Jim Beam Unveils Second Booker’s Rye in Decade, Finished in Apple Brandy Barrels

Jim Beam has released the second Booker’s rye whiskey in ten years, a limited-edition expression finished in apple brandy barrels with cinnamon sticks that draws on a family holiday tradition dating back to the brand’s namesake distiller.

Booker’s The Reserves 2026 arrives as the third installment in the distillery’s premium experimental series launched in 2024. The whiskey spends six years, two months, and 23 days in new charred oak before a secondary maturation in apple brandy casks alongside whole cinnamon sticks — a finishing technique uncommon in mainstream American whiskey.

The release carries particular weight for collectors. Booker’s Rye debuted in 2016 as a one-off small batch and disappeared from the market almost immediately. Since then, the Booker’s portfolio has consisted entirely of bourbon expressions, making this rye the first new mash bill variant under the label in nearly a decade.

Master Distiller Freddie Noe, eighth generation of the Beam family, developed the recipe as a reinterpretation of his grandfather Booker Noe’s “A.B.C. Wassail” — a winter punch combining apple wine, bourbon-barrel aging, and cinnamon. Noe recast the concept with a high-rye mash bill, substituting apple brandy barrels for the wine component and adding cinnamon directly to the finishing casks.

“A robust rye whiskey — the elusive Booker’s rye you all love so much — aged in apple brandy casks with some cinnamon sticks added for character,” Noe said. “You might call it more of an A.R.C. not-quite wassail now.”

Bottled at 125.1 proof (62.55% ABV) without chill filtration, the 750-milliliter release carries a suggested retail price of $129.99. Tasting notes from the distillery cite bright apple and sweet caramel on the nose, vanilla and baking spice on the palate, and a cinnamon-baked-apple finish.

The Reserves series operates as a laboratory for the Beam Suntory portfolio. The 2024 debut blended bourbons aged eight to 14 years. The 2025 edition finished bourbon in tequila barrels — a first for the brand. This year’s rye continues a pattern of cask experimentation that mirrors broader industry trends toward wood finishing and mash bill diversification among premium American whiskeys.

Rye whiskey has grown from a niche category to the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. whiskey market over the past decade, with volume increasing more than 500% since 2010 according to the Distilled Spirits Council. Premium rye expressions above $100 now compete directly with single malt scotch and high-end bourbon for shelf space and collector attention.

Booker’s itself occupies a unique position in the Beam portfolio. Launched in 1988 as the first uncut, unfiltered small-batch bourbon, it established the modern super-premium category. The brand has never carried an age statement, instead releasing batches at varying proofs and maturation periods. The Reserves sub-line extends that philosophy into deliberate wood-finished variants.

Availability will be allocated through Beam Suntory’s distributor network beginning this fall. Previous Reserves releases sold out within weeks at retail, though secondary market pricing has typically settled between 1.5 and 2 times retail within six months.

The 2026 expression enters a crowded autumn release calendar that includes finished ryes from WhistlePig, Sagamore Spirit, and several craft distilleries. Its differentiation rests on the Booker’s provenance, the apple brandy cask source — sourced from Laird & Company, the nation’s oldest licensed distillery — and the cinnamon-stick integration during finishing rather than post-distillation infusion.

Noe indicated the family intends The Reserves as an annual platform rather than a finite series. “Booker made his creation for wintertime,” he said, “but whiskey this good should be enjoyed year-round.”