Noe Way – The Whiskey Mistress meets Fred Noe
I’ve been writing about whiskey for approximately a bazillion years. I delight in telling people I’m “sort of a big deal” in whiskey. That’s what I like to think. I haven’t bought a bottle of whiskey for myself in months because other people send me theirs in hopes of a great review.
And then. I knew better. I met a real “big deal.”
Fred Noe, seventh-generation master distiller and a bourbon legend, still holds court at Jim Beam, in Clermont, Kentucky. I was part of a press tour and was absolutely spellbound as he stood, ready to regale us. He is funny, interesting, and altogether charming in a way that somehow supersedes the standard “good ol’ boy” image most southern whiskey magnates embody. In common whiskey literature he is occasionally mentioned in the same breath as the phrase “hillbilly.” I have had the pleasure of Fred’s company, and Fred Noe is anything but.
Fred Noe is colorful and entertaining. He is brilliant and embodies that which every whiskey fan yearns to embrace. While it may be obvious that his stories have been told a hundred times or more, it is just as obvious that each time he tells them they are as fresh and sincere as ever.
On a peaceful morning in Louisville, KY, with a thick blanket of cloud hanging over – the kind of cloud that gives the vague promise of pending thunderstorms – I boarded a comfy tour bus along with a small group of journalists and watched the rolling landscape pass by as I contemplated the day ahead. Spring had begun. The faintest hint of trees leafing out and a smattering of flowers every now and again whispered at its arrival. At the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, KY, I and our small happy group prepared for a special behind-the-scenes tour of the facility that makes some of the most profitable and popular whiskies in the world. I knew I was coming to an experience that would be exciting, but in meeting Fred Noe, exciting would be taken to a new level of intrigue and fascination for a girl who truly loves whiskey and all that it has embodied.
From my first step off of the bus and onto the distillery property, I smiled. It was arranged just so – perfect for tourists. There was a (fantastic!) gift shop and a statue just in front that made for wonderful photo ops. Jim Beam is nothing apart from its self promotion, clever PR, and genuine southern-hospitality-style extended hand. Just note the Cracker Barrel-esque rockers on the front porch of said gift shop. Oh. And they also make pretty good whiskey.
Completely transparent in its production, Beam (which includes such powerhouse whiskies as Knob Creek, Booker’s, and Basil Hayden’s, in addition to an impressive portfolio of Jim Beam Bourbon and flavored whiskey), allows public tours through its facility on a regular basis, but this particular tour was for the press and ended with a meeting. – a meeting with the surprisingly uncommon man behind the brand today – Frederick Booker Noe III, Jim Beam’s great-grandson, known simply as “Fred Noe” in today’s modern kingdom of whiskey.
He met us outside of one of the sensationally large, dark and dusky rackhouses that dot the rolling hills on the distillery property. While these days they are painted a stately and sober (whiskey pun) black ,through the years the rackhouses have donned a number of shades, including pastels. The current hue was settled upon as a compromising nod to the fungus Baudoinia, which, indifferent to the color painted on the rackhouses, persists in covering them in black. It happens everywhere, all over the world, wherever whiskey ages in barrels, for it seems the angel’s are a bit messy as they take their share. I have to admit I liked the black paint. It made the rackhouses seem as if they were in the midst of longstanding, very serious work indeed. And, of course, they are.
Fred Noe is a man of tremendous presence, his friendly grin a seemingly permanent fixture. As a child, when I pouted ruefully, my granny would caution that my face might “freeze that way.” – a fair warning to stop my fitful scowling. Fred Noe’s face has the countenance of someone who lives fully immersed in doing what he loves and it seems to have quite happily “frozen that way.” Even when not actively smiling, his eyes have a sparkle that never quite disappears. And no, it’s not just the bourbon.
After chatting with the journalists and answering a few questions, he then invited us inside the rackhouse itself to taste some Jim Beam Black bourbon right from the barrel. Well. We couldn’t say no, right? Into the dark barrel warehouse we filed, our little group looking forward to our first taste of whiskey at 10-ish o’clock in the morning. I’ve always been a fan of day-drinking, and so was probably the most enthusiastic of all. While my writer-companions made feeble jokes about the early hour, I simply giggled.
Inside the rackhouse, surrounded by some 20,000 barrels, each holding 53 gallons or so of amber gold, I tried hard to remember every detail of the moment as I gave the nearest barrel an appreciative touch. Ok. I confess it was more like I petted it. Just briefly. I never tire of the magic that makes whiskey, and standing there in the company of Fred Noe, the magic seemed much more tangible.
One of my fellow writers was invited to bang the barrel with a wooden mallet, so as to remove the bung. Then Noe picked up a proper copper thief and, giving a speech he had no doubt given countless times, spoke about the distillery, the bourbon before us, and generally everything charming about Beam. We were each handed a branded glass, etched not only with the Jim Beam logo on one side, but also with Fred Noe’s signature on the other, and Noe then proceeded to dip the thief into the bunghole and give us each a generous taste of the bourbon – Jim Beam Black, extra-aged. Barrel-proof and right from the barrel. Oh.
Color me giddy at this point. While I continued to listen to Noe’s charming banter and sampled what was arguably very nice and exciting barrel-proof bourbon, I looked about and wondered why I was the only one present who was (probably visibly) brimming with enthusiasm over the experience. We were instructed to keep the glasses, if we liked, and I saw several of the other journalists set their glasses down as we exited the rackhouse. One of them muttered something about “having too much branded crap.” I didn’t make eye contact. I just grinned, grateful that my own enthusiasm for such events and such goodies never wanes. I was already considering where I would display my newest treasure.
