Knob Creek
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Parent Company: Beam Suntory, Beam Suntory, Chicago Illinois
Distillery Location: Clermont, Kentucky
Established: 1992
Master Distiller: Frederick Booker Noe (7th Generation Master Distiller at Jim Beam)
Collection: Beam Small Batch Bourbon Collection™
““This is whisky the way it used to be - the way it was meant to be.” ”
Photo by Brian Donnelly
Photo by Brian Donnelly
History
First released in 1992, by Booker Noe the 6th generation Master Distiller, Knob Creek 9 year old bourbon became a prized member of the Beam Small Batch Bourbon Collection, along with Basil Hayden, Baker’s, and Booker’s, Knob Creek aims to recapture a pre-prohibition style bourbon, with more time spent in the barrel, and bottled at a higher proof. This bourbon is named for the creek that ran behind Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home in Kentucky.
Grain Recipe
Knob Creek, along with Jim Beam, Baker’s, and Booker’s use the same proprietary traditional bourbon mash bill, which is not disclosed.
Distillation
Although the Jim Beam distillery makes several different brands of bourbon, they are all produced in same column still, which is 60 feet tall and 6 feet wide, and stands around 6 stories high. There are also 22 fermenters at the distillery. Knob Creek is distilled to around 130 proof (65% ABV), and enters the barrel at around 125 proof (62.5%).
Maturation
Knob Creek is aged in new charred white oak American barrels, with a level 4 char, which is around 55 seconds of applied flame. The brand no longer carries a 9 year old age statement. Dropping the aged statement has created more work for the employees who mingle together different barrels, but they can achieve the same consistent flavor profile, without the youngest juice always being 9 years old. All rackhouses at the Jim Beam distillery are 9 floors high, and the barrels for Knob Creek are always sourced from the middle, never the top 2 or bottom 2 floors. The final flagship label of Knob Creek is bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV).
Knob Creek 9 Year
The ideal gift! Buy the best whiskey online. Price and reviews available for Knob Creek 9 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey - 750ml Bottle. A benchmark in bourbon. Patiently-aged in white oak barrels for nine years, and bottled at 100 proof.
Knob Creek Single Barrel
The ideal gift! Buy the best bourbon online. Price and reviews available for Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey - 750ml Bottle. Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve encounters no detours or distractions. Its just the big, pure flavor that Booker set out to create. Each barrel of Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve is bottled individually to become one-of-a-kind, meaning that each batch we handpick will have slight variations in taste, color, and aroma based on its final age, rack placement, and other proprietary methods passed down for seven generations.
Establish: 2010
Aged: Around 9YRs
Proof: 120 (60% ABV)
Hand-selected, barrel by barrel
Knob Creek Rye
The ideal gift! Buy the best whiskey online. Price and reviews available for Knob Creek Rye Whiskey - 750ml Bottle. Knob Creek Rye is made in small batches, patiently aged in the deepest charred barrels and bottled at a full 100 proof to maintain its big flavor. Its made of the highest quality rye which gives it a unique spicy, smooth flavor perfect for cocktails. Start with a classic Old Fashioned or just sip it neat or with ice. Winner of Gold Medal at the 2016 SIPAwards & International Spirits Challenge
Establish: 2012
Aged: No Aged Statement, Aged to Taste
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye
The ideal gift! Buy the best whiskey online. Price and reviews available for Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye Whiskey - 750ml Bottle. This liquid takes the rich and savory notes of our award-winning Knob Creek Straight Rye Whiskey to the next level as an extra-aged, uncut and unfiltered straight rye whiskey.
Knob Creek Smoked Maple
The ideal gift! Buy the best bourbon online. Price and reviews available for Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon Whiskey - 750ml Bottle. Sixth-generation distiller Booker Noe's quest for big flavor makes his bourbon even better with this smoked maple whiskey. Alive with smoked hickory and maple wood aroma and a hint of earthy grain, this blend has full-bodied, inviting maple notes that lift to smoke, complemented with rich vanilla and caramel flavors, finishing smoky, smooth, and slightly sweet. Enjoy Knob Creek Smoked Maple neat, on the rocks, or in your favorite cocktail
Knob Creek Straight Bourbon 12 Year
The ideal gift! Buy the best bourbon online. Price and reviews available for Knob Creek Straight Bourbon 12 Year Whiskey - 750ml Bottle. Theres no faking full bourbon flavor. It has to be earned. So thats what we do in Clermont: we earn it. We start by selecting the finest grains. And we finish by meticulously aging our whiskey in white oak barrels with maximum char, for an unmistakable richness and signature sweetness. Its the natural way. And theres just no cheating nature.
Knob Creek 15 Year
The ideal gift! Buy the best bourbon online. Price and reviews available for Knob Creek 15 Year Bourbon Whiskey - 750ml Bottle. Knob Creek 15-Year-Old enters the stage as our most mature Knob Creek offering to date. After a decade and half of maturation, Knob Creek 15- Year-Old will entice the nose with delectable caramelized oak and luscious vanilla. Our bourbon will further soothe the palate with smooth caramel and toffee perfectly paired with toasted oak and light leather. Lastly Knob Creek- 15- Year-Old will finish with a warming spice joined by a slight floral bouquet. Join us on a journey, decades in the making, where only the best of the best barrels can claim a home to, Knob Creek 15- Year-Old. Because after all, true maturity comes with age.
Support The Spirits Educator
If you would like to support the content here, please click the button below to buy me a cocktail or neat pour through PayPal. You can also use Venmo @thespiritseducator.
Thank you for your support
Affiliate Disclosure
The links for product recommendations in this post are affiliate links. At zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. This helps support this channel so that I can continue to bring you new content.
Please Drink Responsibly.