Frederick Booker Noe II, 74; Master Distiller of Jim Beam Bourbon

Frederick Booker Noe II, 74, a former master distiller of Jim Beam, died Tuesday of complications from diabetes in Bardstown, Ky.

Noe , a member of the sixth generation of the Beam family involved in making the bourbon, died at his home after an extended illness, according to a statement from Jim Beam Brands Co.

Born in Springfield, Ky., Noe was a standout football player in prep school and attended the University of Kentucky. He entered the family business in 1950 as an assistant distiller. He directed the production and aging of bourbon at the Jim Beam distillery in Boston, Ky., and later in neighboring Clermont.

He was named master distiller in 1965 and oversaw production of Jim Beam Bourbon, and production increased twelvefold during his tenure, according to the firm’s statement.

The company named one of its brands after Noe, Booker’s Bourbon, which was billed as the world’s only straight-from-the-barrel bourbon.

Noe retired in 1992 as “master distiller emeritus.” Three years later, the company honored him by placing his photo on the bottle labels alongside the family distillers who preceded him. He was elected to the Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2001.