Beam Suntory Archives - First Pour Cocktails

Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect

Posted on August 24, 2023August 23, 2023 by Nick

One of the best ways to experience new whiskey is to try it in a bar at a reasonable price. This is how I fell in love with Little Book Chapter 2, and how I ended up initially finding a bottle of Little Book Chapter 5 to review a few years back. I still find time to celebrate with a pour of it, as I think it’s worth savoring. So when I saw the chance to buy a bottle of Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect, I had to take it and see if it lived up to my memories.

The “In Retrospect” portion of this release of Little Book is described as a, “blend of seven cask strength American whiskies – one curated from each of the brand’s previous six chapters and a seventh new addition.” On paper, the blend looks interesting, but without percentages, it hard to say how it drinks. So how is it?

Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect

Chapter 7 contains the following in its blend. The percentages are not disclosed:

18 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
17 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
10 Year Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
9 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
5 Year Straight Malt Whiskey Finished In Applewood Smoked Barrels
4 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
4 Year Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Little Book Chapter 7 comes in at 118.1 Proof (59.05% A.B.V.) and is not aged stated.

Sight: Deep Russet with a lean of chestnut.

Smell: Floral, apple forward, slight smoke start. A rich caramel gets involved with the apple / apple blossom and baking / all spice notes. Nose is slightly hot, there’s a lot of layered apple and fruit smells here, like apple cider. It’s drier on the nose than the fun description implies. There’s a slight grain or malt character here that appears.

Sip: The flavors starts a bit warm, but mellows as it opens. Vanilla, oak, applewood, and burnt caramel come together. There’s a floral sort of apple blossom that butts up against a smokey char. The body is full, and it goes heavily on the fruit and vanilla. The fruit almost reaches for a dark cherry candy or jam note. That grain note is still around, but not super prominent. It’s pleasant, has some nuttiness, but doesn’t go full on beam profile. It also doesn’t feel as complex as the blend implies.

Savor: The ending lingers heavily on the long notes of apple, applewood, caramelized sugar, and heavily charred wood. The finish lingers lastingly, and almost florally as it’s predominant finish (possibly apple blossom). That fruitier character travels forward.

Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect is less complex than it’s predecessor, and more dependent on finishing. The flavors of apple, applewood, and general wood are the highlights here. Fruity flavors that aren’t apple run toward the darker side of the spectrum (dark cherries, maybe plum skin), and it lacks the general Beam nutty profile. The results in layered and on first blush, complicated. The long term isn’t quite so clear, as the layering doesn’t necessarily make for clean set of flavors.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan (yes, this sacrilege again), Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect starts smooth, delivering a rich body, slightly smokey and wood forward drink. The flavors lean into the burnt sugar, vanilla, and applewood realm, while the floral notes are diminished. The black cherry comes back through with a subtle bitterness. The finish is slightly smokey with a hint of cherry, clove, and herbs. It lingers leaving a dark fruit laden charred wood with a bit of heat and a grainy note, and a touch bitter. It’s really unpleasant, emphasizing the worst parts of both the whiskey and the vermouth.

For reference, this was a fresh cracked bottle of Carpano Antica that tasted fresh and had no off notes.

In Review – Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect

Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect doesn’t feel like $130 whiskey. The layering is muddled, the flavors are singular, and it feels like it fights its finish all the way through. The result is it drinks like a finished bottle that lives in the $70-$90 price point. It isn’t bad, but the price of admission feels (at first blush) like it’s paying diminishing returns compared for LB5. Perhaps as American single malts come into their own, this whiskey will age kindly, but right now this feels like an awkward opening salvo.

Hibiki Japanese Harmony

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Nick

Sometimes you get lured in by the concept or the bottle. When I first started my spirits journey, I admittedly started in scotch. My grandfather drank it, my father would drink it, and so I wanted to drink it as well. As a result, I started with Johnnie Walker Black, but this gave way to Lagavulin 16 and other smokier offerings. Exploring available options, I eventually went on to work with a professor as my college to develop a Whiskeys of the World independent study. Among the sections we created, was Japanese Whiskey, and where I first encountered Hibiki Japanese Harmony.

