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Jim Beam to Pause Distillation at Clermont Flagship for 2026

Falling exports tied to tariff disputes collide with a record whiskey glut, pressuring Kentucky producers.

Overview

  • The company says the pause begins January 1 and is to allow site enhancements at its main James B. Beam campus in Clermont, which will remain open to visitors.
  • Distilling will continue at the Fred B. Noe craft distillery in Clermont and at the larger Booker Noe distillery in Boston, Kentucky.
  • The Clermont site accounts for roughly one third of Jim Beam’s annual output of about 26.5 million gallons, according to reporting cited by The Week.
  • The Distilled Spirits Council reports a 9% drop in U.S. spirits exports in Q2, including an 85% plunge to Canada after retail removals linked to trade tensions.
  • Kentucky warehouses hold a record 16.1 million aging barrels, and state barrel taxes reached about $75 million this year, increasing carrying costs for distillers.