Review: Little Book Blended Whiskey Chapter 8: “Path Not Taken” (2024)

The 8th year of Beam Little Book releases has arrived, and while last year we were invited to consider Little Book “In Retrospect,” now we journey onto the “Path Not Taken,” which is a reimagining of American rye whiskey designed to showcase, in essence, that rye is not as boring and same-same today as you might think it is.

This release features 7 different whiskeys in the blend. Six of these are straight ryes of various styles (Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and one with malted rye), with ages ranging from 4 to 11 years old. The last whiskey is a high rye bourbon, at a whopping 18 years of age.

I think master distiller Freddie Noe is on to something with this, and if you want to taste something new in the rye-niverse, this is a whiskey to seek up. The nose is big and spicy, but not particularly grassy. Fresh green herbs, particularly dill, are dominant, though, the whiskey’s nose sharp and peppery. Toasty barrel char aromas are heavy, leaning into a note of red pepper and a healthy grind of cinnamon.

The palate takes those herbal qualities and builds on them, with a strong layer of mint dominant. Lots of dill and some caraway here, bringing on the evocation of pickles before sweeter elements come into view. Butterscotch, toffee, and peanut brittle all give the midpalate a confectionary bite, moving slowly into light notes of coconut, milk chocolate, and caramel sauce. Candied pecans show up eventually as well. In the end, the finish goes back to the baking cabinet for more cinnamon and nutmeg, plus a touch of ginger.

Little Book releases aren’t always huge winners, but Chapter 8 is at or near the top of the heap for the series. Take the path!

118.2 proof.

A / $150 / jimbeam.com

The post Review: Little Book Blended Whiskey Chapter 8: “Path Not Taken” (2024) appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.