For the first time, the James B. Beam Distilling Co. enters the American Single Malt Whiskey category with the launch of Clermont Steep. Developed by Freddie Noe, 8th Generation Master Distiller of the Fred B. Noe Distillery, this venture into an emerging category explores the full potential of a single grain: American Malted Barley.

With little to no definition existing in the American Single Malt category, Noe developed his own defining guidelines, making intentional production choices to celebrate the flavor of this single grain at every step of development. Clermont Steep is a five-year-old liquid distilled and aged in Clermont, Kentucky, and matured in bespoke barrels.

“As a new venture, crafting Clermont Steep has been one of the toughest challenges I have ever faced in the distillery, and I am incredibly proud of where we’ve landed,” said Noe.

Clermont Steep is a whiskey steeped in influence from both process and place. Noe and his team hand-selected the American malted barley for the mash and used Beam family jug yeast in the natural fermentation process. It’s the same yeast that is used in all Beam products, adding a sense of familiarity to the finished product. The single malt was then distilled on a column still and aged for five years in barrels that were toasted, then quickly charred to a char level 1.  

The launch of Clermont Steep marks a significant milestone in the American Whiskey landscape as James B. Beam Distilling Co., the world’s largest producer of Bourbon, takes a stake in a rapidly growing segment that has yet to be fully explored.

“I’m always looking toward the future of American Whiskey, and the boundless runway in this category intrigued me,” said Noe. “We don’t just want to participate in American Single Malt Whiskey; we want to help define it for the future of the category.”

The foray into an American Single Malt Whiskey is proof of the innovation possible within the Fred B. Noe Distillery under Freddie Noe’s guidance. The Fred B. Noe Distillery was named after 7^th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe and serves as the home to legacy small batch brands, such as Booker’s Bourbon, as well as new-to-world whiskies, including Little Book Whiskey, Hardin’s Creek Bourbon and, in the future, Clermont Steep.

Clermont Steep is bottled at 47% ABV, and SRP is $59.99 and will be available in select states across the US, in-store and on ReserveBar, beginning June 2023. For more information about Clermont Steep, visit ClermontSteep.com.

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