Hibiki Japanese Harmony

Sight: Deep Gold

Smell: The nose is laced with lighter wood tones (perhaps this is what they’re referencing as sandalwood) with elements of rose and lychee. There are touches of tangerine, rosemary, and light honey. That floral background goes with just a hint of vanillin, and a little bit of heat. That floralness almost gives off a bit of extra fruit.

Sip: The mouthfeel is smooth, soft, and round with a very silky texture. The flavors of lychee, rose, white chocolate, and a perfumed -incense like wood come through in spades. There’s a creaminess that almost has a little orange and honey in it.

Savor: The end carries forward the rose, some jasmine, honey, and a hint of oak. The finish lingers with an oaky, perfumy tone that’s delicately seductive.

Hibiki Japanese Harmony is subtle, soft, and gentle. It entices you with a beautiful delicacy, while still providing full flavor at a relatively low proof. The warmth of the wood and intricate floral tones are a winding trip across the palate. The touches of oak and honey on the finish make for something that lingers pleasantly without being aggressive. Overall, it’s a beautiful whiskey that wants you to muse about it’s beauty rather than pounce on it.

In Cocktails

In a highball the smoothness manages to persist with some lighter floral notes (still rose forward) and lots of gentle toasted wood notes. It loses a bit of the depth, but still manages some subtle candied orange people and white chocolate notes. The overall impression is an easy going drink, that has some complexity, but not a lot of depth.

In Review – Hibiki Japanese Harmony

Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a beautiful whiskey to enjoy neat that really shines with a softness and pleasant mix of floral flavors. It’s easy to like, has a good depth of flavor, and only really faulters at the price. Long ago, this whiskey used to be somewhere closer to the $80-90 price point. In the state of Ohio, at the time of writing this, it’s up to $125. This whiskey is really nice, but it’s not really $100+ a bottle nice. That said, it still can be found in that price point. If you find that you like lighter scotch or Japanese whiskey, than this is one that deserves some consideration.

Knob Creek Smoked Maple

Posted on October 14, 2022October 13, 2022 by Nick

When I originally purchased this bottle (back before the packaging changes), I thought this was Knob Creek’s regular bourbon offering. After taking a picture of it, I realized that I had purchased Knob Creek Smoked Maple. Unable to return liquor in the state of Ohio, I did what anyone would do. I opened it. So how is it?

Knob Creek Smoked Maple

If you read the reviews on Knob Creek’s sight, you’ll find that people are quite polarized over Knob Creek Smoked Maple. This isn’t surprising when you consider that many “maple” bourbons are aged in ex-maple barrels. The result is usually something that it’s particularly sweet, but has a maple note. This isn’t that, this is more akin to a bourbon with maple (flavors) added to it. With that out of the way, here’s what it’s like.

Sight: Chestnut Oloroso Sherry (no mention of color add –)

Smell: Unsurprisingly a roasted, slightly caramelized maple syrup note comes thought. It is slightly short of what I’d consider smokey. Touches of baking spices, vanilla, and oak notes comes though in the underpinnings. A slight touch of orange zest might be linger as well.

Sip: Sweetness starts with a richness from the sugar. The palate is loaded with maple drenched pecans and peanuts. The nuts are almost pan roasted with maple, and sprinkled with cinnamon and baking spices. Touches of oak and a little cigar box come in too.

Savor: The finish has a bit of warmth, giving some heat all the way down. Despite that, the sugar keeps it easygoing, and the flavors of maple, spice, and nuttiness linger.

Knob Creek Smoked Maple is sweet, maple laden, and underpinned by solid Knob Creek flavors. Like the Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year, there’s a lot to like about the interaction of the nuttiness and oak touches that under pin the maple flavors here. While the flavors are nice, purists will find the maple flavors overpower what they like to pick out of the whiskey, while those who like a little sweetness may find something to soothe the experience with. Either way, it isn’t a bad product, but it certainly isn’t meant as a neat drinker for everyone.

