American Blend - BourbonSphere

Beam’s Little Book Reaches Chapter Six

Freddie Noe, Eighth Generation Master Distiller of the Fred B. Noe Distillery and creator of Little Book® Whiskey, is proud to announce the sixth installment in his acclaimed annual, limited-release series – Little Book Chapter 6: “To The Finish.” The name of this year’s chapter is inspired by Noe’s passion for both whiskey-making and cooking, …

The name of this year’s chapter is inspired by Noe’s passion for both whiskey-making and cooking, and more specifically, his curiosity for how flavors come together to complement each other.

“From generation to generation, the kitchen has always been a place where my family comes together to share traditions including my dad teaching me to cure meat and working to perfect my grandfather’s sausage recipe. These memories ultimately led to my pursuits around the grill,” said Noe. “My love for cooking and grilling, along with my obvious love of whiskey, has inspired my work in the rackhouse, and you’ll see that poured into Chapter 6.”

Noe uses the traditional method of smoking hardwoods to create different aromas and flavors in food, and he’s applied that same method to the whiskey-making process, using unique wood staves and barrel techniques for Chapter 6. This process brings different characteristics together to create a final blend that has a perfect balance of flavors.

“To The Finish” is a blend of five liquid streams all distilled under Noe’s watchful eye. The 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey liquid streams all start as the same American Single Malt Whiskey but are aged separately with different wood staves and barrel techniques to impart a unique taste profile. Once the liquids are individually dumped, they are blended back together in different ratios before a 5-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon is added to create the final blend. The result is an extremely approachable liquid, even for those who have yet to try a cask strength whiskey.

Little Book “To The Finish” was developed by Noe with the following characteristics:

Blend Overview:
- The 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished with cherrywood staves adds a unique presence of dried fruit notes, offering a touch of sweetness. The cherrywood also delivers the rich, deep amber color of the final blend.
- The 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished with applewood smoked barrels complements the whiskey by pulling out the savory toasted grain notes with subtle smokiness.
- The 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished in hickory smoked barrels brings out the more apparent smokiness in the final blend, complementing the sweetness brought forward by the cherry and applewood components.
- The 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished with maplewood staves gives a rounded finish to the whiskey, ultimately complementing the overall blend.
- Finally, the 5-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon creates a balance throughout by adding in the classic warm, sweet bourbon notes. This brings the full blend together and allows the nuances of each treatment to shine.

“With each release of Little Book, I strive to bring any curious whiskey drinker along for the journey as I explore different flavors, aging, and blending methods,” Noe explained. “For this chapter, I hope to open people’s eyes to a whiskey that has a taste bigger than its individual components, and a flavor that’s inspired from generations of curing, grilling and distilling.”

“To The Finish” is now available nationwide in limited quantities with a suggested retail price of $124.99 for a 750mL bottle.

Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Blended Bottled In Bond Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Earlier this spring, Jack Daniel’s introduced a new series on bottled in bond whiskeys. One of these was a revamping of an already existing expression, Jack Daniel’s Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whiskey. This one took an already existing, one-liter travel retail bottle and repackaged it as a general release in …

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Bonded
(Credit: Brown-Forman)

Earlier this spring, Jack Daniel’s introduced a new series on bottled in bond whiskeys. One of these was a revamping of an already existing expression, Jack Daniel’s Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whiskey. This one took an already existing, one-liter travel retail bottle and repackaged it as a general release in a 700ml, Euro-friendly bottle. I’ve taken some time in getting to the other, entirely new part of the series: the Triple Mash Blended.

This is a blend/hybrid of three separate whiskeys made in Lynchburg: 20% is the familiar JD Tennessee Whiskey; another 20% is their American Malt, presumably of the same stock as the Special Release made earlier this year; and 60% from their rye whiskey. All three stocks are bonded, as they must be for the blend to consequently qualify as bonded. So, the whiskey is four years old (the statutory minimum age), all coming from the Lynchburg distillery and made in the same season, and all bottled at 100 proof. Also, all three have undergone the signature Lincoln County Process as applied by Jack Daniel’s: the new make whiskey is drip-filtered through a vat of sugar maple charcoal prior to barreling.

The Whiskey
The nose present as oatmeal cookie dough with a heavy helping of the attendant spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger) stirred in. On the palate, it’s as mellow as one should expect from a Jack Daniel’s whiskey, but also heavier. The flavor profile takes more of a turn towards banana bread, albeit one with plenty of the aforementioned cookie spice blend and vanilla added. The malty side, I suspect, presents itself more with the gravity of the pour than in its flavor profile, but having not tried the American Malt from Jack Daniel’s, I’m ill-equipped to pull it out from the other elements. The finish delivers a soft current of spiciness.

The Price

This is set at a very reasonable $33 per bottle.

Utah’s High West Brings Back Campfire Whiskey

High West, the Park City-based distillery known for its meticulously sourced and innovatively blended whiskeys, announces today its Protect the West initiative, a $1 million commitment over the next three years to protect the land and its inhabitants. The announcement coincides with the national release of High West’s seasonal bottle Campfire, one of the brand’s most unique and iconic expressions. In honor of Campfire, the first donation will benefit the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the brave few who run towards the fire, including the wildfires increasingly plaguing the West.

