O Noes: Knob Creek Bourbon Shortage

I don't know if it's related to the recession or not—results appear muddled regarding liquor sales and the economy—but conglomerate distillery Beam Global Spirits and Wine makers of not only Jim Beam but also the very popular bourbon Knob Creek, a 100 proof small batch bourbon that's aged in barrel at least nine years, took out an ad in the June 29th Wall Street Journal announcing that they have run out of Knob Creek. Yep; that's right—what's on the store shelves right now, is all there will be for some months. The current year's bourbon was put into barrels in 2000, and Jim Beam underestimated demand, rather drastically. The next bottling won't be until October, though bottles should reach retail shelves fairly soon after bottling. I like, very much, that Jim Beam is still aging their bourbon as usual, rather than going with an early release. I don't think people realize just what an enormous difference aging Bourbon makes; it's every bit as important as aging Scotch.

The Knob Creek shortage doesn't directly affect my bourbon of choice, Maker's Mark, or Woodford Reserve, but it will be interesting to see if supplies of them start dwindling as Knob Creek lovers turn to alternatives. It's a good opportunity for die-hard Bourbon drinkers to consider giving American Rye a second look.