In Cocktails

Knob Creek Smoked Maple is more liqueur than liquor. As such, using it as a base in a Manhattan would be quite strange on it’s own, but you could use it as a modifier or split base. In an Old Fashioned, it produces the same nuttiness and maple notes as on it’s own, with a lot of complexity to the nuts. The spices here are accentuated by the bitters. Unsurprisingly, it’s an easy sipper and feels a bit like a shortcut / poor mans version of our Maple Cinnamon Old Fashioned. Due to the sweetness, I excluded an additional sugar component.

This might be the best usage as well, as this is a tricky bottle to find a great use for. Most recipes that specify maple syrup are using it as a sweetening element, while most recipes that are calling for bourbon don’t look for sweetness. The result is something that fits in neither category, and seems best for enjoying on it’s own, using as a small amount of modify in place of bourbon base, or in fast Old Fashioneds. You might also consider it in a Stone Fence, where the maple and apple could work well together.

In Review – Knob Creek Smoked Maple

Knob Creek Smoked Maple is an unsurprisingly sweet and more refined maple liqueur. The underpinning of Knob Creek bourbon really gives it some character, but it is unmistakably sweet. Combined with the limited cocktail potential, this is a hard bottle to recommend to all but those who truly love maple syrup. Still, the liqueur inside isn’t bad, just not for everyone.

Old Overholt Straight Rye

Posted on June 24, 2022June 1, 2022 by Nick

Few whiskeys have the prevalence or brand lineage of Old Overholt Straight Rye. Take a close look at the rail of almost any bar, and you’re likely to see a bottle of Old Overholt hiding somewhere. The reasons for the prominence are multiple, including it being one of the oldest rye brands in the country. Not only did it survive prohibition, but it also managed to endure the decline of whiskey in the U.S. post World War II. The easiest reasons to note today are the price (typically at under $20 a bottle) and the ownership by Beam Suntory since 1987. The rye in the bottle is young, aged only 3 years, but is non-chill filtered and comes in at 86 proof.

Old Overholt Straight Rye

Sight: A chestnut oloroso sherry – deeper than expected.

Smell: The nose starts off with some elements of cigar box and peppery spice. Peach blossoms and touches of baked cherry Danish join in. There’s a slight touch of mint and a healthy dose of orange marmalade round things out. There’s also a bit of a burn.

Sip: The mouthfeel is thin and it’s slightly hot. The flavors of pepper, oak, and orange zest come through sloppily. Other touches of burnt caramel and touches of floral elements hang around the edges.

Savor: The finish picks up a cracker / cereal like note laced with spice and a bit of heat. The ending grows increasingly oaky with touches of rye.

Old Overholt Straight Rye is more inviting in the nose than on the palate. The palate isn’t necessarily muddled, but it works harder than the nose implies it would. The finish is also slightly more one note than might be expected. The fact of the matter though, is that you don’t buy this bottle for sipping. So how does it do at making cocktails?

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Old Overholt Straight Rye produces a surprisingly balanced Manhattan. The oak and orange flavors join up with the spice notes from the vermouth and balance sweetly. There’s a good moderate weight to it, and just a hint of heat. The finish maintains that cereal linger note after showing just a few fruitier elements.

In Review – Old Overholt Straight Rye

Old Overholt Straight Rye is certainly serviceable if not the most interesting rye in the world. While not as complex as Rittenhouse Rye, it also doesn’t lean heavily into some of the green notes that rye can produce (like Elijah Craig). Given the price differential (typically sold around $15), it’s also significantly cheaper. If you’re only looking to add a rye to your bar, and really don’t want to want spend the extra, there’s nothing wrong with Old Overholt, but for a few dollars more, you can enjoy the wonderful flavors of Rittenhouse.