Since opening its doors in 2007, High West has witnessed firsthand how the West has been impacted by a rapidly changing climate, resulting in higher temperatures, severe droughts, drier forests and reduced snowpack. Immediately taking note, the brand has donated more than $1M to nonprofits to date, with the majority of those funds going toward organizations protecting the West and its inhabitants. Now, High West is reaffirming and strengthening this commitment to its own backyard. As part of the Protect the West initiative, High West will partner with organizations that share High West’s passion for the West and whose conservation efforts fall into three focus areas: the fight against wildfires, protecting winters and wildland preservation.

“Now is not the time for us to sit on the sidelines. Our home in the West and everything we love about it is in more and more danger every year,” said Daniel Schear, General Manager of High West. “We’re building on our past work with this $1 million commitment to protect the West, and we are excited to work with those who are also passionate about saving this beautiful part of the world we call home.”

The $150,000 inaugural donation will be split between three organizations to support them in their crucial missions. Future donations will be announced over the course of the next three years as High West continues to identify and support organizations striving to Protect the West.

Wildland Firefighter Foundation, dedicated to helping the families of firefighters killed in the line of duty and to assisting injured firefighters and their families.
Protect Our Winters, a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies to protect our outdoor playgrounds from climate change.
American Prairie, creating the largest nature reserve in the contiguous United States by purchasing critical habitat that connects a vast network of existing public lands for wildlife conservation and public access.

In recognition of the Campfire release and to continue supporting the brave protectors who defend us from fires each and every day, High West is donating $50,000 to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and matching consumer donations up to an additional $50,000. The American West is burning more quickly than it has in a decade, and over three million acres of U.S. land – almost the size of Connecticut – have burned so far this year.^[1] The donation to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation will directly benefit the families of fallen and injured firefighters, honoring those who tirelessly work to protect our lands.

Available nationally, Campfire ($79.99) is a unique blend of scotch, bourbon and whiskey with a complex flavor profile including s’mores, burnt almond toffee, mocha and tobacco, balsam fir needles, and woodsmoke from a long-forgotten campfire.

Orphan Barrel Trots Out New, 14 Year Old Blend Of Previous Releases

The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co. is pleased to announce the latest release from the company: Fable & Folly Finest Quality Whiskey Aged 14 Years. Fable & Folly was crafted from a proprietary blend that includes the last remaining stocks of Barterhouse, Forged Oak and various Rhetoric releases. Orphan Barrel Master Blender Andrew Mackay He …

Orphan Barrel Master Blender Andrew Mackay He married the last remaining stocks of Barterhouse, Forged Oak and various Rhetoric releases with a proprietary blend to create the expression, which pays homage to the original releases yet possesses a distinct profile of its own. “Fable & Folly honors the quality ingredients that go into it and the ethos of the Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co. as a whole,” said Mackay. “In my discoveries of the six orphaned stocks that are part of Fable & Folly, it became clear that blending them would both highlight and enhance the nuances that make these liquids so special. Fable& Folly tells the stories of whiskeys past while exciting aficionados and collectors with a unique new spirit that stands the test of time.”

This special edition bottle is available in limited quantities at select spirits retailers nationwide with an SRP of $149.99 for 750mL.

George Dickel and Leopold Brothers Produce Collaboration Rye

Over the years, Nicole Austin – General Manager and Distiller at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. – and Todd Leopold – Founder and Master Distiller at Leopold Bros Distillery – have cultivated a mutual respect not only as peers in the whisky industry but as friends. Fast-forward to 2021, when Todd shared a sample of their trademark Three Chamber Rye with Nicole, he was looking for a partner to collaborate on a new blend to challenge the status quo for rye offerings on the market.

Dubbed the George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend, this union perfectly balances two different styles of rye whisky: Leopold Bros’ celebrated Three Chamber Rye and George Dickel never-before-released traditional column still rye. The result is a rare, historically inspired blend of straight rye whiskies that is reminiscent of an era when heavy-bodied rye whiskies were served at bars and saloons across America.

“When you look back at official records for Three Chamber Rye Whiskies, they weren’t just sold as is, but they were also blended together with column still whiskies,” said Todd Leopold, Founder at Leopold Bros. “It feels fitting our rare rye release combines this historic style with something new from George Dickel. We hope whisky fans will enjoy this take on an American classic and inspire the resurgence of rare rye whisky.”

“At the core of both George Dickel and Leopold Bros is a shared spirit of commitment to producing quality and distinctly delightful whisky,” said Nicole Austin, General Manager and Distiller at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. “I’ve been a personal fan of Leopold Bros for years, and it’s why I’m thrilled to collaborate with Todd and his team. I’m also particularly excited this partnership will mark the first time people will be able to enjoy a rye whisky distilled at Cascade Hollow.”

The George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend initially boasts a floral nose of lavender, elderflower and rose balanced by sweet hints of maple syrup, marshmallow and cocoa. On the palate, rosewater, blackberries, caramel, lavender, fig and citrus are present followed by a finish combining earl gray, honey and cocoa. At 100 proof, fans can best enjoy this whisky neat or in a classic cocktail like the Manhattan or Whiskey Sour.

George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend is a highly limited release, one whisky aficionados and collectors will want to get ahold of when they see it. Starting this November, consumers can find the George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend rolling out in select markets across the US for a suggested retail price of $109.99.