Little Book Chapter 4: Lessons Honored
Little Book Chapter 4: Lessons Honored is a 122.8-proof (61.4% ABV), 750mL, uncut and unfiltered blend of three Kentucky straight whiskeys — Freddie Noe's deeply personal tribute to his father, 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 61.4% (122.8 proof), uncut and unfiltered
- Size: 750mL
- Release: August 2020, limited quantity, discontinued back vintage
- Blend: 4-year-old Kentucky straight brown rice bourbon + 8-year-old Kentucky straight high-rye rye + 7-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon
- Creator: Freddie Noe, 8th Generation Beam Distiller
- Origin: James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, Kentucky
A Son's Tribute to Fred Noe
Every Little Book chapter is Freddie Noe's notebook made liquid — an annual, limited blend with a story behind it. Chapter 4, "Lessons Honored," is the most personal entry: a tribute to his father, Fred Noe, and the lessons passed down through a decade of working side by side at the James B. Beam Distillery. Each component bears a connection to Fred. The 4-year-old Kentucky straight brown rice bourbon is Freddie's own first solo distillation project; the 8-year-old high-rye rye is an ode to Booker's Rye, one of the first commemorative releases father and son tasted and selected together; and the 7-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon — the one Fred unknowingly helped select — rounds out the blend. Even the blue neck tag nods to their shared Kentucky Wildcats fandom.
Tasting Notes
Nose: caramel, apple pie, cinnamon toast, and oak spice, with an early-harvest warmth from the brown rice bourbon's long fermentation. Palate: full-bodied brown sugar and rich charred wood lead, with dried cherries, roasted peanuts, maple syrup, and a spicy allspice-and-black-pepper kick from the high-rye rye. Finish: soft and decadent — warm caramel giving way to lingering spice.
How to Enjoy
Freddie's own sipping suggestion is neat or over ice — and at 122.8 proof, a few drops of water are welcome to open the layers. This is a slow, contemplative pour for whiskey drinkers who read labels, and its discontinued status makes every opened bottle a shared story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Little Book Chapter 4? The fourth annual release (2020) in Freddie Noe's Little Book series — a 122.8-proof, uncut and unfiltered blend of three Kentucky straight whiskeys honoring his father, Fred Noe. It is a discontinued back vintage that will never be repeated.
What does "brown rice bourbon" mean? The bourbon in the blend uses brown rice in its mash instead of rye as the flavor grain — a distinctive Beam experiment that gives the whiskey an unusually creamy, round grain character.
Why is the tag blue? Freddie chose a blue neck tag to represent the Kentucky Wildcats, the favorite sports team he shares with his father.
A discontinued 2020 chapter from the Beam family's notebook — order Little Book Chapter 4 online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA while bottles remain.