Little Book Chapter 8 "Path Not Taken" Blended American Whiskey 750ml

Little Book Chapter 8 "Path Not Taken" is the 2024 release of Freddie Noe's annual limited-edition series, and his most ambitious departure yet. Every previous Little Book chapter had orbited the bourbon world — Chapter 3 was all bourbon, others incorporated malt, corn, and Canadian whisky — but none had placed rye grain at the center of the glass. Chapter 8 changes that completely. "Path Not Taken" is Freddie's first rye-focused Little Book, a seven-component blend built around six straight rye whiskeys of varying age, char level, and mash bill — including Kentucky ryes and a Pennsylvania-style rye — anchored by an 18-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon with a high-rye mash bill. The components range in age from 4 to 18 years, the oldest being that high-rye bourbon, which brings maturity and a brown sugar sweetness to what is otherwise an assertively spice-forward, rye-driven blend. The green hang tag on the neck is not a random detail — it is Freddie's deliberate visual nod to the rye-forward character of this chapter, a color chosen to signal what's inside. Bottled at 59.1% ABV and 118.2 proof, uncut and unfiltered, released May 2024. Critically received as one of the standout American whiskey releases of 2024. Presented in the dark wood Little Book box with glass panel.

ABV / Proof

Tasting Notes

Color: Warm amber with a golden blush — lighter than bourbon-heavy chapters, reflecting the rye-forward composition and the shorter average age of the blend.

Nose: Toasted rye bread and gingerbread with heavy clove, butterscotch, dill, and freshly picked herbs. Tangerines, poached orchard fruit, and mince pie notes from the Pennsylvania-style rye and older rye components. Caramel sweetness seeps in underneath the spice, pointing toward the 18-year high-rye bourbon in the background.

Palate: Bold rye spice dominates from entry — cinnamon, baking spice, and fresh rye grain tied together by caramel sweetness and apricot. The seven components are tightly melded with no single element breaking loose from the blend. Full-bodied, complex, and unmistakably rye-forward while remaining balanced by the maturity of the 18-year bourbon anchor.

Finish: Long and gripping — rye spice holds on well into the finish alongside dried apricot, brown sugar, light sugary citrus, and lingering oak. One of the more dynamic finishes in the Little Book series.

FAQ

Why is Chapter 8 called "Path Not Taken"?
The name reflects Freddie Noe's decision to take a creative direction he had never explored before: building a Little Book chapter entirely around rye grain. In eight years of the series, Freddie had blended bourbon, corn whiskey, malt whiskey, Canadian whisky, and Scotch — but had never put rye at the center. "Path Not Taken" is about reimagining the variety that rye grain has to offer and pushing the limits of what it can be. The green hang tag on the bottle is Freddie's nod to the rye-forward nature of the release.

What is the role of the 18-year bourbon in the blend?
The 18-year Kentucky straight bourbon with a high-rye mash bill is the oldest and most mature component in the blend, acting as the anchor. While six of the seven components are rye whiskeys ranging from 4 to 11 years, the 18-year bourbon brings depth, brown sugar sweetness, and an aged complexity that balances the brightness and spice of the younger ryes and prevents the blend from becoming one-dimensional.

How does Chapter 8 compare to other Little Book releases we carry?
Chapter 8 is the most rye-forward and stylistically distinct chapter in our Little Book collection. For collectors building the set, we also carry Chapter 1 "The Easy" (2017 — first chapter, bourbon and grain blend), Chapter 3 "The Road Home" (2019 — all-bourbon Small Batch Collection blend), and Chapter 4 "Lessons Honored" (2020 — brown rice bourbon and high-rye tribute to Fred Noe). Each chapter tells a different story and none will be repeated.

Where can I buy Little Book Chapter 8 Path Not Taken online?
Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.