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Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond vs Knob Creek 9 Year
Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond and Knob Creek 9 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, rye-forward craft style versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond | Knob Creek 9 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 6 years | 9 years +3 yr |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $50 | ~$35 – $40 ~$10 less |
- Knob Creek 9 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 9 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond Knob Creek 9 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 2/7 nuttiness: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 2 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 7/3 fruit: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10
oak 5/8 oak: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10
spice 8/6 spice: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/5 sweetness: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Nutty, grain-driven character is the divider.
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond: Bardstown's own high-rye recipe, distilled on site rather than sourced. More than a third rye gives it a bright, minty, fruit-and-pepper profile over caramel and light oak.
- Knob Creek 9 Year: This classic Jim Beam offering leans heavily into traditional oak, rich caramel, vanilla, and the signature Beam peanut-funk nuttiness. At 100 proof it delivers a bolder, more structural wood-and-spice influence with a touch of citrus zest and mint on the finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond if you want a spicy, fruit-forward high-rye bourbon with the guarantees of a bonded label.
- Go with Knob Creek 9 Year if you want a classic peanut-and-oak-forward Kentucky bourbon with an older age statement at a slightly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Rye Bottled-in-Bond); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year).