CLERMONT, KY, July 25, 2019 – Today, Beam Suntory is breaking ground on the Fred B. Noe Craft Distillery, which will be the home of future innovation and provide opportunities for education and hospitality. The new distillery is part of a larger $60 million investment to re-establish the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, which encompasses the production operations for the flagship Jim Beam® brand, as well as small-batch brands like Booker’s®, Baker’s®, Basil Hayden’s® and Knob Creek®, and next generation brands like Legent™ and Little Book®, and the visitor experience.

Beam Suntory is excited to honor our roots by investing in the James B. Beam Distilling Co., and setting ourselves up for a bright future in Kentucky and around the world,” said Albert Baladi, President & CEO, Beam Suntory. “With nearly 225 years behind us, we are proud of our history of entrepreneurialism, craftsmanship and innovation.  As the world leader in bourbon, we are thrilled to be laying the foundation for the next 225 years.

The James B. Beam Distilling Co. was the company’s name immediately following Prohibition and will serve as the name of Beam Suntory’s Clermont operations going forward.

The Fred B. Noe Craft Distillery, named for 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe, will serve as the home for small-batch bourbons like Booker’s and Baker’s, the next-generation brand Little Book, created by 8th generation Beam Distiller Freddie Noe, and serve as a functional production facility to explore new fermentation and distillation techniques. It will be located on the James B. Beam Distilling Co. site in Clermont, Kentucky.

“At Beam Suntory, we like to say that we’re all One Big Family, and what we’re beginning here today reinforces our leadership in bourbon, and sets us up for the future,” said Freddie Noe. “Now I can’t think of anyone who’s set up the future of bourbon any better than my dad, so I can hardly begin to express my pride in naming this new distillery after him.”

As part of its tourism investment, Beam Suntory will elevate its visitor experience in Clermont, KY and give consumers more reasons to visit, including behind-the-scenes tour across the family of brands from Jim Beam to Basil Hayden’s to Legent, a tasting room, and even customizable experiences.

Beam Suntory recently announced Jim Beam’s $5 million donation to the University of Kentucky, the largest philanthropic donation on company record, to establish the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits. This institution, designed in partnership with the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Distillers Association, will educate the next generation of distillers through a first-of-its-kind curriculum that covers the skills needed to succeed in the distilled spirits industry at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels.

Each year, Beam Suntory invests more than $500 million to make bourbon in Kentucky.

About Beam Suntory
As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon brands, Suntory whisky Kakubin and Courvoisier cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s and Legent bourbon; Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki and Toki Japanese whisky; Teacher’s, Laphroaig and Bowmore Scotch whisky; Canadian Club whisky; Hornitos and Sauza tequila; EFFEN, Haku and Pinnacle vodka; Sipsmith and Roku gin; and Midori liqueur.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com

Loretto, Ky.  – Maker’s Mark® today announced the launch of its first-ever nationally available limited-release bourbon, Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series 2019 Limited Release: Stave Profile RC6. This cask strength expression of Maker’s Mark® Bourbon is finished with proprietary wood staves, referred to as Stave Profile RC6. The staves amplify notes of ripe fruit balanced with layers of baking spice – a taste profile inspired by the brand’s proprietary yeast strain used to produce its classic Maker’s Mark Bourbon. Only 255 barrels of the limited release bourbon will be produced, with bottles available at select retail locations beginning in late September.

This special edition bourbon is the first limited release in the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, a collection of Maker’s Mark expressions that use an innovative wood stave-finishing technique to enhance distinctive characteristics already present in Maker’s Mark® Bourbon. The series includes existing offerings Maker’s Mark 46™ and Maker’s Mark Private Select® and the distillery plans to introduce new limited-edition bourbons to the Series in the coming years.

“We have been experimenting with wood finishing staves and techniques since we first released Maker’s Mark 46 in 2010, and it never ceases to amaze me how much natural flavor we can extract from just ten wood staves interacting with our bourbon over a period of time,” said Jane Bowie, Maker’s Mark Director of Private Select. “Stave finishes allow us to innovate with an already delicious product in a purposeful fashion, exploring different wood types, seasoning periods, cook times, and heat levels until we achieve the exact flavor vision we have in mind. We’re excited to share the distinct possibilities with whisky fans, starting with the 2019 Limited Release.”

The 2019 Limited Release was created to introduce a version of Maker’s Mark that amplified the ripe fruit notes already found in the distillery’s proprietary yeast, balancing sweetness and spice. This specific vision was achieved by finishing fully-matured, cask strength Maker’s Mark Bourbon in a second barrel with ten proprietary “RC6” wood staves. The barrels were then rested in the Maker’s Mark limestone bourbon cellar, allowing the cask strength bourbon to interact with the staves to develop the expression’s unique flavor.

Developed over the course of two years in partnership with barrel producer Independent Stave Company, Stave Profile RC6 is made from American Oak that has first been exposed to the outdoors, or “seasoned,” for an extended 18 months before being toasted in a convection oven.

Bottled at 108.2 proof, each 750mL bottle of the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series 2019 Limited Release will retail for a suggested $59.99 and will be available while supplies last.

About Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
In 1953, in Loretto, Kentucky, Bill Samuels, Sr., fulfilled his dream to create a handmade and delicious bourbon. He decided to make his whisky in small batches, using soft red winter wheat to enhance the softness and sweetness. He then rotated each barrel by hand for consistency, and finally, aged each barrel to taste. Bill Samuels, Sr., transformed bourbon from a “commodity” into a premium handmade spirit, and today Maker’s Mark® continues to make its bourbon the same way. In recent years, Maker’s Mark has introduced thoughtful, super-premium innovations to its portfolio including Maker’s Mark 46™  Maker’s Mark® Cask Strength, and Maker’s Mark Private Select®, the brand’s first-ever custom barrel program. In 1980, the Maker’s Mark distillery became the first distillery in America to be designated a National Historic Landmark and has also been decreed as the “world’s oldest operating bourbon whiskey distillery” by Guinness World Records. It remains one of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. For more information, visit makersmark.com.

About Beam Suntory Inc.
As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon brands, Suntory whisky Kakubin and Courvoisier cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s and Legent bourbon; Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki and Toki Japanese whisky; Teacher’s, Laphroaig and Bowmore Scotch whisky; Canadian Club whisky; Hornitos and Sauza tequila; EFFEN, Haku and Pinnacle vodka; Sipsmith and Roku gin; and Midori liqueur.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good.  Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan.  For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com

Clermont, KY – Knob Creek® Bourbon, a leader in the Small Batch Bourbon category for more than 25 years, is excited to announce a new, limited edition bourbon in its award-winning portfolio, Knob Creek® Quarter Oak. This special, limited-time release uses a secondary finishing approach to continue the vision founding distiller Booker Noe set for Knob Creek decades ago: to craft bourbon with the fullest flavors characteristic of pre-prohibition style.

With its latest release, Knob Creek explores and deepens the influence of oak on its flagship bourbon. Knob Creek Quarter Oak takes the brand’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, crafted in the pre-prohibition style fans expect from Knob Creek, and finishes it for a minimum of four years in quarter cask, American oak barrels to increase the amount of contact between the whiskey and wood. A small amount of this unique, secondarily finished whiskey – which delivers richer notes of oak – is then mingled with Knob Creek® Kentucky Straight Bourbon to create the final product that boasts a harmonious balance of oak influence and traditional, sweeter notes.

“When Dad created Knob Creek in the early 90s, he wanted to bring back the big, bold flavors that bourbon offered before the days of Prohibition,” said Fred Noe, Booker’s son and Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller. “Dad loved to experiment in his quest for flavor, and I like to think we carry on that same spirit today with releases like this. Finishing our full-flavored liquid in quarter casks delivers a really nice, deepened wood flavor to the bourbon our fans enjoy.”

Knob Creek Quarter Oak is bottled with the following characteristics:

• Proof: 100
• Color: Dark Honey
• Aroma: A nice blend of brown sweets, char and toasted oak with hints of dried fruits
• Taste: Sweet, heavy oak with background notes of char, dried fruits and brown spices
• Finish: Slightly sweet charred oak with a lingering dryness
• Cocktail Suggestion: Knob Creek® Quarter Oak Collins 
  • INGREDIENTS:
    • 2 parts Knob Creek® Quarter Oak
    • 1 part simple syrup
    • ¾ part lemon juice
    • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
    • 1 part soda water
• METHOD:
  • Combine all ingredients except soda water into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake 10-15 seconds until well chilled. Separate tins and add a splash of soda water into the cocktail. Top the tin with a strainer and strain slowly into a Collins glass filled with ice.
  • Garnish with a lemon wheel and brandied cherries.

Knob Creek Quarter Oak is now available nationwide with a Suggested Retail Price of $49.99 for a 750mL bottle.

For more information about Knob Creek Quarter Oak and Knob Creek’s award-winning bourbon and rye portfolios, please visit www.KnobCreek.com or visit with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Knob Creek® Bourbon
Part of the original small batch bourbon collection from Kentucky, Knob Creek® Bourbon has set the standard for super-premium bourbon for more than 25 years, crafting an extraordinary full-flavored bourbon with a rich taste. Introduced in 1992 by founding distiller Booker Noe, who pioneered the small batch bourbon movement, all Knob Creek expressions are patiently aged in new, maximum charred American Oak barrels and bottled in unique flask-shaped packaging. No matter the expression, Knob Creek’s hard-earned flavor is crafted without shortcuts, and upholds the standards for what great whiskey ought to be. In recent years, Knob Creek has expanded its portfolio, introducing Knob Creek® Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon (120 proof/60% alcohol by volume) in 2011, Knob Creek Straight Rye Whiskey (100 proof/50% alcohol by volume) in 2012, Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye Whiskey (115 proof/57.5% alcohol by volume) and Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye Whiskey, a limited-edition offering, (119.6 proof/ 59.8% alcohol by volume), both introduced in 2018.

About Beam Suntory Inc.
As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon brands, Suntory whisky Kakubin and Courvoisier cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s and Legent bourbon; Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki and Toki Japanese whisky; Teacher’s, Laphroaig and Bowmore Scotch whisky; Canadian Club whisky; Hornitos and Sauza tequila; EFFEN, Haku and Pinnacle vodka; Sipsmith and Roku gin; and Midori liqueur.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good.  Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan.  For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.