Little Book® Chapter 2: “Noe Simple Task”

As the name implies, this round of Little Book was a long journey that really tested my skills as a blender. Maybe I jinxed myself naming my first batch “the Easy.” Superstitions aside, I spent a lot of time in the lab on this one. I tried almost forty different recipes. But in the end, all that hard work paid off and we landed on a one-of-a-kind whiskey I’m really proud of.

The road to Noe Simple Task started when I visited our Canadian distilleries in early 2017. I enjoy travelling to different places in the world to see how they distill their spirits. There, I was able to taste some great Canadian whisky straight out of the barrel. I was really drawn to the fruit and floral notes they achieve. I wanted to know more. Later in the year I went back for a deeper dive to learn all about their process. And taste some more great whisky. 

This was a step outside my comfort zone. The rules and laws for making whiskey in Kentucky that I grew up with don’t apply up there. But I came back inspired and began blending. Now, while the flavors of the Canadian whisky had piqued my interest, my heart still lies in Kentucky. So I was excited about the idea of bringing the best of both worlds together.

Knowing I wanted to blend with Kentucky Straight Rye, I started experimenting with different Canadian whiskies, trying to pull in those fruity and floral notes. They use a lot of different barrels to age up there, so I was able to play around with a lot of different flavors. I was looking for something that would round out the blend and really showcase the nuances of both the American and Canadian whiskies. In the end, I found the 40-year-old whisky and 13-year-old rye helped me achieve exactly what I wanted—a truly balanced and refined whiskey with a nice, lingering finish that’s full of flavor.