James B. Beam Distilling Co. (Beam Suntory)
Knob Creek 9 Year Small Batch
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey · 9 Years
100 proof. 9-year age statement. Under $40. Available everywhere. Knob Creek's numbers don't lie—this is the best set of specs in bourbon for the money.
Rating Breakdown
Flavor Profile
Tasting Journey
Nose
Caramel, peanut butter, vanilla, light oak, char, fresh marshmallows, oily peanut essence, brown sugar
Palate
Caramel, vanilla, dried red apple, roasted oak, orange peel, cinnamon, clove, mocha, licorice, dark chocolate, coconut
Finish
Length: Medium-LongWarming with caramel, vanilla, roasted oak, cinnamon, clove, honey, fennel, lingering pleasant warmth
Specs
Price / Value
MSRP: $35
Your Rating
Click to rate
Our Score: 86/100
Pairings
Food
- BBQ ribs
- dark chocolate peanut butter cups
- smoked sausage
- apple butter toast
- sharp cheddar
Cocktails
- Old Fashioned (perfect proof for it)
- Manhattan
- Bourbon Mule
- Whiskey Highball
Our Verdict
Knob Creek 9 Year is the undisputed specs king of bourbon value. No other bottle matches its combination of age, proof, quality, and price. An essential purchase that should be in every bourbon drinker's permanent rotation.
In a bourbon market where age statements are disappearing faster than allocated bottles at a state lottery, Knob Creek 9 Year stands as a monument to transparency and value. The math is brutally simple and impossibly compelling: 100 proof, 9 years of aging, widely available, under $40. No other bourbon in America can match these specifications at this price point. None.
The community tracked Knob Creek's temporary loss of its age statement from 2016 to 2020 like a missing persons case, and its return was celebrated with the kind of fervor usually reserved for barrel-proof releases. The lesson was clear: when you give bourbon drinkers an honest deal, they remember—and they fight to keep it.
The nose is quintessential Beam heritage: caramel, peanut butter, vanilla, and light oak, with fresh marshmallow sweetness and an oily peanut essence that betrays the house character. There's brown sugar depth and a gentle char that signals the nine years of barrel time without shouting about it.
On the palate, Knob Creek 9 Year is a full-bodied, deeply satisfying pour. Caramel and vanilla anchor the experience, with dried red apple, roasted oak, and orange peel providing complexity. Cinnamon, clove, mocha, licorice, and dark chocolate emerge in waves—this is a bourbon that evolves meaningfully over each sip. The 100 proof provides a satisfying backbone, enough heat to remind you this is serious whiskey without ever crossing into punishing territory.
The finish delivers warmth and length: caramel, vanilla, roasted oak, cinnamon, clove, and honey fade slowly into a fennel and lingering warmth that stays with you. For a sub-$40 bourbon, the finish length is genuinely impressive.
Knob Creek 9 Year is the bourbon that should be in every home bar, every whiskey club rotation, and every blind tasting lineup. It regularly embarrasses bottles at twice its price, and its unwavering commitment to honest specs in an age of marketing obfuscation is something the entire industry should emulate. The specs don't lie. The bourbon doesn't either.
