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Booker’s vs Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Comparing Booker’s and Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve reveals a matchup between an uncut, spice-driven heavyweight and a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Booker’s | Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 7 years | 9 years +2 yr |
| Proof | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +5 proof | 120 proof (60% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$85 – $110 | ~$45 – $55 ~$48 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- Booker’s and Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Booker’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Booker’s Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 10/8 heat: Booker’s 10 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Booker’s 7 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 6 out of 10
fruit 4/3 fruit: Booker’s 4 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 3 out of 10
nuttiness 8/7 nuttiness: Booker’s 8 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10
spice 7/7 spice: Booker’s 7 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10
oak 8/8 oak: Booker’s 8 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Proof and heat dominate the difference.
- Booker’s: Uncut, unfiltered Beam at batch strength, and the most concentrated expression of the house peanut-and-oak character. Enormous and hot, with a finish that goes on well past where you expect it to stop.
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve: The same nine-year Knob Creek juice bottled from a single barrel at 120 proof, and the extra strength suits it. Everything the standard bottling does, turned up — with the barrel-to-barrel variation that comes with the format.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Booker’s if you want the Beam house style at full power and you have water on the table with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- Go with Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve if you want the Beam profile at serious proof for well under what most barrel-strength bourbons cost with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat (Booker’s); neat, old-fashioned (Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve).