James B. Beam Distilling announced the release of Booker’s Bourbon “Jerry’s Batch,” named for former Beam Master Distiller Jerry Dalton.

Dalton was the only Master Distiller (ever!) at Beam Distilling who wasn’t a Beam family member.

Booker and Fred Noe first met Dalton when he moved into the house behind theirs and he took a job at a local distillery as a chemist. Over the years, Booker and Jerry became close friends, and he eventually went to work at Beam. 

When Booker retired, Jerry stepped up as Master Distiller for a few years until Fred was ready for the job. Fred has shared that he owes most of what he knows about the science of their craft to Jerry.

“For years, I just assumed Jerry was already part of the Bourbon Hall of Fame, but he only got inducted last summer,” Noe, Beam 7th Generation Master Distiller, said in a news release. “He’s a real humble guy who never liked making too much of a fuss, but he’s damn worth celebrating. Beam wouldn’t be what it is without him, and I couldn’t be prouder to honor him with this batch.”

Jerry’s Batch is made up of barrels from seven different production dates that were aged in nine different warehouses. The age of Jerry’s Batch is 7 years, 4 months, and 21 days.

Bottled at 124.7 proof, with an SRP of $99.99, Jerry’s Batch comprises nine different barrels:

• 11.1% came from the fourth floor of 7-story warehouse 3
• 11.1% came from the fourth floor of 7-story warehouse 1
• 11.1% came from the fourth floor of 7-story warehouse X
• 11.1% came from the fourth floor of 7-story warehouse Z
• 11.1% came from the fifth floor of 7-story warehouse K
• 11.1% came from the third floor of 7-story warehouse L
• 11.1% came from the third floor of 7-story warehouse O
• 11.1% came from the fifth floor of 7-story warehouse 4
• 11.1% came from the fourth floor of 7-story warehouse G (Waterfill)

“As we look through our barrel inventories during some abnormally hot days in late June, it’s a good reminder of how the weather here in Kentucky influences our bourbon maturation,” Noe said. “The interaction of these various batches from their specific storage locations proves the old axiom true, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. With this blend of batches and locations emerges an offering with great balance and depth of character. 

“Jerry’s Batch brings together the micro-climate conditions that these warehouses experience. For anyone that has spent any time at the Clermont plant and surrounding area, and working with our products, it’s understood that each warehouse brings its own nuance to the barrels stored within and can influence the maturation process significantly.”

Read more: Beam Releases Booker’s The Reserves 2025 Edition

About Booker’s Bourbon

Booker’s Bourbon was inspired by a 200-year-old family tradition and came to life when Booker Noe selected the first bottles of Booker’s as holiday gifts for his friends and family. With its instant popularity within Noe’s close circle, Booker’s Bourbon was soon after bottled and made available on shelves for everyone to enjoy. Booker’s Bourbon is one of the only bourbons bottled straight-from-the-barrel at its natural proof, which varies from batch to batch. It is crafted in small batches and aged for six to eight years in charred oak barrels, which are stored in the center of the rack house. For more information, visit https://www.bookersbourbon.com/.