LittleBook

Event Date: Saturday, September 14, 2024 6:00 – 10:00 PM
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Wayne and I were absolutely thrilled for this event! Over the past two years, we have passionately enjoyed bourbon dinners that have left an indelible impression, and attending the Supper Club events at James B. Beam Distillery has been nothing short of a culinary adventure. Each occasion brought us exquisite food meticulously prepared and captivating stories that enveloped us in the rich heritage of bourbon.

Event Description: A special evening with 7th & 8th generation master distiller’s Fred & Freddie Noe at Fred’s home in Bardstown, KY with some of their renowned friends. Dinner will be provided by the Kitchen Table restaurant with an opportunity to enjoy pours and cocktails from each participating distillery. You will be delighted with stories during an exclusive round table tasting featuring a product from each brand, and the opportunity to interact with top professionals in the bourbon industry.

The speakers for the evening included: Brent Elliott – Four Roses, Royce Neeley – Neeley Family Distillery, Steve Nally – Bardstown Bourbon Company, Rob Samuels & Bill Samuels Jr – Maker’s Mark, and Fred & Freddie Noe – James B. Beam. Baker Beam was also at the dinner but did not speak on the panel.

The Noe’s Home in Bardstown – A Spectacular Setting

As instructed, we parked at a nearby church and walked to the driveway entrance where we were checked in and joined others in anticipation for it to be 6PM. Although it was an incredibly hot day, we were joyful for no rain and excited that the sun would be setting beautifully as the night unfolded. We met some fantastic people in line and enjoyed a delightful dinner with them – Michael & Dawn Mitchell of Chasing Neat.

Freddie Noe welcomed us, provided a brief overview of the evening, and invited us to enjoy our cocktails.

Neeley Family Distillery Cocktail and Appetizers

As described by Chef Landry – the cocktail was a New Orleans classic Sazerac made with Absinthe from the Neeley Family Distillery. Chef sought to match the absinthe flavors with the herbs in the oysters and the fennel in the spinach tart.

They started passing the appetizers early on and they were terrific! The Hidden Barn Cherry Picker Sazerac was outstanding!

Distiller Icon’s Panel Discussion and Tasting

This experience was nothing short of extraordinary! Having the chance to listen to each of these icons delve into their histories, share their passions, and express their spirits was truly awe-inspiring. The atmosphere was wonderfully relaxed and engaging. We were incredibly lucky to have Andy Treinen, the President of the Frazier History Museum, as our moderator, guiding us through this excellent discussion. There were moments of delightful banter among the speakers and some truly entertaining stories shared that added to the magic of the evening!

Each icon had an opportunity to speak and then introduce their pour.
**Brent Elliott – Four Roses 2024 Limited Edition Small Batch.
**Royce Neeley – Neeley Family Distillery, Hidden Barn.
**Steve Nally – Bardstown Bourbon Company, Discovery Series #12.
**Rob Samuels & Bill Samuels Jr – Maker’s Mark 2024 Cellar Aged.
**Fred & Freddie Noe – James B. Beam, Booker’s ‘The Reserves’ 2024.

At the conclusion of the talks, Chef Brian Landry introduced the menu. He has been working with Fred and Freddie for the last three years and they have done many collaborative dinners. He strives to align well with them and the liquids they place in the barrels. Chef reminded us the the Beam’s saying, “Drink it any damn way you please!” However, he noted that tonight we would be drinking as the distillers’ pleased because they selected the cocktails and then Chef Landry reverse-engineered the menu.

Four Roses Bourbon Cocktail and First Course

Chef Landry – Four Roses Single Barrel Vieux Carre another New Orleans cocktail has a little bit of Benedictine in it, a lot of herbal notes, and it’s finished with some bitters that are heavy on star anise. The pork belly was marinated with soy sauce and then finished with the caramel sauce that has a bit of fish sauce in it. This was served with corn pudding.

The pork belly was cooked to perfection! Plus, the creaminess of the corn pudding was amazing. Fantastic course.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Cocktail and Second Course

Chef Landry – Anytime we come here we have to do Fried Chicken, so we’re going to do a fried chicken thigh with truffle honey, truffle grits, and a wild mushroom au jus that will go with the High Wheat Side Car from Bardstown. The Side Car has a lemon juice and Orange Curacao that will help cut through the richness of the fried chicken.

I’m personally a push-over for fried chicken and love grits – this combo did not disappoint! Wow – the chicken was very flavorful and crispy and the grits were delightfully creamy.

James B. Beam Cocktail and Third Course

Chef Landry – For the final savory course, Fred is the master of the grill, so we are doing a 14 oz veal chop. It is an Italian style dish, a Veal Saltimbocca. It is cooked on the grill with garlicky breadcrumbs, sage, and country ham chips from Freddie’s country ham.

This veal chop was indescribably good. Cooked to perfection and seasoned amazingly. Unfortunately, we were so full by the time it arrived that we could only enjoy part of it. To-go bags would have made for a terrific midnight snack!

Maker’s Mark Cocktail and Dessert

Chef Landry – The final course is sweet. The cocktail is a Maker’s Mark 46 Apple Butter Old Fashioned. Then, the burnt cinnamon pot due crème was made with burnt cinnamon sticks that we steeped in cream and then added a bit of orange zest and vanilla. It is finished off with cane syrup granola, salted caramel, and green apples.

