Whisky: BOOKER’S 2024-02 Bourbon «The Beam House Batch»
Producer: Beam-Suntory
Distillery: Jim Beam
Region: Kentucky, USA
Whisky Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Age: 7 years, 2 months, and 22 days
ABV: 62.3% (124.6 Proof)
Aged in Cask: New charred American Oak
Price Range: $$$
BOOKER’S Bourbon Uncut & Unfiltered is a brand part of the Small Batch collection made by Jim Beam in Clermont, Kentucky. The parent company is Japanese multinational Beam-Suntory, which has owned the brand and distillery since 2014. This expression is Batch #2 of 2024.
As Fred Noe (7th generation and current Master Distiller at Jim Beam, and great-grandson of Jim Beam) describes in his fact sheet, the batch honors the memories and traditions he grew up with in his family home, which has been part of the family since Jim Beam until today.
The Beam Family and Brand
A family with a long tradition in bourbon making deserves a timeline.
- 1740. The German Boehm came to the 13 colonies.
- Late 1700s. Germans, Scots, and Irish were making Rye whisky in Pennsylvania, but government incentives encouraged them to move west and grow corn. Among them was Jacob Beam, the first family distiller since 1795 and creator of Old Jake Beam Sour Mash Bourbon.
- 1820. Jacob Beam gave control of the distillery to his son David Beam, who expanded the distillery and increased its production capacity. He named the distillery the «Old Tub Distillery».
- 1854. David M. Beam became Master Distiller. He took over the distilling operation from his father, David Beam, at the Old Tub Distillery. He also moved the family distillery from its original site to Nelson County to take advantage of a new railroad line that allowed the brand to reach multiple parts of the country and become a national brand (Old Tub Bourbon).
- 1894. James Beauregard Beam (a.k.a. Jim Beam), son of David M. Beam, takes over the distillery.
- 1920. Prohibition starts in the United States, and production comes to a halt. During these times, Jim’s daughter, Margaret, marries Frederick Booker Noe. Their son, Frederick Booker Noe II, will become a Master Distiller at Beam.
- 1933. Jim Beam rebuilt the distillery after Prohibition in Clermont, KY, recreated the family yeast, and brought back the family business after 13 years of inactivity.
- 1935. T. Jeremiah (a.k.a. Jere), son of Jim Beam, re-founded the distillery as the Jim Beam Distilling Company. The Jim Beam brand is introduced and sold as Colonel James B. Beam.
- 1943. Jere renamed the Old Tub brand as Jim Beam to honor his dad.
- 1946. Jere took the reins of the distillery. He became the fifth Master Distiller of the Beam family.
- 1965. Frederick Booker Noe II (a.k.a. Booker Noe), grandson of Jim Beam, became Master Distiller. Under his direction, production increased twelvefold; he remained the Master Distiller for nearly 40 years. Noe II launched BOOKER’s Bourbon in 1987 as «Small Batch» to describe it as «uncut», implying no water dilution and a proof of at least 120. He also revived the bourbon industry in the 1980s and 1990s when Gin and Vodka were popular among consumers.
- 1992. Booker Noe launched the famous Small Batch Bourbon Collection, adding brands like Basil Hayden, Baker’s, and Knob Creek that brought Bourbon back to the main stage.
- 2007. Frederick Noe III (a.k.a. Fred) is the 7th generation and current Master Distiller at Beam Distilling Company. His son, Frederick Noe IV (a.k.a. Freddie), was named Master Distiller at Fred B. Noe Distilling in 2022. A craft distillery focused on experimentation.
Tasting Notes for BOOKER’S 2024 Batch #2
This batch was released in 2024 and consists of five production dates stored in four different warehouse locations. The age of the batch was 7 years, 2 months, and 22 days when the barrels were dumped. The breakdown of the storage is as follows:
- 14% came from the 5th floor of the 7-story warehouse Z
- 28% came from the 4th floor of a 7-story warehouse 3
- 14% came from the 4th floor of a 7-story warehouse 3
- 19% came from the 5th floor of a 7-story warehouse Q
- 25% came from the 7th floor of the 9-story warehouse H
Finish: Medium to long with fruits and plenty of oak spices and a slightly bitter taste.
My Notes:
Nose: A bourbon with a powerful nose, with plenty of heat. Aromas of charred oak and fruits and high alcohol, as you would expect from a 60%+ ABV bourbon.
Palate: A creamy and intense arrival with more fruits, cinnamon, and vanilla that develop into a full and rich oak flavor. The proof level amplifies the corn-centered experience.
Conclusion: BOOKER’s Bourbon 2024 Batch # 2 is a classic bourbon on steroids. It comes across as tribal bourbon. When I tasted it neat, it felt overwhelmingly hot for my taste. After adding almost two teaspoons of water, the bourbon opened up significantly and became more balanced and enjoyable.
Those who love this bourbon neat are certainly die-hard high-proof bourbon advocates. I am just not in that camp. To put things in perspective, try an Irish Blend, come back to this, and you will notice the abysmal difference.
A bold bourbon that will pair well with a robust cigar. Cheers!
Score: 3/5⭐
Legend
$50 or less $
$51-$100 $$
$101-$150 $$$
$151 or more $$$$