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Knob Creek 9 Year vs Uncle Nearest 1856
Knob Creek 9 Year and Uncle Nearest 1856 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 9 Year | Uncle Nearest 1856 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 9 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$35 – $40 ~$25 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- Knob Creek 9 Year and Uncle Nearest 1856 do not publish an official mash bill.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.
Uncle Nearest 1856
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 9 Year Uncle Nearest 1856
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 7/4 nuttiness: Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10
sweetness 5/7 sweetness: Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
fruit 3/5 fruit: Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
spice 6/5 spice: Knob Creek 9 Year 6 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
oak 8/7 oak: Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 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.
- Uncle Nearest 1856: Named for Nathan 'Nearest' Green, the enslaved distiller who taught Jack Daniel, and now backed by the brand's own distillery in Shelbyville. Sweet and maple-leaning with the charcoal-mellowed softness of the style.
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 lower price point.
- Go with Uncle Nearest 1856 if you want a sweet, maple-forward Tennessee whiskey with a story worth knowing behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856).