Per Freddie Noe: Little Book Chapter 5, “The Invitation,” is the fifth chapter in the Little Book Whiskey series. The Invitation offers a chance for any curious whiskey drinker to expand their palette - both seasoned connoisseurs and newcomers alike. The name of this year's chapter offers fans of American whiskey an opportunity to experience liquid that I personally had a hand in creating and blending and showcases the innovation of Little Book chapters over the last five years. Little Book Chapter 5 is a blend of four different liquid streams with a vast range of ages, flavors and distillation styles. Three of the four liquid streams contained in Chapter 5 were distilled under my watchful eye, and I'm thrilled to offer drinkers a whiskey that is both expansive and complex. With the base of this blend being a 2-year-old bourbon, this chapter continues to push the boundaries of blending and challenges what some might assume of lower aged whiskies. The way these liquid streams complement each other makes this liquid extremely approachable, even for those who haven't given cask strength whiskey a try. The Invitation was one of the more difficult chapters to perfect. Harmonizing such varied liquids and ages requires delicate balancing of flavors and immense amounts of patience, but the effort was certainly worth it when you taste the final product. Little Book Chapter 5 is my way of inviting Little Book drinkers into different aspects of the whiskey space, regardless of if they've been along for the ride since Chapter 1 or are just tasting Little Book for the first time.

The batch is made up of barrels from three different production dates stored in four different rackhouses in six different locations. The breakdown of the barrel storage is as follows: 11% came from the 3rd floor of 7-story warehouse 5, 33% came from the 5th floor of 9-story warehouse G, 27% came from the 6th floor of 9-story warehouse H, 29% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse Z. This will be a history making batch of Booker's Bourbon since I selected this batch with the help of my son and 8th Generation Beam Distiller, Freddie Noe. The color is a rich, light brown that reminds me of the beautiful horses throughout Kentucky. The aroma contains vanilla, toasted nuts and some hints of baking spices. The flavor is full and has a finish that can be enjoyed neat. We enjoyed tasting it and selecting the barrels on an unseasonably cool and rainy day. This batch is special to me since I created it with my son to carry on my father's legacy and his distillery location. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed selecting it.