Little Book Chapter 1: The Easy

I've been wanting to try this for a while and when I ran across a couple bottles of the 2017 I couldn't resist at $80. Wow is this good! Nose: Very complex. There is a lot going on here probably because of the blend of three types of whiskey. Leather, molasses, vanilla, lemon peel, cinnamon, cedar, green apple peels, dried cherry, and heavy ethanol punch given the high proof. This keeps getting more interesting and deep the more I smell. Flavor: Maple syrup right up front, cigar, leather, dried figs and dates. Wow. Punches way under its weight for the proof. Very smooth and buttery. Finish: Long finish with lingering wood notes, rye spice, baking spices. Big Kentucky hug with lingering warmth and flavor. Changes towards the end to peanut butter, nougat, and caramel. Tasted a lot like a snickers bar as it lingered in my mouth. Truly one of the best drams I've had. Outstanding with some of the Beam flavors I'd expect. Cousins flavor wise to some of the Booker's that I've had but way more complex and interesting. I may have to buy another bottle off the shelf. Snag this if you can find it.

Dark copper body. Quite sticky for the proof. Nose is dark caramel, ripe fruits, vanilla. Hints of cacao, and a grainy note hanging in there. A tart fruity bite pops through the mostly sweet front. Green grape/granny Smith apples. A good shot of heat carries on with some clove, cinnamon and black pepper. A few drops of water loosen up the reins and bring out more of the sweetness that underlies it all, and helps stretch it out a bit. A solid char character comes through at the end. It's got good complexity and is interesting enough... It tastes different than I'd expect based on the nose. Just caught me off guard a bit in that sense.

Best whisky in the world. An epic rye. I saw it on the bourbon menu of a local bbq place and I had to try it. Wow. Wow. Wow. How can such a punchy dram be so beguiling? The nose is sweet and buttery, yet floral; the colour deep amber. The palate has vast alcoholic oomph delivered with a honeyed sweetness and finished with a sly spicy warmth. Ooh, and cinnamon peanut brittle somehow. Little Boom achieves balance by being perfectly weighted on every axis, and altogether huge and satisfying. I feel bolstered for my bike ride home in the snow. Thanks Bookers!

Initially nose is hot and strong. This mellows with exposure/time. There are strong maple and nutty notes behind the heat; wood, leather and tobacco also. On the tongue, things come on initially strong but the maple and nutty qualities are present with some orange and baking spices. Midrange leather and tobacco come through. The finish is long woody and nutty, maybe even a little tobacco or smoke in the background. A little water toned down the heat but did not bring out any new flavors.

Dark copper in color. Hot corn and some dark fruits hiding in the background on the nose. Sweet, buttery corn and wood with plenty of heat on first taste. Light cinnamon and spice show up later. A drop of water takes away the bite but doesn’t seem to do much for the mouthfeel. Getting some moldy wood (the good kind😁) and even some Fruit Stripes gum as it evaporates at the back of my tongue. This is a solid American Whiskey (not a Bourbon) because of the unique blend.

I received a couple bottles of this when I was at Beam for a contract job. Now that Chapter 2 is out and I’m on the hunt, I decided to open a bottle and review. Nose: Jim Beam Peanut Funk! Nutty Bread and Grain, Ethanol, Oak and Vanilla, Baking Spice Palate: Peanut, Fresh Bread and Grain, Ethanol (it is 60%), a nice blend of Caramel and Vanilla This is a fantastic whiskey blend, something I’ll try not to drink so fast!