It seems the folks over at Beam just won’t stop releasing cool stuff! A problem for the wallets of bourbon nerds the world over? Probably. A good problem? Also, probably!

Today, I will talk about the two newest limited editions joining the Beam Small Batch family of brands. From the mind of Freddie Noe comes Little’s Book “The Infinite” and Booker’s “The Reserves,” respectively.

There’s a fair bit to break down on these releases, so let’s get started.

I will kick off this piece with Edition 1 of the new Little Book “The Infinite.” Freddie Noe has described this whiskey as a solera system, which is to say that this first release will serve as the base for all batches of The Infinite going forward. Each year, he says he will tinker with the blend by experimenting with different whiskies, all made by generations of the Noe family (authors note: Does this mean there be no liquid laid down by ancestors on the Beam side? Further clarification on this may be needed). This year, it is all Kentucky Straight Bourbon with liquid laid down by Freddie’s father and grandfather.

The components are:

· Booker Noe’s Component: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Aged 20 years

· Fred Noe’s Component: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Aged 14 years

· Freddie Noe’s Component: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Aged 7 years

· Shared Family Component: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Aged 8 Years

As a bourbon enthusiast, I’m excited by the prospect of drinking something with a 20-year-old Bourbon in it, but as a whiskey writer and industry professional, I’m a bit hesitant to state at what age it loses all the flavor and nuance and just become bitter, oak, and barrel char.

The above being said – let’s dive into it!

In the glass, this presents as an alluring and enticing smoked amber with gold undertones.

Nose: This has hints of raspberry, plum, and peach pie, as well as soft notes of vanilla extract, soft wheat, and sourdough bread.
Palate: Surprisingly thin mouthfeel, but lots of flavor. Vanilla, soft wheat, graham cracker crust. I also picked up some cherry syrup and hints of cola.

This is a nicely balanced bourbon, though it does lean more towards vanilla. I’m excited to see how it evolves over the next few years!

Now that we’ve talked about Little Book, it’s time to talk about Big Book, “The Reserves.” The 2024 release of “The Reserves” is a marriage of 8 different bourbons of varying years and warehouses:

– 8 Years, 2 Months, 12 Days on the 4th floor of warehouse G
– 8 Years, 5 Months, 19 Days on the 5th floor of warehouse I
– 8 Years, 5 Months, 20 Days on the 5th floor of warehouse Z
– 9 Years, 2 Months, 3 Days on the 5th floor of warehouse Q
– 9 Years, 2 Months, 4 Days on the 6th floor of warehouse J
– 9 Years, 5 Months, 18 Days on the 7th floor of warehouse H
– 10 Years, 3 Months, 2 Days on the 4th floor of warehouse X
– 14 Years, 4 Months, 16 Days on the 6th floor of warehouse I

I’m excited to see how the blend comes together! So, without further ado, let’s taste this, shall we?

Appearance: In the glass, it has the color of either burnt honey or maybe fossilized amber.

Nose: For a Beam product, I’m surprised that there is little to no aroma of peanuts – an almost signature note for their brands. There is, however, a note of mentholated tobacco, which I find slightly off-putting. After letting the bourbon sit in the glass and air out a bit longer, that tobacco smell is gone and replaced instead by cookie dough and cinnamon sugar. I also picked up some vanilla and oak towards the back of the nose.

Palate: This has a beautiful chalkiness that dries out your palate. I absolutely love it when I find a bourbon that dries my mouth out. I have no idea why, but for me, that’s a game-changer. It has flavors of pie crust, barrel stave, and LOTS of mocha. There is a nice minty undertone as well.

I’m delighted with this release! Quite tasty, as is to be expected. It’s a well-put-together blend and thoroughly enjoyable.