Knob Creek Is Bringing Back Its Oldest Bourbon Yet—Here’s How To Get A Bottle
It’s more than two decades in the making.
Not everything gets better with age—including bourbon. Too much time in a barrel can leave whiskey tasting overly oaky, tannic, or astringent. While Scotch is often aged for over 20 years, the extreme temperature fluctuations in Kentucky and other parts of the United States speed up the aging process, encouraging more interaction between the whiskey and the wood. Because of that, it's a little harder to find a bourbon over 20 years old that is balanced.
That's not the case with Knob Creek's latest release . Their 2026 release of Knob Creek 21 Year Old bourbon is complex yet balanced and delivers layers of "caramel and char, subtle fruit, seasoned oak, and caramelized sugar, with hints of smoke and a long, satisfying finish of toffee and charred oak," according to the brand.
Knob Creek 21 Year Old debuted last year as the oldest expression ever released by the James B. Beam Distilling Co. The bourbon also earned a gold medal at the 2026 International Spirits Challenge .
"When we first laid this batch to rest, we weren't chasing any specific age statement - we were focused on crafting a great bourbon, just like we always do," said Freddie Noe, eighth-generation master distiller at the Jim Beam Distillery, about the 2025 release. "After I tasted the whiskey, I knew we had something special. After decades in the rackhouse, the liquid developed a richness and balance we knew Knob Creek fans and whiskey enthusiasts would want to try. That's what makes this release special: it's bold, full of character, and embodies what Knob Creek® stands for."
Credit: Courtesy of Jim Beam Distilling Co.
Each barrel was hand-selected by the brand's master distillers for its flavor and balance. Bottled at 100 proof, Knob Creek 21 Year is available now at retailers nationwide for a limited time. The 750 mL bottle has a suggested retail price of $249.99.
Read the original article on Southern Living
