Knob Creek bourbon is crafted by the skilled hands of the master distillers at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. This renowned distillery, owned by Beam Suntory, has a rich history dating back to 1795, making it one of the oldest bourbon producers in the United States.
To create Knob Creek, the distillers start with a careful selection of the finest ingredients. They use a high proportion of corn, along with a blend of barley and rye, to give the bourbon its distinctive flavor profile. The grains are milled and cooked before being fermented with yeast to convert the sugars into alcohol.
After fermentation, the liquid is distilled through copper stills, which help to refine and purify the spirit. The distillers pay close attention to the distillation process, carefully separating the “heads” and “tails” to ensure that only the smoothest and richest flavors make it into the final product.
Once the distillation is complete, the bourbon is aged in new, charred oak barrels. This aging process is crucial in developing the complex flavors and aromas that Knob Creek is known for. The barrels are stored in rickhouses, where the bourbon is exposed to the natural variations in temperature and humidity, allowing it to interact with the wood and draw out unique characteristics.
The length of aging for Knob Creek varies, with some expressions aged for around nine years, while others are aged for longer periods. This careful attention to aging gives the bourbon its deep amber color and imparts flavors of caramel, vanilla, and oak.
The art of blending is also employed to create the signature Knob Creek taste. The master distillers select and combine barrels from different parts of the rickhouse, each contributing its own unique qualities to the final blend. This meticulous process ensures consistency and balance across each bottle of Knob Creek.
Personal experience: I had the opportunity to visit the Jim Beam distillery and witness the craftsmanship that goes into making Knob Creek bourbon. The distillery itself is steeped in history, and walking through the rickhouses filled with aging barrels was a truly immersive experience. I could see the attention to detail and the passion of the distillers as they carefully selected barrels for blending.
Knob Creek bourbon is expertly crafted by the master distillers at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. From the selection of high-quality ingredients to the precise distillation and aging processes, every step is taken to create a bourbon of exceptional quality and flavor.