Booker’s Bourbon has released its first batch of 2026, a high-proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey dubbed the “Big Easy” Batch, paying tribute to one of the late Booker Noe’s favorite cities: New Orleans. The limited release, Batch 2026-01, is aged 7 years, 2 months, and 15 days and bottled at 129.1 proof, with a suggested retail price of $99.99.
The batch draws from five separate production dates stored across five different warehouses at varying floor levels. The liquid breakdown includes 24% from the sixth floor of a nine-story warehouse G, 22% each from warehouses J and M, and 16% each from warehouses H and O.
Fred Noe, 7th Generation Master Distiller, shared the personal story behind the batch’s name. “Dad sure found himself in the Big Easy plenty,” Noe said. “He made his first trips down there as a young man, friends like Billy Roby by his side, the two of them eating and drinking their way around town.”
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READ THE STORYNoe recalled that his parents even honeymooned in New Orleans. “In later years, they’d always point out the bar where they shared a drink as newlyweds,” he said. “The place seemed to love him back too — during one visit they even changed the name of Bourbon Street to Jim Beam Bourbon Street for a day.”
The elder Noe’s deep affection for the city centered on its food. “He couldn’t get enough of its food — a fresh oyster here, a bowl of jambalaya there,” Fred Noe said. “But you wouldn’t find his favorite dish on the menus of the fancy restaurants, no, it was the Lucky Dog street cart that caught his eye and stole his heart.”
One memory stood out in particular. “We were watching Bourbon Street’s famous barrel races from the balcony of our French Quarter hotel when he spotted that cart rolling down below,” Noe recalled. “He sent me to get us some — and boy, you’d have thought it was the best damn bite he’d ever had.”
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Official tasting notes from the brand describe aromas of vanilla and spice, a warm and robust palate, and a long, lingering finish. The brand recommends enjoying the bourbon neat or with a splash of water.
Booker’s Bourbon sits within the Suntory Global Spirits portfolio and remains one of the most sought-after small-batch bourbon releases in the American whiskey category. Each annual series typically comprises multiple batches, each carrying a unique name and story tied to the legacy of Booker Noe.
“I hope you’ll be as taken with this bourbon as he was with those Big Easy Lucky Dogs,” Noe said.
