Freddie Booker Noe, IV
Some people are endowed and blessed by our Creator God to be born into a deep, rich, heritage in a particular craft, profession or industry. Such is the case for Freddie Booker Noe, IV, aka “Little Book”.
Freddie is a direct descendant of the legendary Jacob Beam who began distilling whiskey back in 1795. Freddie is an 8th Generation Master Distiller with Jim Beam of Beam/Suntory, Inc. Freddie is the son of Fred Noe, Master Distiller at Jim Beam (Beam Suntory) in Clermont, Kentucky and who has become a legend in the history of bourbon while serving at the helm of Jim Beam Distillery for over 40 years now.
Historical Context: Let’s rewind time a bit to give some context and color to this rising star in the Bourbon Whiskey industry, that is, Freddie (“Little Book”) Noe, IV. Freddie turns age 35 in 2023, and he had the same educational requirement from his father, that his father had from Freddie’s grandfather…you must attend and graduate from college. Consider it done!!!
Rewinding through time, Freddie had and still has a wonderful, deep relationship with his father, Fred Noe. But Freddie also had a deep and very special relationship with his grandfather, Frederick Booker Noe II, who sadly passed away in 2014. Freddie was impressionably molded at a young age by his grandfather, “Booker” as he was known.
Booker himself had been keenly instrumental in rescuing the bourbon industry from possible industry collapse in the 1980s and early 1990s through his masterpiece development and release of Booker’s Small Batch Bourbon in 1988. Freddie (Little Book) would often follow his dad and his grandfather from their home across the street from the Jim Beam Distillery to the Rickhouses and the Distillery Production Lines (often on weekends). “Little Book” would often sprint and romp through the long isles of many of Jim Beam’s Rickhouse floors. Who could have imagined Little Book’s journey of growing and developing from running through the Jim Beam rickhouses, to now serving as a Master Distiller of the same rickhouses and literally running them via the Jim Beam Distillery operations!?!
Maturation and Development: Freddie gained valuable experiences and worked his way up through the Distillery, learning, growing, and professionally maturing his understanding and craft as a whiskey/bourbon distiller. During his various rotations in learning the distillery craft, Freddie spent a season of time in the Research & Development (aka “R&D”), a part of the Distillery’s many subdivisions. Freddie took a keen interest in the unique and “open range” opportunities of blending quality whiskeys together to strive for producing something special; in addition to what is already special, the historic depth and richness of taste that already defines Jim Beam bourbons and their flavored whiskeys.
In an analogous way to developing a special hybrid corn strain for adaptation to new and various climates and soil compositions, Booker Noe, IV, (“Little Book”, or “Freddie”) developed his own “bourbon strain” consisting of blending Jim Beam whiskies and different grains to craft his own unique batch of quality bourbons, known as the “Little Book” Collection of Jim Beam. These bourbon and whiskey developments occur exclusively at the newly-opened Frederick Booker Noe Plant of Jim Beam Distillery located in Boston, Kentucky.
Freddie’s first release of these special blended bourbons occurred in October of 2017 with the release of “The Easy”; the first in a now-growing line of “Little Book” brands of blended bourbons and whiskeys, authored and developed by Freddie Noe, IV. You cannot rush the aging of a quality bourbon, and you cannot rush the experience and development of a Master Distiller. Fortunately for many of us, there is a an 8th generation legend in the making. Known by many simply as “Little Book”.
Contributed by: Todd Rust, Durham, North Carolina
Jim Beam’s Little Book Line Developed by Freddie Noe
Jim Beam’s High Volume Economy Brands including their Bourbon, Rye, Choice, Repeal Batch, White Label Bourbon, Ghost, and Beam’s Eight Star
Jim Beam’s Premium Brands including Single Barrel, Black, Devi’s Cut, Rye, Double Oak, Distiller’s Cut and Bonded
Jim Beam’s Hardin’s Creek Line
Contributed by: Todd Rust, Durham, North Carolina