After graduating from Bellarmine University in Louisville, Fred worked under his father’s watchful gaze, learning every aspect of the bourbon-making process, including distilling, grain selection, and fermentation.  When Fred was old enough, he started working on the bottling line on the night shift. His father, Booker, wanted him to learn the business from the ground up. He said to his young son, "You go to the night shift bottling line, you're pretty damn close to the ground." But Fred claims that he loved it from the beginning, and notwithstanding being the boss’s son, he moved up pretty quickly. Never much of a student in school, Fred took to the distillery with all that was within him and has now been a part of the distillery for more than 40 years.

Fred also serves as Ambassador of The Small Batch Bourbon Collection, including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s, Baker’s and Booker’s. Each of these bourbons was personally designed and distilled by his father, Booker. Fred has played an important role in the development and promotion of these ultra-premium bourbons, which are aged longer, feature higher proofs, and are highly representative of pre-prohibition whiskey. 

When Fred Noe was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2013, he became only the 10th of 11 Beam family members to be inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame behind Parker Beam, his father Booker Noe, Colonel Jim Beam, Earl Beam, T. Jeremiah Beam, Carl Beam, Baker Beam, David M. Beam, Jack Beam and Charles L. Beam. Fred said at his induction into the Bourbon Hall of Fame, “I gotta say I'm pretty damn lucky. I got the best job in the world, and get to work with the best people in the world.” In fact, not much could have proved that more when, in 2021, Fred, a severe type-2 diabetic, required a kidney transplant. Several employees were screened, but plant supervisor and long-time worker DeeAnn Hogan stepped unselfishly forward without a blink and donated a kidney to her boss. Of the experience, the normally unreserved and gregarious Noe gets quiet. “I’ve never been in the hospital much. It was nice having my friend in the room next door.”

Beam/Suntory North American President Matt Shattock said of Noe, "Fred's the closest thing we've got to a rock star." Shattock credited Fred with inspiring innovations to the Beam line, including the Red Stag line and Devil's Cut.

After Fred’s father, Booker, was among the Hall of Fame inductees, Fred Noe told his young son, Freddie, "Stick with it and maybe someday you'll make it too." As to future Hall-of-Fame aspirations, we cannot be sure, but if past family history accounts for anything, Freddie, who took over co-Master Distiller duties with his father in 2022, should be a shoo-in.

Fred, now 70, and his new kidney are getting along just fine. He and his wife, Sandy, continue to live in Clermont near the grandkids, and just down the road from the old distillery that started it all.