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Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond vs Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond and Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, wheat-forward craft style versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond | Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 64% corn, 24% wheat, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 6 years | 9 years +3 yr |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 120 proof (60% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $60 | ~$45 – $55 |
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 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
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 3/7 spice: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10
oak 5/8 oak: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10
fruit 6/3 fruit: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 3 out of 10
heat 5/8 heat: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10
nuttiness 4/7 nuttiness: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond: A sweet-mash, bonded wheated bourbon from a distillery founded by two fermentation scientists, and the technical care shows in how clean it tastes. One of the strongest craft arguments on the shelf.
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve: The same nine-year Knob Creek juice bottled from a single barrel at 120 proof, and the extra strength suits it. Everything the standard bottling does, turned up — with the barrel-to-barrel variation that comes with the format.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded, sweet-mash wheater from a modern distillery doing genuinely careful work with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- Go with Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve if you want the Beam profile at serious proof for well under what most barrel-strength bourbons cost with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond); neat, old-fashioned (Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve).