Compare
New Riff Single Barrel vs Knob Creek 9 Year
Comparing New Riff Single Barrel and Knob Creek 9 Year is a closer contest than it looks — both are high-rye bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$55 – $70 vs. ~$35 – $40).
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Single Barrel | 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 | 5 years | 9 years +4 yr |
| Proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +5 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$35 – $40 ~$25 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
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 9 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel Knob Creek 9 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10
spice 9/6 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 6 out of 10
oak 6/8 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10
fruit 5/3 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10
heat 7/5 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 4/5 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Nutty, grain-driven character is the divider.
- New Riff Single Barrel: The single-barrel expression of New Riff's 30% rye mash, non-chill-filtered and at higher proof than the bonded version. As dry and peppery as bourbon gets before it stops being bourbon.
- 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 Single Barrel if you want the most aggressively spice-driven bourbon in this list, with single-barrel variation on top 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 at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year).