Booker Noe was born in Springfield, Kentucky in 1929 and spent most of his youth in that Lincoln homestead location. On many occasions, he would visit friends in Bardstown, and while there, would spend time with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. James B. Beam, a member of the famous whiskey family.

When he reached high school age he enrolled at St. Joe Prep. Although the 1949 class year book says that Booker "dubs himself as an enthusiast of math", he is better remembered as a massive presence on the football field, where he attained honorable All-State mention. After graduation from St. Joe Prep. he attended the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

In 1951 he returned to the Bardstown area to join his family's business, spending a couple of years doing various jobs and generally learning the trade. When a former competitor's business was purchased by his family's business, this young man was chosen to lead the needed transformation and for many years headed the operations of the Beam plant at Boston, Ky.

Like his grandfather who started the current Clermont operation of Jim Beam at age 70, Booker started a new career after serving many years as Master Distiller and retiring as Master Distiller Emeritus. He has become one of the major marketing tools for Jim Beam Brands. He helped create the new phase of bourbons, the small batch bourbons. BOOKER, probably the most chosen of the original barrel proof whiskeys, is named after him.

Booker has participated in small batch bourbon tastings in areas throughout the United States and several foreign countries including France, Australia, and Japan. He has hosted many receptions and parties at his home in his role of both Bourbon and Bardstown's Ambassador of Good Will. During the recently completed Bourbon Festival, he hosted a number of visitors on different evenings. Something that has become a tradition of note is his annual Memorial Day hosting of the Blue Knights, a motorcycle law enforcement group from many states and Canada.