Baker's

Baker's is a straight Bourbon that is released one single barrel at a time. The bourbon is named after Baker Beam, the grandnephew of legendary American whiskey pioneer Jim Beam. It is made in the famous home of whiskey, Kentucky and to Baker's own specification. It boasts a low distillation strength and high bottling strength of 53.5% ABV (107 Proof). It is widely regarded as one of the best small batch bourbons available.

Baker's is known for being a strong, powerful and flavoursome bourbon. Rich and intense notes of vanilla, oak spices, apples, caramel, cinnamon, baking spices and a peppery warm finish combine to give a robust whiskey.

Baker's bourbon is released only in single barrels. This means new layers of flavour will be discovered in every bottle.

The Baker's 7 year old is the only regular product available. This is due to seven years being a 'sweet spot' for maturation according to Baker Beam. There is also the limited edition Baker's 13 year old, which is released on barrel at a time when stocks allow. Both are bottled at 53.5% ABV (107 Proof).

Baker's spirit is distilled at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. It uses a specific strain of yeast that is now used only for production of Baker's spirit. This has been held within the Beam company for over 60 years. Baker's is a Kentucky straight bourbon, meaning that the mash bill contains a minimum of 51% corn. The remainder is made up of malted barley, wheat and rye. The whiskey is aged for a minimum of seven years, and resides within specific designated locations of a warehouse. Baker's is only bottled as a single barrel.

Baker's was created by Booker Noe, the sixth generation distiller at Jim Beam and cousin of Baker Beam. He was the man responsible for kickstarting the current trend for small batch bourbons back in 1992. Prior to that most bourbons were bulked matured and bottled. But he identified and separated out exceptional barrels from bulk batches and moved them for extra ageing and then bottling.

Baker Beam worked at Jim Beam's Clermont distillery for 38 years. He started as a night watchman in 1954, before he worked his way up to become a distiller in 1974. He later retired in 1992. This coincided with Booker Noe's development of the Small Batch Bourbon Collection. He named one of them after Baker to honour his long service and retirement.

Baker's continues to sit alongside the Booker's, Basil Hayden's and Knob Creek bourbons in the collection. Baker's packaging received a revamp in 2019 with each label featuring the fill date, exact age and cask number. There are also four different bottle caps, which have become highly collectable.