As mentioned previously, we were full by the veal chop. Even so, we had to at least taste the cocktail and this scrumptious dessert. There might have been more than one bite involved!

Freddie Demonstrating the Kentucky Whiskey Ham Luge

Freddie is well-known for his cured hams and for hollowing out a portion to pour bourbon over it. This night probably would not have been complete if Chef Landry hadn’t put the challenge out to do this, which Freddie did with ease. But turnabout’s fair play – Freddie then challenged Chef and he accepted with great skill as well! Fun times!

A Great Night to Connect with Awesome People

In addition to Fred Noe signing a bottle of Booker’s ‘The Reserves’ 2024 for us, he and Baker Beam also signed our 1990s mini set of Booker’s, Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s, and Knob Creek.

We also had an opportunity to chat with and get pictures with Royce & Rebekah Neeley, Steve Nally, and Lisa Wicker!

It was a night that we will always cherish! Thank you, one and all, for spending the evening with us!

Embracing the Craft,
Rebecca & Wayne

July 9, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Wayne and I had been very curious about Freddie Noe’s Little Book Chapter 8: Path Not Taken. During our mid-June trip to Louisville, we had some extra time and decided to drive to Clermont to see if the James B Beam American Outpost had it. They did and we purchased one bottle. We have been traveling a bit since then and finally had an opportunity to take some time with a formal tasting of this expression.

From their website: Knowing that rye has roots extending to the beginning of American Whiskey and holds more than two centuries of heritage, you could say, “it’s been done.” But with this chapter, “Path Not Taken,” we explore the future of American Rye by blending a unique range of rye whiskies together and show you that rye still has plenty of stories left to tell.

Undisclosed blend of the following:
18yrs Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (High Rye)
11yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
7yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Malt Whiskey
5yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (KY Family-Style, Char 4)
5yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (PA Family-Style, Char 1)
5yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (PA Family-Style, Char 4)
4yrs Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Please be sure to read our approach to Tasting Whiskey if you haven’t already.

Little Book Chapter 8: Path Not Taken

Mashbill – Blend of 7 (see above)
Age – NAS (blend of 4-18 years)
Proof – 118.1
Price Paid – $169.60 (with tax)

Appearance – Deep copper. Great legs.

Aroma – Sweet rye bread, butterscotch, dill, honey. It is truly inviting.

Tasted Neat – Wow! There is so much going on! Like the nose, there is rye bread, butterscotch, honey and dill. There is the addition of floral notes, apricot and a hearty/yeasty dough. It has a lot of viscosity for a terrific mouthfeel.

Finish: Incredibly long and lingering in a most pleasant manner. There is white pepper, a lot of rye spice, apricot, and oak.

Tasted with dried cranberry – This truly brings out the ryegrass. The other flavors have been somewhat muted but there is still a bit of sweetness from apricot on the back and toasted rye bread lingers on the finish.

Tasted with a pecan – That is much spicer than it was and not in a pleasant way. A lot of barrel char seems present and in a more bitter manner.

Tasted with dark chocolate – The tastiness of the rye bread returned but the apricot is still missing but a hint of butterscotch returned. The finish is greatly diminished from when it was tasted neat.

Discussion and Final Notes

While not technically a Rye Whiskey (due to the bourbon inclusion), everything about this American Blended Straight Whiskey says, “Hey – look at me. Just taste me. You think I’m a Rye, don’t you?” From the aroma, to the taste, and with the finish … you would swear it is a Rye!

The Path Not Taken is incredibly complex at each stage. The blending of this by Freddie Noe was truly masterful. Wayne and I thoroughly enjoyed it. That said, it isn’t a multiple pour drink – perhaps due to the complexity, spice, or proof. The positive of that is that we plan to enjoy this bottle again and again, one pour at a time. We are thrilled to have it in our portfolio!

Based on how it tasted with the dried cranberry, pecan, and dark chocolate, it could be a challenge to pair successfully with a meal unless you have some particular expertise. For us, the cranberry was the best pairing and that might indicate that it would be terrific with appetizers such as a charcuterie plate or even with a light salad. For us, we will likely enjoy it most often as a pre-dinner drink.

Again, we enjoyed this very much. If you love Rye, please consider picking up a bottle when you see one as we do not believe you will be disappointed. Regardless of your preference for Rye, we highly recommend at least taking advantage of a pour, when available, at your favorite pub.

Cheers,
Rebecca & Wayne

Photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Spirit Requirements

Straight Whiskey – Distilled at <= 160 proof, barreled at <= 125 proof, aged in new, charred oak containers, bottled at >= 80 proof. Aged at least 2 years (and must have an age statement if less than 4).

Rye Whiskey Basic Requirements – Rye whiskey must be made from at least 51% rye. It must be distilled at 160 proof or less. It then must be placed into a new, charred oak container at a proof of 125 or below. Straight rye whiskey is a subcategory of rye whiskey that has been aged for at least two years in new, charred oak barrels and doesn’t contain any additives. If aged less than four years, the label must include an age statement. For additional information on bourbon requirements, please read this post – Rye Whiskey.

NOTE: The spirit in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producers for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.

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