Knob Creek

In 1992, master distiller Booker Noe pulled four extra-aged bourbons out of the standard Jim Beam lineup and gave them their own identity as the Small Batch Bourbon Collection. Knob Creek, named for the creek near Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home in Kentucky, was the boldest of the four: aged longer, bottled stronger, and built to taste like bourbon did before Prohibition thinned everything out. More than three decades later it remains one of the defining high-proof bourbons on the market, still produced at the historic Beam family distillery in Clermont, Kentucky.

History & Heritage

Knob Creek launched in 1992 as part of Booker Noe's Small Batch Bourbon Collection, alongside Baker's, Basil Hayden's, and Booker's. Noe, grandson of Jim Beam himself, built the brand around a simple pitch: a full-proof, deeply charred, patiently aged bourbon at a moment when the American whiskey market was flooded with lighter, younger releases. The bet paid off, and Knob Creek grew into one of the best-selling bourbons in the world.

The brand has stayed under Beam ownership throughout, but the parent company's name has changed twice in recent years. Suntory Holdings, the Japanese beverage giant, acquired Beam Inc. in 2014, folding Knob Creek into a global spirits portfolio that also includes Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, and Basil Hayden's. In 2024, the Beam Suntory spirits business was renamed Suntory Global Spirits. As of July 2026, Knob Creek is owned by Suntory Global Spirits, part of the Suntory Group.

Production has always run through the James B. Beam Distilling Co. campus in Clermont, Kentucky, at 568 Happy Hollow Road. "Knob Creek Distilling Company," which appears in the brand's own website footer, functions as a label and marketing identity rather than a separate legal producer; the actual distilling and legal entity behind every bottle is James B. Beam Distilling Co. In 2021, Suntory Global Spirits invested $40 million to establish the Fred B. Noe Distillery and expand the visitor experience on the Clermont campus, named for Booker Noe's son and Beam's current master distiller. As of 2026, Jim Beam paused new bourbon production at Clermont for at least a year, though bottling, warehousing, the visitor center, and restaurant continue operating there, with the larger Boston, Kentucky distillery picking up production in the meantime.

The Whiskey

Knob Creek bourbon uses the standard Beam mash of corn, rye, and malted barley, generally reported in the industry at roughly 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley, run through a sour mash process with setback from the prior batch and Kentucky limestone-filtered water. Fermentation relies on a Beam yeast strain maintained since the end of Prohibition. After distillation and a second run through the doubler, the spirit goes into new, level-four char American white oak barrels, the maximum char level available, which is central to Knob Creek's identity as a bold, heavily oak-driven bourbon.

The flagship Knob Creek Bourbon 9 Year is aged nine years and bottled at 100 proof. The rye side of the portfolio includes Knob Creek 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, aged seven years in deeply charred barrels with a high-corn mashbill, and the newer Knob Creek 10 Year Rye Whiskey. Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye Blended combines 30% nine-year Kentucky straight bourbon with 70% seven-year Kentucky straight rye at 113 proof. Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon is unblended, hand-selected from individual barrels aged a minimum of nine years, and bottled at 120 proof. In 2023, the brand expanded that program with cask-strength Single Barrel Select releases, bourbon in the 110-130 proof range and rye between 100-120 proof. At the top of the range sits Knob Creek 21 Year Bourbon Whiskey, described by the brand as its oldest release to date, alongside a permanent Knob Creek 12 Year Old Bourbon and limited series work like Knob Creek Blender's Edition 01, built by the master distiller and blending team to show a sweeter side of the house profile.

Why It Matters

Knob Creek helped set the modern template for full-proof, extra-aged bourbon at a time when the category was defined by younger, lighter pours. Its 100-proof-and-up standard across nearly every expression, paired with maximum-char barrel aging, gives it a weight and oak intensity that stands apart from lighter bourbons at a similar price point. The results have been recognized repeatedly: Knob Creek 9 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey earned 98 points and a Gold Medal at the 2022 International Wine & Spirits Competition along with gold medals at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the 2021 International Spirits Challenge. Knob Creek 7 Year Old Rye Whiskey has taken 95-point gold medals at the New York International Spirits Competition in 2020 and the New York International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2022, and Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye Whiskey was named World's Best Rye at the 2016 International Wine and Spirits Competition.

Visiting the Distillery

Tours and tastings run through the James B. Beam Distilling Co. visitor center in Clermont, Kentucky. The Beam Made Bourbon Distillery Tour & Tasting is a 1.25-hour on-site experience for 1-24 adults per booking at 568 Happy Hollow Road, Clermont, KY 40110. Guests can visit the campus without a reservation, but tours and tastings often sell out, so advance booking is recommended. For a deeper visit, the Beam Private Barrel Club launched in January 2025, letting individuals and groups select and purchase their own barrel of Knob Creek directly at the distillery.

The Sentinel Room's Reserve Whiskey Library carries 7 expressions from Knob Creek, including Knob Creek 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, Knob Creek Bourbon 9 Year, and Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon.