Jim Beam adds portrait of Fred Noe to historic bottle

On September 12, Jim Beam, the world's top-selling bourbon and a brand with a family history and heritage of more than 200 years, added a portrait of Fred Noe, seventh-generation family distiller and bourbon ambassador, to the iconic Jim Beam bottle. Noe shares this distinction with only six other Beam family members, including his great grandfather, James B. "Jim" Beam. The label was last changed in 1994, to make room for Noe's late father, Frederick "Booker" Noe.

"I remember feeling proud the day they put the picture of my dad, Booker, on the Jim Beam bottle," said Noe. "I never thought I would take my place next to him; it is a huge honor; about as big as it gets in my family and in our business. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride."

During his tenure, Noe has been a distiller at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Ky., working on the bottling line, hand-selecting barrels for Booker's bourbon and maintaining his family's closely guarded recipes and traditions. Since 1999, he has also served as a bourbon ambassador for Jim Beam and the Small Batch Bourbon Collection, sharing the craft of whiskey making and the rich history of his family's legacy, with bourbon enthusiasts worldwide. Looking ahead, Fred aspires to explore and create new, innovative bourbons, and eventually leave his own legacy within the Beam empire and bourbon industry.

"We are proud to add Fred Noe to the Jim Beam label and to celebrate this milestone within the bourbon industry," said Keith Neumann, global vice president for Jim Beam. "Fred has genuine passion for bourbon and has dedicated his life to the business and the brands."

This September also marks the first-ever National Bourbon Heritage Month, as declared by the U.S. Senate in August 2007. The resolution reinforces bourbon as "America's Native Spirit" (as declared by Congress in 1964) by celebrating the family heritage, tradition and deep-rooted legacy that the bourbon industry contributes to the United States. The declaration also calls for consumers who enjoy bourbon to do so responsibly and in moderation.

The tribute to Fred Noe comes at a time when bourbon sales are surging worldwide. The global bourbon market grew by 3 percent in 2006 and high-end bourbon sales accounted for 8 percent of total spirits growth in 2006. Jim Beam bourbon grew by 5 percent globally in 2006 compared to the prior year (according to DISCUS, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States).

The new label, which hits shelves in September, will appear on all Jim Beam brand marks including, Jim Beam, Jim Beam Black, Jim Beam Rye and Jim Beam Choice.