Booker’s Bourbon Kicks Off 2025 With a Tribute to a Jim Beam Legend

Booker’s Bourbon is back with its first 2025 release, and this time, the bottle is honoring one of Jim Beam’s most beloved former leaders.

Dubbed Barry’s Batch, this release is dedicated to longtime Beam employee Barry Berish, whose roles within the company included chairman and CEO in a tenure spanning 40 years. Additionally, Berish, who passed away in 2024, was a close friend and collaborator of 7th-generation Master Distiller Fred Noe.

“We’re more than grateful for everything he did and everything he was: a real good guy and truly one of a kind,” says Fred Noe, in a company press release. “So, here’s to you Barry, you’ll always be in our hearts.”

Jim Beam releases four batches of Booker’s each year, all of which are barrel-proof Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Each batch receives a unique code to denote the release year and bottling — as the first Booker’s of the year, Barry’s Batch is designated as 2025-01.

Occasionally, Beam will issue additional, more limited special editions. Examples include Booker’s Rye from 2016 and Booker’s The Reserves from 2024. (While it has been suggested that there may be future versions of Booker’s Rye, we know for certain that The Reserves will continue as an annual release.)

Barry’s Batch is bottled at 125.7 proof, with an age statement of seven years, two months, and four days. Those are somewhat typical marks for Booker’s Bourbon. This particular batch is slightly lower in proof (and slightly younger) than the final batch of 2024, which paid tribute to longtime Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell.

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“The beauty of Booker’s is that it’s always going to be a bit different than the previous batch, but unmistakably Booker's nonetheless,” says Tim Heuisler, global ambassador for Suntory Global Spirits, speaking exclusively to Food & Wine. “Booker’s enters the barrels at  exactly 125 proof, so being bottled at 125.7 proof means our alcohol index came up just a bit during maturation.”

Fast Facts: Booker’s Bourbon 2025-01 — Barry’s Batch

ABV: 62.85%

Maturation: Seven years, two months, and four days

Blending: Booker’s Barry’s Batch is blended from barrels aged across six different Beam warehouses (3, 1, H, X, and G). All barrels were aged on the 4th, 5th, or 7th floors of their respective warehouses. The youngest whiskey in the batch is over seven years old, which is a typical threshold for recent Booker’s releases.

Availability: The regular version of Booker’s Bourbon is released quarterly, with each batch featuring a distinct name and flavor profile. This is a nationwide release that is typically available on shelves. Although the company does not provide specific bottle counts for these releases, it is assumed that standard Booker’s bottlings are distributed in larger quantities than specialty releases, such as Booker’s The Reserves, which had an estimated production of approximately 20,000 bottles.

MSRP: $100

Barry’s Batch is made up of barrels from four production dates. Those barrels were, in turn, aged across five different Beam warehouses:

• 41% are from the 5th floor of seven-story warehouse 3

• 14% are from the 5th floor of seven-story warehouse 1

• 4% are from the 7th floor of nine-story warehouse H

• 32% are from the 5th floor of seven-story warehouse X

• 9% are from the 4th floor of seven-story warehouse G

Ultimately, the blending and batching process for every Booker’s release is overseen by Fred and Freddie Noe.

“When creating a batch of Booker’s, our blending team will actually create three to four different blends of barrels for Fred, Freddie, and occasionally some others to compare against one another until they land on what they deem worthy of becoming our next batch of Booker’s,” said Heuisler.

According to the brand, Barry’s Batch starts off with a nose rich in vanilla and spices. Heuisler highlights the signature spice and punch on the palate: “This is a big bourbon, definitely a batch Booker’s fans will love” — followed by a lingering finish that settles into a surprisingly smooth, oak-forward sweetness.

Booker’s Barry’s Batch is a nationwide release with an MSRP of $100.

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