Knob Creek Launches Quarter Oak Bourbon Just in Time for Fall

Knob Creek Quarter Cask. Photo Courtesy Beam Suntory.

We love finished bourbons for colder weather – and here’s hoping that colder weather arrives on schedule for the newest release from Jim Beam. Their high proof, small batch Knob Creek line has just launched Quarter Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a new double barreled limited edition bottling.

The new release finishes flagship Knob Creek bourbon in “quarter cask” oak barrels for four years. Quarter casks are, as the name suggests, one quarter the size of traditional 52 gallon barrel. This means an increase in the surface area of the charred oak relative to the volume of the whiskey inside, accelerating the aging process. When the finished product is dumped from the quarter cask, it is blended with Knob Creek and bottled at 100 proof to create Knob Creek Quarter Oak.

“When Dad created Knob Creek in the early 90s, he wanted to bring back the big, bold flavors that bourbon offered before the days of Prohibition,” said Fred Noe, Booker’s son and Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller in a press release. “Dad loved to experiment in his quest for flavor, and I like to think we carry on that same spirit today with releases like this. Finishing our full-flavored liquid in quarter casks delivers a really nice, deepened wood flavor to the bourbon our fans enjoy.”

The distillery tells us to look for a “blend of brown sweets, char and toasted oak with hints of dried fruits” on the nose, “sweet, heavy oak with background notes of char, dried fruits and brown spices” on the palate, and “slightly sweet charred oak with a lingering dryness” on the finish.

The Knob Creek line is home to a number of other limited releases, including Cask Strength Rye, Twice Barreled Rye, and more. Knob Creek Quarter Oak is available now nationwide for a suggested retail price of around $50.

 

Caroline Paulus
Caroline Paulus is the Senior Editor for The Bourbon Review. She lives and writes in Lexington, Kentucky. Follow her on Instagram @misswhiskeyhistorian to keep up with her latest in bourbon news - and a few old finds, too.