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Knob Creek 9 Year vs Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Put Knob Creek 9 Year next to Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against a blender-built, corn-forward bottling.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 9 Year | Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 9 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +9 proof | 91.4 proof (45.7% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$35 – $40 ~$73 less | ~$90 – $130 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Knob Creek 9 Year and Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish do not publish an official mash bill.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
Knob Creek 9 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 9 Year Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 5/8 sweetness: Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 8 out of 10
nuttiness 7/4 nuttiness: Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
spice 6/4 spice: Knob Creek 9 Year 6 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
fruit 3/5 fruit: Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 5 out of 10
heat 5/4 heat: Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
oak 8/8 oak: Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 8 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Sweetness is where these two part ways.
- 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.
- Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish: The standard Michter's bourbon given a second toasted barrel, which adds sweetness and wood to an already polished pour. Genuinely good, though the price has drifted well past what the liquid alone justifies.
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 at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish if you want the smoothest, most polished toasted-barrel pour here and price is not the deciding factor with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year); neat (Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish).