Knob Creek 9 Year
Clermont, Kentucky
Nine years and 100 proof on Beam's standard mashbill. Both of the variables that drive bourbon's chemistry load are turned up here.
- Age statement
- 9 years
- Aging
- New charred oak, 9 years
- Mashbill
- Corn 77%Rye 13%Malted barley 10%
- Congeners
- High
- Histamines
- Moderate
- Polyphenols
- High
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- High
- Sugar
- Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 123
- Sugar
- 0g
17.5g ethanol at 50% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓Genuine 9 year age statement
- ✓Mashbill published in full
- ✓No additives permitted under US law
What to watch
- !100 proof
- !Nine years of new-oak extract
Factor by factor
Congeners High ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Moderate ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols High ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins High ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Very Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Knob Creek stacks the two things that raise a bourbon’s load: a long stay in new charred oak and a high bottling proof. Nine years and 100 proof is the house style and it is why the whiskey tastes the way it does.
Worth being precise about what the proof does. It does not make the whiskey dirtier per unit of alcohol; the congener concentration is set in the barrel. What it does is make every measure a bigger dose. A 1.5oz pour of a 100 proof bourbon carries 25% more ethanol than the same pour at 80 proof, and ethanol volume is still the largest single determinant of how you feel the next day.
Knob Creek 9 Year questions
How many calories are in a shot of Knob Creek 9 Year? ▾
About 123 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 50% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Knob Creek 9 Year have sugar? ▾
No. Knob Creek 9 Year has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Knob Creek 9 Year gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Knob Creek 9 Year is distilled from rye and barley, so US rules bar it from claiming gluten-free. Distillation does remove the gluten protein, and the Celiac Disease Foundation considers distilled spirits safe for most coeliacs. If you would rather avoid the question, pick a spirit distilled from corn, potato, grape or agave.
What is Knob Creek 9 Year made from? ▾
Knob Creek 9 Year is made from a mashbill of 77% corn, 13% rye, 10% malted barley.
What proof is Knob Creek 9 Year? ▾
Knob Creek 9 Year is 100 proof, which is 50% alcohol by volume.
Does Knob Creek 9 Year give you a bad hangover? ▾
Knob Creek 9 Year scores 7/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 7/10 for bourbon overall. The main drivers are its congeners, polyphenols and tannins.
Is Knob Creek 9 Year vegan? ▾
Yes. Knob Creek 9 Year is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.