Noe led our little group, by now warmed up/loosened up by the bourbon as well as the happy proximity to a living whiskey legend, to the T. Jeremiah Beam house, a scant walk from the rackhouse where we had been. The house was originally built as a boarding house for distillery workers but after post-prohibition renovating, it became T. Jeremiah Beam’s home and has since been home to several generations of the Beam family. While it isn’t a usual part of a distillery tour, in we marched, led by Fred Noe himself.
The house has, of late, been transformed into a sort of public relations mecca. The main rooms that were visible on the bottom floor seemed to be offices with lovely whiskey and Beam-related historic knick-knacks scattered here and there. We continued our march up the staircase and were led into an impressive gathering room, where an enormous conference table had been set for us, a flight of Jim Beam whiskey and bite-sized tasty morsels for pairing waiting at each seat. Even some of my more jaded companions smiled and looked about appreciatively. We each took a seat and watched as Noe sat at the table with us, ready to lead the tasting and regale us with his stories of growing up Beam.
Fred Noe has a particular gift for storytelling. His timbre, cadence, and easy gesticulation with a whiskey glass in-hand all belie the genius within his smile and gentleman’s southern drawl. I had already gleaned a wealth of information about the Jim Beam distillery from our charming tour guide and I had enjoyed that immensely. But. You have not lived in Whiskeydom until you’ve heard Fred Noe do the “Kentucky Chew.” In person (go ahead – google it!).
I took notes furiously as he told of his youth, military school and an anecdote or two that made us chuckle. As a teen, Fred was once accused by his father, Booker Noe (Booker’s Bourbon is his namesake legacy) of drinking his bourbon and then watering it down to hide the misdeed. Though no amount of denial would convince Booker of his innocence, some years later the cleaning lady was discovered to be the real culprit. It was a funny tale – Fred Noe grew up on the distillery. He’d have had no need to pilfer bourbon from Booker!
Speaking of his father, Noe said, “The distillery was his [Booker’s] first born and I was his second. The distillery was his life and, y’know, that’s the way it was. We didn’t have any problem with that.”
After delighting us with his stories and presiding over tasting of the whiskey laid out before us, Noe invited us to ask questions. I had a couple of gems, and he answered them with the generous consideration of a gracious host.
THE WHISKEY MISTRESS CHATS WITH FRED NOE
TWM: What is your earliest memory of the distillery?
FN: I was a little boy about 5 or 6 years old. It was my playground, really. I used to climb up and play in the trucks when they were parked. There was always a little air left in the airbrakes and the horn. When the trains came to bring the grain, the engineers would let me play on the train and ride while they moved the train cars around and delivered the grain.
TWM: Your dad left a legacy in ‘Booker’s”. Are you working on a namesake or legacy for generations to come?
[There was a special sparkle that came to his eyes as he answered – as if he had a lovely secret…]
FN: We might be working on something like that. I came across a 1960’s era bottle of Jim Beam and it was…different. Really nice, but different. The techniques were different then. We may try to revisit those old-school techniques and hopefully we can meet the challenge. The guys in white coats can test it all they want to in the lab but ultimately it will be a matter of trying until we get it right. It’s something Freddy [Fred’s son] and I have been discussing…working on. But, you know, it may end up being like Booker’s salt-rising bread. He didn’t leave us a recipe and we’ve tried for years to replicate it.
[Noe shrugged, still smiling]
But, yeah….we’ve been talking about it. Working on something. Hopefully we’ll get the results.
The busy day ahead was to continue for another twelve hours or so. We were heading to a special tour of a local cooperage with a fine dinner to follow. Along the way we would make stops at Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse in downtown Louisville and end the evening at a couple of bars known to feature some lesser-known Beam products. All-in-all it was a very full and enjoyable day. Later, when I queried even the most jaded writers of our group as to what they enjoyed best, the answer was unanimous. The time spent in the company of Fred Noe, whose genuine hospitality and passion for his family’s 200+ year business, was certainly the highlight of the day.
The Whiskey Mistress went to Kentucky, a trip that spotlighted Jim Beam Black, Beam’s extra-aged bourbon (review to follow). The whiskey was very nice indeed, but sharing that whiskey with Fred Noe gave the day a special kind of brilliance that absolutely made my day sparkle. And, you know I’m all about the sparkle.
“What’s the best way to drink bourbon? Drink it any damn way you want.”
~Fred Noe, seventh generation master distiller, Jim Beam
THE WHISKEY MISTRESS reviews
Jim Beam Black Bourbon
Jim Beam Black bourbon has enjoyed almost twice the maturation time in those fine Kentucky hills as Beam’s flagship white label, and is bottled at a respectable 86°. Jim Beam Black is officially the #1 rated bourbon in the world after winning the Bourbon Trophy, the highest awarded accolade in the bourbon category at the 2016 International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), and stands out as a fine expression from a company that continues to be captained by a family whose passion for good Bourbon span generations. Seven of them, to date.
The whiskey….
On the nose, this fine Bourbon was heavy with sweet raisins and taffy. Breaking it with a ½ teaspoon of water brought the taffy notes forward, along with vanilla notes – loads of vanilla.
The mouthfeel of JB Black was at the tip of the tongue. A modest tingle for an 86 proof spirit.
The medium finish on the award-winning spirit was sweet, woody and spicy. It was rife with oak, very oaky in fact, but not overpoweringly so.
In Jim Beam Black Bourbon, a fine line has been trod. Longer maturation but not so long that any note of high tannins come forth. In a world where whiskey is reclaiming its rightful crown as a great spirit, Beam has given us an award-winning, affordable bourbon to enjoy. It can be found most places at $20 or less (I usually find it for $16.99 at my local grocer), and is fine for sipping, great for cocktails, and sure to set your bourbon-loving heart dreaming about those Kentucky hills…..
