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Starting in 2017, Freddie Noe, eighth-generation master distiller at the James B. Beam Distilling Co., has been releasing one of the most interesting whiskeys produced there—Little Book. Named after his grandfather, the late master distiller Booker Noe, this blended whiskey changes with every release, and often highlights some very unusual components (bourbon made from brown rice, for example). Last year, the first edition of Little Book The Infinite arrived, an infinity blend that will have a new whiskey added to every release, and now the second edition has finally arrived.

The concept of this whiskey is that while the base of the blend remains the same, release will have a new component added to create a blend that keeps evolving while still based on the same foundation. The Infinite: Edition I was a blend of the following whiskeys: 20-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon (Booker Noe’s component), 14-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon (Fred Noe’s component), 7-year-old bourbon (Freddie’s component), and 8-year-old bourbon (shared family component). This whiskey was bottled at 119.3 proof (59.65 percent ABV).

Edition II builds upon the blend that made up Edition I, with the addition of three new components: 22-year-old bourbon distilled by Booker, 10-year-old bourbon distilled by Fred, and 7-year-old bourbon that had an extended fermentation time distilled by Freddie. In a press release, Freddie had this to say about the use of these specific components: “Bourbon from Booker accentuates the oak, char, and smoke. Fred’s bourbon adds rich vanilla, caramel, and dark stone fruit. And my own bourbon brings brightness to the blend, with notes of fresh apple and pear.” The exact proportions that went into this new blend were not revealed, but the whiskey was bottled at a higher 120.8 proof (60.4 percent ABV) than the first.

I was able to try the whiskey in September, and while I have to say I prefer the first edition, this one can stand on its own. The high proof definitely brings a bit of heat, and the inclusion of older bourbon means there is a strong hint of tannic oak as you sip. Overall, this is a less-adventurous release than past chapters of Little Book, but there are a range of classic bourbon notes like vanilla, maple, honey, pear, baked apple, and that signature Jim Beam peanut note. It’s worth noting that while this bottle does not have an age statement, the inclusion of the 22-year-old bourbon (most likely a small part of the blend) is even older than the recent release of Knob Creek 21. We don’t know what Edition III will look like at this point, only that there are plans to release a third chapter and that it will combine the first two editions with a proportion of new components.

Little Book The Infinite: Edition II is available starting this month (SRP $200) at specialty liquor retailers around the country. You can also find previous editions of the Little Book series at websites like ReserveBar now.