CLERMONT, KY--(Marketwired - Oct 2, 2013) - Booker's® Bourbon announces the release of its first-ever batch hand-selected by top whiskey experts -- Batch No. 2013-6. Twenty-five years after Booker Noe handed out the first bottles of his namesake bourbon to his closest friends and family, Fred Noe, seventh-generation Beam Master Distiller and 2013 Bourbon Hall of Fame Inductee, is celebrating his father's legacy with a rare offering. For the first time in the small-batch bourbon's history, top whiskey experts will collaborate with Fred to help select exclusive batches of Booker's® Bourbon.

Kicked off in August, Fred is paying homage to his father's tasting tradition by hosting his own Booker's® Bourbon Roundtable, consisting of a select group of whiskey advocates, writers and experts. This esteemed group participates in "virtual" tastings and discussions to handpick select batches of bourbon worthy of the Booker's name. Not since the 1980s, when Booker started sharing his bourbon with his best friends, has such an exclusive group been invited back to the table to take part in this Beam family tradition.

"Nearly three decades ago, Dad would gather his friends around the kitchen table and taste his personal bourbon stash to determine which would become the next batch of Booker's® Bourbon," said Noe. "I'm proud to keep that tradition alive. For our first official batch from the Roundtable, we've selected a bourbon featuring robust flavors, with notes of strong spices and unique lush cherries. Accompanied with a long finish and a bold proof, it's a bottle that warrants Dad's name on the label."

This year's Roundtable consists of top whiskey advocates, including, among others:

Chuck K. Cowdery, Blogger and Author of "Bourbon, Straight: The Uncut and Unfiltered Story of American Whiskey"

Geoffrey Kleinman, DrinkSpirits.com

John McCarthy, Spirits Writer

Jack Robertiello, Spirits Writer and Judge

Tony Sachs, Blogger, Huffington Post

F. Paul Pacult, Editor, Spirit Journal & Author, American Still Life

Booker's® Bourbon is one of the only bourbons bottled straight-from-the-barrel, uncut and unfiltered, and bottled at its natural proof, which varies from batch to batch, just the way Booker Noe enjoyed his whiskey. 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, Booker's® Bourbon is hand-selected barrel-by-barrel by Noe to ensure every bottle contains a robust, full-bodied whiskey that has a taste, aroma and proof that matches Booker's whiskey preference.

Available on shelves in early October, Booker's® Bourbon Batch No. 2013-6 was selected based on the following characteristics:

Proof: 126.5

126.5 Age: 7 years

7 years Nose: Strong spices and hints of cherry and vanilla

Strong spices and hints of cherry and vanilla Finish: Long, smooth finish

Long, smooth finish Sipping Suggestions: With ice or cut with water

Booker's® Bourbon is available nationwide for a suggested price of $49.99 for a 750ml bottle. For more information on Booker's® Bourbon visit www.SmallBatch.com/bookers.

About Beam Inc.

As one of the world's leading premium spirits companies, Beam is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Pinnacle Vodka, Canadian Club Whisky, Courvoisier Cognac, Teacher's Scotch Whisky, Skinnygirl Cocktails, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Knob Creek Bourbon, Laphroaig Scotch Whisky, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Larios Gin, Whisky DYC and DeKuyper Cordials. Beam is focused on delivering superior performance with its unique combination of scale with agility and a strategy of Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling Our Growth. Beam and its 3,400 passionate associates worldwide generated 2012 sales of $2.5 billion (excluding excise taxes), volume of 38 million 9-liter equivalent cases and some of the industry's fastest growing innovations.

Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index. For more information on Beam, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

drink smart®

Booker's® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 60.5%-63.5% Alc./Vol. ©2013 James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, KY.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.