof, but was expecting something less. Similar to the oakiness and oatmeal/cereal of OE7 or EW SiB, but much better on the palate and finish. I use the rating scale below. Distiller uses a scale of 5 and I use a scale of 10, but I’m sure you’re not too drunk to do the math! 1. Disgusting - So bad I poured it out. 2. Poor - I wouldn't consume by choice. 3. Bad - Multiple flaws. 4. Below average - Not bad, but many things I'd rather have. 5. Good - Just average. 6. Very Good - Better than average. 7. Great - Well above average. 8. Excellent - In a league of its own. 9. Incredible - An all-time favorite. 10. Perfect