Suntory Whiskey Toki

Posted on March 25, 2022March 21, 2022 by Nick

Suntory Whisky Toki – more commonly referenced as Suntory Toki – is best known for its sterling reputation of making elevated Highballs. It’s made from a blend from Suntory’s three distilleries, Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita, primarily featuring the later two’s grain whiskeys. Suntory is specifically focused on blending with the whisky, aiming to show what can be done with each of the distilleries’ spirits. Unlike some of Suntory’s other highly sought after whiskies, you should be able to find Toki easily and at a price that won’t break the bank. So how is it?

Suntory Whisky Toki

Sight: Pale straw fringing into corn.

Smell: Apple skins, malt, and spices open up with a hint of heat. A strong floral note comes in and touches of orange marmalade join in. Caramel and lemon have element notes in the background as well.

Sip: The flavor is gentle, malted, with hints of honey and caramel. Touches of wet slate, minerality, lemon pith, and flowers come in. The body is light, slightly warm. There are hints of spice, nut, and other elements toward the background.

Savor: The ending picks up a certain amount of aged wood and malt. There are elements of salinity and minerality, and caramel flavor. Specifically caramel flavor because it isn’t a sweet caramel.

Suntory Whisky Toki is fine. The flavor profile is gentle and subtle. The blending of the whiskey has a good impact on how the flavors layer, although they aren’t particularly interesting or enticing. As a neat whiskey, we’d recommend most other whiskeys. Toki also isn’t normally associated with drinking neat.

In Cocktails

Suntory Whisky Toki is frequently referenced as one of the best whiskeys for use in a Highball. In our experience, the highball brought out malt and cereal notes from the Suntory Toki. The apple notes become more subtle, while the floral elements are given more room to operate. Caramel and spice move into the background and work well with the minerality. The Toki actually helps the drink become an extension of itself. The subtle nature that helps it work in a highball is an indicator in this scenario that it plays better with other similarly gentle flavors.

In Review – Suntory Whisky Toki

Overall, Suntory Whisky Toki has a place in cocktails, but the rest of the value will be determined by the value you place on Japanese Whiskey. Most classic cocktails do not call for Japanese Whiskey, and it isn’t the most versatile ingredient, working well in more subtle, gentle cocktails. When served neat, it communicates much the same way, in an elegant and mild sort of way. The price point puts it right in line with most entry level Japanese Whiskeys and it’s widely available, making it the most common choice. All that said, we still recommend that try it before you buy it.

Jim Beam White Label

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Nick

Every year my family plays white elephant. You may also know this game as Yankee Swap, or in my family, Grab Bag. As we’ve gotten older – it’s become increasingly alcoholic, and has resulted in many bottles I would never have willingly purchased. One year I received a bottle of Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey, one of, amazingly, 3 that had ended up in a White Elephant game of 12 people. It was terrible – like buttered popcorn fell into a vat of maple candy flavoring that was aged in oak. It took me years to use that bottle – baking apples with it, using it in barbecue sauce, or anywhere else I could hide it. Jim Beam White Label isn’t anywhere near as offensive as Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey – it’s definitely not – but it’s also another bottle I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to buy.

Jim Beam

Jim Beam is a whiskey that’s basically synonymous with bourbon. They produce a phenomenal amount of the stuff. It accordingly shows up everywhere from casinos to ballparks to weddings to neighborhood bars. It’s a workhorse and a utilitarian whiskey that can be had for under $20. Now there’s nothing wrong with that – it can still make a serviceable drink.

Sight: An old gold that’s somewhat toward the richer / sherried side.

Smell: Maraschino cherries, sawdust, and peanuts come out at first. Touches of mellowed corn and powder sugar come round with a touch of char. Possibly a little vanilla or caramel or hint of pome fruit.

Sip: The body is thin, and starts relatively smooth. It gradually gets a bit more unrefined throwing more sharp alcoholic edges across the palate. Heavy notes of charred oak, corn, and hints of red cherries come through. The palate actually gives of a little bit of a raw alcohol flavor and touches of spice.

Savor: The ending is slightly astringent and a little sour. The finish has notes of spice and char.

