Little Book is an annual limited release curated by Freddie Noe, Jim Beam’s 8th generation master distiller, now in its 8th edition as of May 2024. Past releases have included unique blends of varying types of whiskey, with each release being a one-off expression.

‍‍Little Book The Infinite: Edition 1 is the brand’s first line extension and inaugural release. This edition blends four bourbons, three distilled by each generational Noe family distiller - son, father, and grandfather who are Beam’s 6th, 7th, and 8th generation master distillers - and one joint family component. For this initial batch, 70% of the blend was bottled, and the remaining 30% was put in tanks to prevent further aging. The tanked portion will form the foundation for what will become an annual release that builds upon the base blend, adding an additional component(s) and creating an ever-evolving “infinite” whiskey blend.

A wave of cinnamon and dry dark chocolate is accented by underlying oak. It has some weight to it, along with ample spice that comes across as somewhat hot at first. As the ethanol rolls out of the glass, the whiskey’s aroma opens up and becomes more expressive, giving way to dense caramel sweetness, dark fruits, and a hint of smoke. It’s a big opening, which isn’t immediately impressive, but develops into a rich introduction the more time you spend with it.

The sip is bold up front, with all of the whiskey’s proof points working to create intensity at the onset. Baking spices combine with layers of rich caramel, graham cracker, and brown sugar. Aged oak, cinnamon, and vanilla custard weave in, adding dimension to the sip’s hefty mouthfeel. It has a familiar nutty Booker’s Bourbon undertone, but doesn’t taste exactly like a high aged Booker’s. While it’s somewhat punchy upfront, the palate is thoroughly enjoyable once you get past the whiskey’s initial wave of heat.

The bold palate inevitably leads to a long finish. Waves of brown sugar and caramel coincide with receding baking spices and punchy heat. An underlying nuttiness creeps in, providing contrast to the tapering spice. As the whiskey’s flavors fade, it leaves a lasting impression.

The Little Book series has been fun to follow, as similar to Heaven Hill’s Parker’s Heritage Collection, each release is different than the last. Little Book is a wild card line for Beam, giving master distiller Freddie Noe the freedom to blend just about anything for any given release.

Bringing the concept of The Infinite into the fold is an appropriate brand extension for Little Book. It highlights the generational Beam distillers while also layering in the concept of creative expression. The concept follows the general infinite blend, which has been an ongoing whiskey community phenomenon. Commercially available releases include Barrell Craft Spirits’ Infinite Barrel Project, and solera aged whiskeys like Hillrock Estate Distillery’s Solera Aged Bourbon or Blade and Bow Bourbon. To be clear however, the remaining portion of Little Book The Infinite was not left in barrels like the solera method, but instead was tanked to preserve its exact flavor profile for use in future editions.

This initial blend forms the foundation for the series, which is presumably why four bourbons (and not other whiskey types) were used. The resulting whiskey plays it safe, bringing spice along with more straightforward caramel, vanilla, oak, and brown sugar flavor notes. Bringing together multi-generational distilled bourbons into a single blend in this format is unusual, though the Russell family has been known to combine generational distiller influence with releases such as Wild Turkey Generations, Russell's Reserve 1998, and others. Looking at Little Book The Infinite as a standalone release in concept, however, the bourbon itself is straightforward and, on its own, doesn’t push boundaries in flavor. Bringing together bourbons aged for 7-20 years to create a blend that melds flavors across a range of ages is something we see with Barrell Craft Spirits’ bourbon releases, Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch, and an increasing number of whiskeys. However, Little Book The Infinite could also be compared to a high aged, uniquely blended limited release interpretation of Booker’s Bourbon, and though it is not a high aged Booker’s, it shares similarities that fans of the brand will certainly engage with.

Looking at The Infinite as part of a bigger concept - Beam’s plans to evolve the whiskey over time by continually adding to the blend and capturing that evolution with each release - holds potential. Ironically, this concept is a mirror image of standard Little Book Chapter releases, which each stand on their own, completely disconnected from those that came before and those that will come after. Instead, Little Book The Infinite is an attempt to string releases together, capturing the evolution of blending over time. I wrote about American whiskey’s blending renaissance in an in-depth article last year, and it will be exciting to see how future iterations of Little Book The Infinite unfold.

The value proposition of Little Book The Infinite is two-fold. As a standalone release and also as part of a visionary long-term concept that may or may not pan out.

As a standalone release, looking at The Infinite as if it was a high aged, limited edition interpretation of Booker’s makes it a must have for Beam fans. Using only bourbons for the blend, the resulting flavor profile is in line with what those familiar with Beam bourbons would expect. But for those simply looking for drinkability relative to price, there are plenty of other lower cost options, so there is no need to spend money on this limited release if you’re just after a high proof bourbon.

As a visionary long-term concept, this foundational blend provides a relative baseline for the evolution of future releases. Similar style concepts like Barrell Craft Spirits’ Infinite Barrel Project and Hillrock Estate Solera Aged Bourbon are fascinating, and that same degree of fascination should be applied here.

Pricing Little Book The Infinite at $200 compared to the most recent Little Book Chapter 8 “Path Not Taken” price point of $160 delivers Beam’s message loud and clear: The Infinite line extension is meant to be a premium version of the standard Little Book line. This is further conveyed by the black labeling used for Little Book The Infinite, which in the whiskey industry is often used to convey that a product is intended to be a premium version relative to others in the same lineup. To that end, the price point of $200 isn’t surprising. And while the overall flavor profile may not be a grand slam, Little Book The Infinite delivers value in multiple ways, making it a must-have for fans of the brand.

Little Book has been an expressive, experimental line that allows Freddie Noe some freedom to try different things. The first brand extension for Little Book, The Infinite: Edition 1 lays the foundation for what is planned to be an ever-expanding blend that introduces a new component (or possibly multiple components) to the previous release with each passing year. Ironically, while each release of the standard Little Book Chapters has been a standalone blend completely disconnected from the last, The Infinite line intends to link every release together.

While Little Book The Infinite: Edition 1 has a grounded flavor profile, fans of Beam bourbons will find a flavor profile they would expect and, as a result, a lot to love with this release. However, consumers simply seeking pure drinkability relative to price point would be better served sticking with lower cost high proof options available on the market today, in particular any of Beam’s lower cost high proof Small Batch Collection bourbons. For those who appreciate the vision behind The Infinite and who recognize this initial release serves as the base for the future blends will become an ever-evolving infinite blend, there is value in the fact that Edition 1 lays the foundation for what could be a line of whiskeys that has the potential to become an increasingly fascinating series of whiskeys over time. To that end, I’m excited to see how the series unfolds.