Fred Noe
Seventh-generation master distiller of Jim Beam
🍷 Food, Beverage & Spirits English
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1954, Bardstown, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Family | Great-grandson of Jim Beam; son of Booker Noe; father of Freddie Noe |
| Education | Bellarmine University |
| Career | |
| Occupation | Master distiller |
| Title | Seventh-generation master distiller, Jim Beam |
| Became master distiller | 2007 |
| Known for | Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Booker's; Jim Beam Apple, Double Oak |
| Honors | Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame (2013) |
Frederick "Fred" Booker Noe III (born 1954) is the seventh-generation master distiller of Jim Beam (James B. Beam Distilling Co.) and the great-grandson of Jim Beam. The son of the legendary distiller Frederick "Booker" Noe II, he became master distiller for Jim Beam Brands in 2007 and is the global face of the company's bourbons.
He serves as ambassador for the Small Batch Bourbon Collection — Knob Creek, Basil Hayden's, Baker's and Booker's — the brands created by his father.
Family heritage
Fred Noe was born in 1954 in Bardstown, Kentucky, and grew up in the house once occupied by his great-grandfather, Jim Beam. The Beam family has been involved in whiskey production since 1795, across seven generations. After graduating from Bellarmine University, Fred learned the business from the ground up under his father, Booker Noe, starting on the night-shift bottling line.
Master distiller
Fred became Jim Beam's master distiller in 2007, and that year Beam placed his portrait on the Jim Beam label alongside six family distillers who preceded him. He played a key role in developing and promoting the ultra-premium small-batch bourbons his father created, and later introduced releases including Jim Beam Signature Craft, Jim Beam Apple and Jim Beam Double Oak.
Next generation
Fred trained his son, Frederick "Freddie" Noe IV, as the eighth-generation Beam distiller. In 2023 the company opened the Fred B. Noe Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, dedicated to Fred and led by Freddie, producing brands such as Booker's and the Little Book blended whiskey series.
Recognition
Fred Noe was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2013, joining numerous Beam family members so honored. He has been a constant traveling ambassador for the brand, known for promoting the "Kentucky Chew" tasting method.