The James B. Beam Distilling Co. has announced two limited-edition American whiskeys for 2026, led by Booker’s The Reserves 2026 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. Both releases were developed by eighth-generation Beam family master distiller Freddie Noe.
Booker’s The Reserves 2026 is a Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey finished in apple brandy barrels and infused with cinnamon.
The expression carries an MSRP of $129.99. It is bottled at 125.1 proof and aged for six years, two months and 23 days.
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The release was inspired by Booker Noe’s tradition of making his “A.B.C. Wassail,” an apple wine recipe built around apples, bourbon barrels and cinnamon.
“I created The Reserves to continue the legacy of my grandaddy, Booker Noe. In many ways, it’s the same whiskey you know and love. Always uncut and unfiltered,” said Freddie Noe. “But in other ways, The Reserves is something new, inspired by my grandaddy’s boundless curiosity and relentless pursuit of flavor.”
Noe added: “His creativity showed me how much more is possible with the whiskey we all know and love. I’m proud to carry his spirit forward.”
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READ THE STORYAccording to the official notes from the brand, the rye offers a nose of “bright apple, sweet caramel, and subtle seasoned oak.” The palate delivers “charred oak, vanilla, and caramel,” balanced with “delicate cinnamon.”
The second release is Little Book The Infinite, Edition III, priced at $199.99. The limited-edition blend brings together bourbon from three generations of Noe family master distillers: Booker, Fred and Freddie. It is bottled at 118.3 proof.
Each year, a new whiskey is added to the blend, shaping the profile for the following edition.
“Each year, we bottle a portion of our infinity moment in its evolution. Then I carefully select new whiskeys to introduce, shaping the flavor profile for the year to come,” said Noe.
He explained the blend layers “oak, smoke, and char” from Booker’s bourbon, “creamy” caramel, vanilla and butterscotch from Fred’s, and “tobacco and dark fruit” from his own.
Little Book was first created by Freddie Noe following his passion for blending aged spirits after joining the family business in 2012.
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