Jim Beam: Seven Generations of Bourbon, Owner and History
Updated: 2 hours ago
Jim Beam is one of the best selling bourbon brands in the world, made in Kentucky by Suntory Global Spirits. Seven generations of the Beam family have been involved in whiskey production for the company since 1795, with a break for Prohibition.
At a glance
Location: Clermont, Kentucky, plus plants in Boston and Frankfort, Kentucky
Owner: Suntory Global Spirits, since Suntory bought Beam Inc. in 2014
Name: the brand became Jim Beam in 1943, in honour of James B. Beam
Distilleries: James B. Beam Distilling Co. and Fred B Noe Distillery in Clermont, the Booker Noe Plant in Boston and the Old Grand Dad Plant in Frankfort
History in chapters
1795 to 1933
The Bohm family, who changed the spelling to Beam, emigrated from Germany to Kentucky. Johannes "Jacob" Beam (1760 to 1834) sold his first barrels of corn whiskey around 1795 as Old Jake Beam. His son David Beam (1802 to 1854) took over in 1820. David M. Beam (1833 to 1913) moved the distillery to Nelson County in 1854 to use the railways. Until 1880 customers brought their own jugs. That year the company began bottling and sold nationally as Old Tub. James Beauregard Beam (1864 to 1947) ran the business from 1892 to 1944 and rebuilt the distillery in Clermont in 1933 and 1934.
1943 to 2014
The brand was renamed Jim Beam in 1943. Harry Blum, a Chicago spirits merchant, bought the company in 1945 and American Brands bought it in 1968. In 1954 it acquired the Churchill Downs distillery near Boston, Kentucky, later named after Booker Noe. In 1987 it bought National Distillers, gaining Old Crow, Old Taylor, Old Grand-Dad and Sunny Brook. Old Taylor was later sold to Sazerac. Beam Inc. was formed on 4 October 2011 when Fortune Brands was dismantled, and Suntory bought it in 2014. It was called Beam Suntory until May 2024.
The people behind it
Jacob Beam, David Beam, David M. Beam and James B. Beam: successive family heads
T. Jeremiah Beam (1899 to 1977): joined in 1913, became master distiller and oversaw the new Clermont facility
Booker Noe (1929 to 2004): grandson of Jim Beam, master distiller for more than 40 years, who introduced Booker's in 1988, the company's first uncut, straight from the barrel bourbon
Jerry Dalton: master distiller who worked with Noe
Range
Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon: aged four years, 40% ABV
Jim Beam Black: aged seven years, 45% ABV
Devil's Cut: 45% ABV
Double Oak: 43% ABV
Winter Reserve: aged six years, 43% ABV
Sunshine Blend: 40% ABV
Single Barrel: ABV varies by batch
Jim Beam Rye: 40% ABV
Small Batch Collection: Booker's at 60 to 64.6% ABV, Baker's at 53.5%, Basil Hayden's at 40% and Knob Creek at 50%, with a 60% single barrel and a 50% rye
Awards
Jim Beam Black won a double gold medal at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a Gold Outstanding medal at the 2013 International Wine and Spirit Competition.
News and controversies
4 August 2003: a fire destroyed an ageing warehouse in Bardstown holding 15,000 barrels. Burning bourbon spilled into a creek and an estimated 19,000 fish died
3 July 2019: another warehouse fire lost around 45,000 barrels. Bourbon reached the Kentucky River and Glenns Creek and the alcohol plume extended 23 miles. Having learned from 2003, the company did not use water, to reduce runoff
December 2025: Jim Beam announced it would halt production at the main Clermont distillery for a year from 1 January 2026 because of falling whiskey consumption and export sales. The visitor centre stays open. Spirits exports to Canada fell 85% in the second quarter of 2025, per the Distilled Spirits Council
2016 Jim Beam strike is linked on Wikipedia but not described in the extract we read
FAQ
Who owns Jim Beam?
Suntory Global Spirits.
When did the brand get its name?
1943, after James B. Beam.
How long is Jim Beam aged?
At least four years for the flagship, twice the legal minimum for straight bourbon.
What was Old Tub?
The earlier brand name, used from 1880.
Who was Booker Noe?
Grandson of Jim Beam and master distiller for over 40 years.
Which bourbons are in the Small Batch Collection?
Booker's, Baker's, Basil Hayden's and Knob Creek.
Is production paused?
Yes, at Clermont for 2026, announced December 2025.
What was the 2019 fire?
A warehouse fire that lost about 45,000 barrels.
What the brand says
Jim Beam says its bourbon dates back to 1795 and calls itself the world's number one bourbon. Both are the brand's own claims. Its site describes the Beam family as the first family of bourbon and carries pages on Beam history, the bourbon making process and what separates bourbon from other whiskey.
The brand is part of Suntory Global Spirits, according to the official site footer.
Sources
Facts come from the Wikipedia article on Jim Beam, read on 19 October 2026. They have not yet been checked against the official distillery website, which was not fetched in this run. Whisky Clan does not publish tasting notes in its distillery profiles.
Further source read on 21 October 2026: jimbeam.com Our Story landing page.
Update, 20 October 2026: an attempt to reach the official Jim Beam site (jimbeam.com about page) returned a 404, so the facts above still rest on Wikipedia. Production figures, ABVs and the Clermont pause should be checked against official or trade sources before publishing.
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