Jim Beam Just Unveiled the Next Batch of Its Barrel-Proof Booker’s Bourbon

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It’s the little things that separate one batch of Booker’s Bourbon from another, but there are in fact some differences to discern. That’s why whiskey fans get excited when another release of this high-proof bourbon from the James B. Beam Distilling Co. drops, and the distillery just announced that the second batch of 2025, By The Pond, arrives next week.

Booker’s was created by its namesake, the late Jim Beam master distiller Booker Noe, back in 1988 as a barrel-proof bourbon to share with family and friends. This was a time when high-ABV bourbon wasn’t very popular, but that would soon change. Booker’s went on to join the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection in 1992, along with Basil Hayden, Knob Creek, and Baker’s. It’s released in four batches per year (sometimes less), and it’s bottled at barrel proof and only filtered to remove any leftover char from the liquid.

The latest batch, as mentioned before, is called By The Pond, and according to Booker’s son Fred, it’s a tribute to his dad’s backyard pond where he liked to fish (that sounds pretty folksy, but that’s the way it goes with these Kentucky bourbon releases).

“The first taste I put into my mouth was very nice and had a sweetness I enjoyed so I took a second,” said Noe in a statement. “The second taste was nice and the finish complemented and completed the experience so well. I feel sure my dad would have enjoyed sipping the By the Pond batch sitting by his pond feeding his fish, waiting for them to grow so he could enjoy eating them with some great Booker’s Bourbon.”

Each Booker’s release is similar in terms of age and proof within certain parameters, but here’s what to expect from this new release. The bourbon is exactly seven years, one month, and 20 days old and was bottled at 126.5 proof, both of which are in the mid-range of what you’d expect from this expression. This batch comes from barrels produced on seven different production dates that were aged in eight different warehouses. Ready to get into the weeds? Here we go: 11 percent on the third floor of warehouse J, 11 percent on the fifth floor of warehouse 3, 11 percent on the the fifth floor of warehouse 1, five percent on the seventh floor of warehouse H, 11 percent on the fourth floor of warehouse K, 11 percent on the fifth floor of warehouse L, 11 percent on the fourth floor of warehouse 4, and 29 percent on the sixth floor of warehouse G at Waterfill. All of that might sound excruciating, but given that the bourbon is made from the same Beam mashbill as other expressions, the specific locations where the barrels are pulled from goes a long way in determining the flavor of the whiskey and making sure it meets the Booker’s profile.

Booker’s By The Pond will start arriving in stores and at spirits websites later this month with an SRP of $100. You can find previous batches available now from websites like ReserveBar and Total Wine.