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Knob Creek 9 Year vs Elijah Craig Small Batch
Knob Creek 9 Year and Elijah Craig Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 9 Year | Elijah Craig Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 9 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +6 proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$35 – $40 | ~$28 – $35 ~$6 less |
- Knob Creek 9 Year does 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
Knob Creek 9 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 9 Year Elijah Craig Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 7/4 nuttiness: Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
sweetness 5/6 sweetness: Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10
spice 6/5 spice: Knob Creek 9 Year 6 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10
oak 8/7 oak: Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10
fruit 3/4 fruit: Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
heat 5/4 heat: Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10, Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The house grain character is what splits these.
- 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.
- Elijah Craig Small Batch: A heavily oak-driven pour for the money, with vanilla bean and brown sugar riding on top of real char and smoke. The extra age shows up as wood depth rather than harshness.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Knob Creek 9 Year if you want a classic peanut-and-oak-forward Kentucky bourbon with an older age statement with slightly more proof behind it.
- Go with Elijah Craig Small Batch if you want the best oak-forward value on the shelf, with more wood character than its price suggests.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch).