Beam revisits pre-Prohibition with Knob Creek Rye

With rye whiskey now back in fashioning the US, Beam has released Knob Creek Rye whiskey, a blend crafted by master distiller Fred Noe.

Knob Creek Rye is a nod to the US rye whiskey culture of pre-Prohibition

Knob Creek Rye is a 50% abv blend of rye grains aged in American oak casks, and is designed to be drunk neat or as a base for cocktails.

It has been released throughout the US with an RRP of US$40.99 for a 750ml bottle.

Noe, great-grandson of company founder Jim Beam, said the release was timed perfectly to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Knob Creek Bourbon, created by his father Booker Noe.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to apply his dedication to creating superior quality whiskey and introduce
my latest innovation, Knob Creek Rye,” he said.

“Here we are in 2012 and the sky’s the limit – experimenting with extra aging, higher proofs, and different expressions. We don’t see it slowing down: our Knob Creek Rye, bottled at 100 proof has a bigger, bolder flavour. That’s the future – we’re going to keep releasing products and trying new things.”

Rye whiskey was last popular in the US in the early 1900s, before Prohibition forced drinkers to turn to the sweeter notes of bourbon. A recent surge in the popularity of traditional cocktails, craft and heritage has breathed new life into the rye whiskey industry.

Its launch follows that of Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve last year.