Knob Creek 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon is Booker Noe’s founding expression created to restore the standards of pre-Prohibition bourbon by aging longer in deeply charred white oak barrels and bottling at 100 proof rather than the diluted proofs that became common after Prohibition, producing the full-bodied oak aroma, sweet woody character, and long rich finish that defined American bourbon before the industry was forced to compromise.

Booker Noe joined the family distillery in 1950 and was named Master Distiller a decade later. His frustration with the lighter, lower-proof bourbons that dominated the post-Prohibition market led him to create the Small Batch Bourbon Collection in the early 1990s four expressions (Knob Creek, Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s, and Booker’s) designed to demonstrate what bourbon could be when brewed with care and patience. Knob Creek, named after the small Kentucky creek that ran through Abraham Lincoln’s childhood farm, was the standard-bearer: aged patiently in deeply charred white oak barrels, bottled at 100 proof without dilution, delivering the strength, flavor, and character of pre-Prohibition bourbon. The result is a genuine small-batch bourbon with oak aroma, sweet woody and almost fruity taste, and a long rich finish.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Rich oak with brown sugar and caramel the charred white oak barrels evident immediately
• Palate: Full-bodied, sweet, and woody with an almost fruity quality the natural sugars drawn from the deeply charred oak
• Finish: Long and rich the benchmark pre-Prohibition bourbon finish that Booker Noe designed the expression to achieve

Specs

• Distillery: Jim Beam, Clermont, Kentucky
• Style: Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Collection: The Small Batch Bourbon Collection
• ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
• Size: 750ml

Browse all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Knob Creek bottled at 100 proof?

100 proof was the standard for quality bourbon before Prohibition a proof that delivers enough intensity and richness to stand up to ice or water without losing character. Booker Noe specifically chose 100 proof for Knob Creek to restore that pre-Prohibition standard. Most mass-market bourbons are bottled at 80 proof after water reduction; the extra 10 proof delivers more oak, more flavor, and a more substantial finish.

{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Why is Knob Creek bottled at 100 proof?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”100 proof was the pre-Prohibition standard for quality bourbon. Booker Noe chose it for Knob Creek to restore that standard more intensity, richer flavor, and a more substantial finish than 80-proof mass-market alternatives. Holds up to ice and water without losing character.”}}]}