Little Book Chapter 10 All the Wiser Review
Little Book Chapter 10 “All the Wiser” is an homage to the acclaimed concept introduced in Chapter 3 “The Road Home”. It combines well-aged bourbons from Jim Beam’s Small Batch Collection with whiskey finished in sherry and toasted casks, creating a rich, layered, and dynamic blend that stands among the finest releases in the Little Book series. The blend includes:
- 14 year Basil Hayden
- 11 year Knob Creek
- 10 year Booker’s
- 9 year knob Creek
- 6 year Baker’s
- 4 year Jim Bean finished in Sherry and toasted bourbon casks
The “Little Book” series began in 2017 when Fred Noe, the 7th generation Beam family Master Distiller, created the brand as a way to “tinker” with and explore the limitless possibilities of blending quality whiskeys. The name “Little Book” was the nickname his grandfather Booker gave him when Freddie was growing up.
FREDDIE’S NOTE ON CHAPTER 10
“Ten whole chapters of Little Book, and through every one of them, I’ve learned something new. Back in the beginning, I looked at blends differently, focusing on percentages and “perfection”. The whiskey sure tasted good, but I had a feeling I was missing out on something bigger. So, I set out on a journey to see what the whiskey could teach me. Each release a milestone along the way.
From one blend to the next, my know-how grew. But I found something else to be just as important: an instinct to listen to the whiskey. Because no matter how sure I am of the profile I want to get to – the whiskey has its own plans. So now, I don’t push it towards one specific outcome. I guide it, and I let it guide me. With every Chapter, I’ve gotten more at ease with the push and pull.
Chapter 10 is only possible because of what I gleaned from the chapters before it. Made up of aged expressions from our celebrated Small Batch collection to our iconic Jim Beam finished in sherry and toasted bourbon casks, this blend could have gone in any direction. But with expertise, intuition, and plenty of flexibility, we got it exactly where it needed to be.”
Series: Little Book Chapter Series
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finishing: Finished in Sherry & toasted bourbon casks
Age: NAS (a blend of 14, 11, 10, 9, and 4 yr old)
Proof: 122.6
Proof Designation: Barrel Proof
Filtered Status: Non-Chill Filtered
Mash bill: Blend: 63% C, 27% R, 10% MB and
77% C, 13% R, 10% MB
Barrel Char Level: 4
Barrel Entry Proof: 125
Still Type: Continuous Still followed by Pot Still
Distillate Source: Jim Beam Distillery
Distillery: James B Beam Distilling Co.
Company: Suntory Global Spirits
Bottled By: James B Beam Distilling Co.
Distilled/Aging Location: Clermont, Kentucky
Master Distiller: Freddie Noe
Release Date: April 2026
MSRP: $160
Secondary Market: $175 – $200
Availability: Relatively Available
Little Book Chapter 10 “All the Wiser” Review
August 26, 2026
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
For this tasting: Opened Bottle (about 1 week), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes
Legs
Beads formed on the crown at about 8 seconds, the first tears began to fall at about 22 seconds, and the first tears reached the bowl at about 63 seconds.
Nose
The nose is full and complex with caramel, raisins, prunes, fig, baking spices, mild vanilla bean, a hint of orange, and a smoky note.
Rating: 4/5
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Breaking Bourbon: Raisin | Raspberry jam | Caramel | Leather | Brown sugar | Smoky barrel char
Bourbon Obsessed: Moderately sweet; syrupy sugar; cherries, orange peel, caramel, milk chocolate, hot cinnamon, light oak and cedar; alcohol vapor appropriate for the proof.
Whiskey Advocate: This greets you with sweet and powerful aromas of melted caramel, toasted marshmallow, cherrywood, vanilla bean, and cinnamon sugar.
Palate
The palate is savory-sweet with caramel, honey, molasses, spicy cinnamon, fig, leather, tobacco, barrel char, a smoky note, a hint of orange and chocolate.
Rating: 4/5
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Breaking Bourbon: Sweet oak | Vanilla | Brown sugar | Rye spice | Honey | Tobacco | Cinnamon
Bourbon Obsessed: Oak, tannins, tart orange citrus, mild simple syrup sweetness; hints of milk chocolate and caramel later on.
Whiskey Advocate: Chocolate lovers should brace themselves before sipping, with fudge Popsicles and chewy double chocolate-chip cookies leading the palate, along with oak, warming cinnamon, nutmeg, cherry, and chopped peanuts.
Score: 93
Finish
The finish is very long with fig, prunes, mild caramel, baking spices and oak.
Rating: 4/5
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Breaking Bourbon: Raisin | Fig | Dates | Dark chocolate | Caramel | Baking spices | Black pepper | Aged oak | Slight dry oak tannins
Bourbon Obsessed: Tart orange peel, white pepper later on; mild char; slightly sweet; fairly long; lingering mandarin oranges and spice; hot cocoa.
Whiskey Advocate: More chocolate emerges on the long and complex finish, joined by vanilla milkshake, leather, black cherry, and subtle baking spice. The flavors are great, but the velvety texture truly brings the whole experience together.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is pleasant and Creamy.
Mouthfeel Rating Guide: Thin = Watery | Silken = smooth & slippery, but not mouth coating | Creamy = coats the tongue like heavy cream does. | Rich or Unctuous = coats the entire palate like quality olive oil
The Burn
The burn from the alcohol gets a rating of Low. This means that the burn from the alcohol is a bit lower (5% to 9%) than what I would expect it to be, and it drinks lower than its proof. I would guess this to be around 110 – 115 proof, not 122.6 proof.
The Burn Rating Guide:
Very Low = it drinks like it is a much lower proof
Low = it drinks like it is a little lower proof
Average = the heat is about what I would expect
Hot = it is hotter than what I would expect
Scorching! = it drinks much hotter than what I would expect
Tasting Summary
Little Book Chapter 10 initially hits the palate with mildly sweet notes of caramel, prunes, fig and honey. These notes are followed with baking spices, cinnamon, black pepper and oak tannins. The finish is very long and pleasant with sweet notes and mild baking spices. It is mouth watering, with a very nice viscousity.
It is not as sweet as Chapter 9 “None for Granted”, but is instead a more savory-sweet blend with baking spices being a little more evident.
My Rating – 8.4
The higher the score the better the whiskey is in my opinion. For reference, my best rated bottle so far is the George T. Stagg 2022 (138.7p) with a score of 9.7.
| Score Type | Score | Examples |
| Likability Score | 8.4 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
My Tasting Notes
A blank version of this tasting notes wheel is available in both a color and a black & white version in the member’s area.
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