Jim Beam vs Knob Creek: Head to Head!

Discover the differences between Jim Beam vs Knob Creek in this in-depth comparison and decide which bourbon is better for You!

Jim Beam

Nose	Caramel, vanilla, hay, corn
Palate	Toasty oak, peanut, vanilla, black pepper, oak spice
Finish	Short-lived, caramel, oak spice
Alcohol content	80 proof (40% ABV)
How to drink	Cocktails
Similar to	Elijah Craig, Jim Beam Double Oak

The nose is rich in corn, vanilla and butterscotch with a slight whiff of ethanol coming behind.

On the palate, Jim Beam feels thin with very little body. Flavor has some of the same sweet corn, peanuts vanilla and butterscotch hints, along black pepper, followed by a hint of acetone.

The finish is short and warm, leaving some sweetness, a bitter note from the oak spice and black pepper behind.

Jim Beam is a serviceable whiskey that comes handy when looking for something cheap to make cocktails  but this is not something to drink either neat or use a sipper.

This bourbon is completely unremarkable, with no body, sweet at first but mostly warm and peppery. Jim Beam is not a good bourbon.

In summary, the Jim Beam Bourbon is a good whiskey mixer, but not good on its own. Just too harsh and peppery to make a decent sipper.

There are a few facts worth knowing about Jim Beam:

• The mash bill is 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley.

• Jim Beam ages for 4 years in newly charred American white oak barrels.

Knob Creek 9 Year Straight Bourbon

Nose	Cherry, vanilla, caramel, rye spice, oak
Palate	Vanilla, oak, cherry, chocolate, peanuts
Finish	Long, vanilla, banana, baking spices
Alcohol content	100 proof (50% ABV)
How to drink	Add water, rocks
Similar to	Kirkland Bourbon, Tincup

Nose brings cherry up-front, followed by vanilla, caramel, oak and and a spicy note from the rye.

On the palate the Knob Creek offers a buttery texture showing a creamy body. First sip feels pleasantly warm with more vanilla and oak, along chocolate, peanut and a cherry note.

The finish is long and warming and supremely drinkable at 100 proof and has plenty to appreciate.

Knob Creek (Similar Bourbons) is amazingly solid without any off-notes, with a thick creamy body that you can almost chew.

Knob Creek is bottled at 100 proof, making it a high proof spirit, but it goes down nicely as their is no harshness or bad bite in this bourbon. I can’t recommend it enough.

The best way of drinking the Knob Creek is neat or straight. If you want to make it more tasty add a few drops of water allowing rich floral notes to emerge while making it more enjoyable.

Serves well in cocktails although I prefer the Knob Creek Rye for mixing as the spice from the rye grain delivers more tasty cocktails.

There are a few facts worth knowing about Knob Creek:

• Knob Creek ages for 9 years in white oak barrels with the maximum possible char.

• The mash bill is made from 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley; Jim Beam uses the same mash bill.

What do Jim Beam and Knob Creek have in common?

Both crafted at the Jim Beam Distillery using the same mash bill

• Jim Beam and Knob Creek are brands owned by Beam Suntory and crafted at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, KY. Booker’s, Old Grand Dad, Old Crow, Basil Hayden’s are also produced at this distillery.

• Every bourbon crafted at the Jim Beam Distillery share a distinctive peanut note.

• Both bourbons use the same mash bill comprised of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley.

Are Jim Beam and Knob Creek the same bourbon?

Barrel management & proof makes them different

• Jim Beam is aged for 4 years while the Knob Creek ages for 9 years using highly charred barrels.

• Jim Beam is bottled at 80 proof while the Knob Creek at 100 proof. This means that the Knob Creek suffered less water dilution before bottling.

Jim Beam vs Knob Creek: Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Whiskey	Price	Bottle Size
Jim Beam	$24	1L
Knob Creek	$46	1L

Jim Beam vs Knob Creek: Which is better?

The Knob Creek is immensely better than the Jim Beam

Whiskey	Jim Beam	Knob Creek
Nose		✅
Body		✅
Palate		✅
Finish		✅
Value		✅

• Despite having a common origin these whiskeys have contrasting flavors.

• Knob Creek is an entirely satisfying bourbon, bottled at a relatively high proof that that doesn’t drink as such as it goes down nicely.

• Knob Creek strikes a good balance between sweet, spicy notes and oak char providing a very good sip.

• Jim Beam feels thin and watered-down, with some weird tasting notes making it only good for low-end cocktails.