Compare
New Riff Bottled-in-Bond vs Knob Creek 9 Year
New Riff Bottled-in-Bond and Knob Creek 9 Year are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is age (4 years vs. 9 years).
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Bottled-in-Bond | Knob Creek 9 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 4 years | 9 years +5 yr |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$38 – $45 | ~$35 – $40 |
- 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
New Riff Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 9 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Bottled-in-Bond Knob Creek 9 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10
spice 9/6 spice: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 9 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 6 out of 10
oak 5/8 oak: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10
fruit 5/3 fruit: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10
sweetness 4/5 sweetness: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The house grain character is what splits these.
- New Riff Bottled-in-Bond: At 30% rye this is about as spice-forward as bourbon gets before becoming rye whiskey. Peppery and herbal with mint and dill, non-chill-filtered for texture, and noticeably dry rather than sweet.
- 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 New Riff Bottled-in-Bond if you want aggressive rye spice and a dry, herbal profile from a modern craft distillery with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- Go with Knob Creek 9 Year if you want a classic peanut-and-oak-forward Kentucky bourbon with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (New Riff Bottled-in-Bond); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year).