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Knob Creek is a nine-year-old premium bourbon from Jim Beam. Despite the relative youth of the brand, it has already become a cult in the United States. The drink received the honorary title of National Champion Whiskey. Knob Creek Whiskey is the home-selling champion in its class, valued for its balanced, almost fruity taste with hints of toasted wood.
Historical information
Knob Creek bourbon hit stores in 1992. Times were not the best for the launch of a new brand – the industry experienced a noticeable decline, which reached its maximum during this period. Jim Beam made a bet on small-scale production. A feature of the drink was aging in charred barrels, which made it look like Scotch peat whiskey.
The brand was first presented as brand new. The author of the recipe was the master distiller Booker Noe, the grandson of James Beam himself. However, the company later revealed that the brand is actually much older. Whiskey called Knob Creek has been produced since 1898 by Penn-Maryland Corp., a division of National Distillers.
The 46,5% ABV bourbon was distilled at a distillery in Cincinnati, Ohio. An old label survives, indicating that Knob Creek was still available for purchase as early as 1935, two years after Prohibition ended. National Distillers was able to maintain production during the Prohibition thanks to a patent to sell whiskey through pharmacies. In 1987, the firm became part of Jim Beam. Marketers worked with archives and decided to take the old name for whiskey with a new recipe.
The choice was not made by chance. Knob Creek is the informal name of Abraham Lincoln’s family farm where he spent his childhood. The name comes from a stream that flowed through the family’s property. It was also symbolic that the father of the sixteenth president of the United States worked as a seasonal worker at a local distillery.
In 1992, Knob Creek was just Jim Beam bourbon with a nine-year-old. In the future, technologists improved the recipe and developed a special aging technology, which significantly improved the quality of the drink. In 2016, the company refused to indicate the age on the bottle and opted for blends from old and young spirits. The distillery has enough stocks of whiskey with a solid age, so as not to lose the original taste and aroma of Knob Creek.
Production features
Bourbon is made in small batches at the Jim Beam plant in Claremont, Kentucky. Raw materials for production are malted barley, rye and corn. Cereals are added in a certain sequence to maximize the release of sugars. Heavily charred American oak barrels are only used once. Alcohols partially dissolve wood and are saturated with hints of vanilla and caramel. The process is led by Fred Noe, son of the author of the Knob Creek bourbon recipe.
Awards
San Francisco World Spirits Competition, San Francisco:
- 2016, 2018 – silver and 2 gold medals;
- 2017 – 3 double golds;
- 2019 – silver medal.
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2016, London – the best rye whiskey.
Interesting Facts
The design of the brand’s products is inspired by the Prohibition era. The flask shape was popular in the 20s for ease of transportation. The label resembles a newspaper, which was then often wrapped around bottles. The cork is filled with sealing wax, which distinguishes the ultra-premium drink from other products of the company.
During Prohibition in the United States, a raging mob broke into the James Beam distillery and smashed the shops. The founder of the company had to change the type of activity and engage in the extraction and sale of stone. After the abolition of the ban on alcohol, the entrepreneur immediately began building a new plant in Claremont.
Types of bourbon Nob Creek
Knob Creek, 50%
A caramel-colored drink with reddish reflections. The aroma has hints of vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup and corn. The taste is sweetish with pronounced notes of burnt oak, dried fruits and spices. The finish is long and warm, with a strong presence of spices.
Knob Creek Rye, 50%
An amber-coloured rye whiskey with meadow grass and oak aromas. The taste is very spicy with hints of white pepper, vanilla, wood and slightly burnt caramel. At the finish, the spices appear brighter. The manufacturer recommends using the drink for making cocktails with bourbon.
Knob Creek Smoked Maple, 45%
Bourbon is dark amber in color with smoky and grainy aromas. The taste is rich with nuances of maple syrup, vanilla, caramel and burnt wood. The aftertaste is sweet with pronounced smoky tones.
