The distiller's new marketing campaign poster.
The creek no longer is dry. If it ever really was.
In either case, I must say it's nice to have an unfettered supply of Knob Creek once more. The smooth, 100-proof Kentucky bourbon is among the top tier of small batch sipping whiskies synonymous with the best in American distilling.
"This limited-edition bottle contains Knob Creek that was bottled way back in the year 2000 at the start of the new millenium. It's just our way of saying thank you for all your patience and support throughout the recent shortage," says a company press release tucked into the shipping box that arrived at my office this week.
Knob Creek underwent a controversial production stoppage over the summer. The official reason was that demand had outstripped supply and the company refused to send any more product to market until it had aged at least nine years.
In the views of some, however, the "drought" was a public relations gimmick, something the company steadfastly denied.
Bill Newlands, president of Beam Global Spirits & Wine U.S., and Fred Noe, the seventh-generation Beam family distiller, officially restarted production at the distillery in Clermont, KY, in late October.
"We want to thank Knob Creek fans everywhere for their patience and understanding these past months, and promise it was worth their wait," Newlands said atthe time. "Accelerating production and compromising quality, by a few weeks, even days, was never an option we considered. Knob Creek fans have been in touch, many thanking us for doing things the right way. It is very gratifying, and validating."
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