[Jacksonville, FL] — April, 2026 — Hooten Young, America's Favorite Pairing: Whiskey & Cigars, today announced the launch of its Single Barrel Select Program, debuting with Barrel #7 — a 6-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon bottled at cask strength and available exclusively online beginning May 2026.

Only 208 bottles exist. And for Norm Hooten, every one of them carries more than whiskey.

Norm Hooten is the founder of Hooten Young — and a man whose life reads like the American story itself. Portrayed as "Hoot" in the Hollywood epic Black Hawk Down, he played an integral role in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, part of Operation Gothic Serpent — a mission that reshaped U.S. military strategy for generations. Over more than 20 years in the U.S. Army, including service with an elite Tier 1 Counter Terrorism Unit, Norm built his career on courage, discipline, and a standard he has never lowered.

That same standard now lives in every bottle he puts his name on.

Norm's family has been making whiskey since the 1800s — generations who kept food on the table by crafting and selling whiskey long before there were gold medals for it. That tradition shaped how Norm understands the craft: what patience looks like, what a great barrel feels like, and what it means to put your name on something.

The Single Barrel Select Program is his tribute to those roots. To the hands that came before his. To the standard that was handed down.

‍"My family has been in whiskey since before anyone was keeping records," said Norm Hooten. "This barrel pick is for them. Everything I know about what makes a great whiskey came from what was passed down to me. Barrel #7 is my way of honoring that."

Barrel #7 is sourced from Green River Distilling in Bardstown, Kentucky — built on a high-rye mashbill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% distiller's malt. Aged six years and bottled at 116.6 proof (58.3% alc/vol) with no cuts, no dilution. Just what the barrel gave.

Barrel #7 — Specifications