Jim Beam White Label is a budget bourbon, set your expectations accordingly. The palate is neither refined nor complex. The nose is not offensive, but might inspired a notation that it appears to be bourbon in the glass. The finish is, for lack of a better word, present. At under $20 for a 750ml the entire experience is acceptable.

In Cocktails

Does it taste like bourbon? Yes! Jim is by no means bad, but it doesn’t necessarily shave off all it’s edges. In a Manhattan it feels a little aggressive, while in an old-fashioned it leaves a little desire for more complexity. Again, nothing wrong with it, but it could be contributing more.

Jim Beam White Label Overall

Jim Beam White Label is everywhere. You’re unlikely to walk into any average bar and not find it. It’s dependable, theoretically what many people thing bourbon tastes like, and won’t move a drink outside of someone’s perception of reality. It’s also very affordable. For all these reasons, it’s not my recommended bourbon for your shelf, but it’s perfectly acceptable bourbon for fixing a drink.

If you’re looking for something else from Jim to setup to, check out their Bonded offer.

Jim Beam Bonded

Posted on June 18, 2020June 21, 2020 by Nick

Among the most popular brands of bourbon is Jim Beam. Part of the Beam Suntory family of brands – Jim Beam is a standard bearer for the conglomerate. As a result, Jim Beam White is ubiquitous. You’ll see it on planes, in stadiums, weddings; it’s practically everywhere. Most people will at one point or another have an opportunity to have Jim Beam White Label or have unknowingly had it served to them. Beyond Jim Beam White Label, Beam Suntory actually produces a number of premium products including Booker’s, Baker’s, and Knob Creek. Just a step up the ladder from White Label is Jim Beam Bonded.

Bottled in Bond of course means that Jim Beam Bonded is subject to more stringent requirements than ordinary bourbon. Jim Beam White Label is aged 4 years – while Jim Beam Bonded provides no age statement, but must be aged a minimum for a bonded bourbon as well. While there are other differences, the biggest is going to be the proof. Jim Beam Bonded is bottled at 100 proof compared to the standard White Label 80 proof. The higher proof is going to be the result of less cutting of the final product and should result in more richness. Priced in the low $20 range, is it worth paying the upgrade over their ubiquitous white label.

If you need a quick refreshed on how Bottled-In-Bond is different – than check out or review of Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond for an overview.

Jim Beam Bonded

Sight: A gorgeous amber brown, bordering into sherry.

Smell: The nose is a little warm at the start thanks to the bonded nature bringing up the proof. Peanuts and brittle come forward, mixing with notes of grain and spice. Subtle caramel and malted milk duds hang out behind the peanuts.

Sip: The start is warm and bright within seconds, and the mouth feel is solid. The primary flavors are roasted peanuts, hints of nougat, and touches of preserved cherry, charred oak, and graham cracker waiting for smores.

Savor: The ending is tannic with a heavy astringency The finish is laced with peanut, charred oak, and graham crackers.

Reddit’s r/bourbon frequently talks about how Beam Suntory products evoke peanuts – something I’ve never tasted in whiskey. Jim Beam Bonded is like a whiskey mashing the peanut button on the whiskey flavor wheel. There are other interesting notes, but it’s clearly not designed for sipping with it’s relative warmth. That said, the strong backbone and reasonable price tag makes this a potential versatile whiskey for crafting cocktails with.

In Cocktails

The flavor of peanuts is truly remarkable here. It’s such a predominate flavor that even when paired with sweet vermouth in a Manhattan, it sticks out like someone added Skrewball. That said, dilution here is bringing in some of the nicer baked cookie notes and a nice toasted brown sugar element.

Jim Beam Bonded Overall

Jim Beam Bonded is thicker and richer thank it’s normal white label counterpart. There’s a price premium here of about $5-10, and there are some nice flavors that are worth buying up to from the normal white label. That said – in the same mid $20 price range there’s some strong competition from others like Bulleit and Elijah Craig. So if you’re a fan of regular Jim, then Jim Beam Bonded is certainly worth it. For those that are fans of other brands should consider if the flavor profile described fits what you’re looking for – and make a decision from there.

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