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Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel vs Knob Creek 9 Year

Put Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel next to Knob Creek 9 Year and you have a classic, corn-forward stalwart set against a classic, high-rye stalwart.

Key Specifications

Feature Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel Knob Creek 9 Year
Type / Style Traditional Bourbon High-Rye Bourbon
Mash Bill 1 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
Age 10 years +1 yr 9 years
Proof 100 proof (50% ABV) 100 proof (50% ABV)
Approx. Price 2 ~$40 – $70 ~$35 – $40 ~$18 less
Availability Limited Widely available easier to find
  1. Knob Creek 9 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
  2. US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.

AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes

Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel

Not rated yet

No notes yet.

Knob Creek 9 Year

Not rated yet

No notes yet.

Flavor Profile

Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel Knob Creek 9 Year
sweetnessspiceoakfruitheatnuttiness

Axis by axis, biggest gap first

nuttiness 5/7 nuttiness: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10
sweetness 6/5 sweetness: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
spice 5/6 spice: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 6 out of 10
fruit 4/3 fruit: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10
oak 8/8 oak: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10

Flavor Profile Differences

Nutty, grain-driven character is the divider.

  • Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel: A ten-year bonded single barrel, which is a specification almost nothing else on the shelf matches. Dry and oak-forward with real age showing, though barrel variation means bottles differ more than most.
  • 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 Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel if you want a bonded, ten-year single barrel with genuine age at a sane price.
  • Go with Knob Creek 9 Year if you want a classic peanut-and-oak-forward Kentucky bourbon with an older age statement at a lower price point.

Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year).