Knob Creek Shortage is Real

BY Kristin Donnelly | POSTED JULY 2, 2009 AT 8:27PM EDT

Whiskeyphiles are accustomed to hunting for rare bottles—the tiny production of the 18-year-old Sazerac rye, for instance, seems to sell out almost instantly upon release. Big brands, however, like Maker's Mark, are always reliably present on liquor store shelves. But rumors have been circulating since March that mega-distiller Beam Global Spirits and Wine might run out of bottles of one of their higher end brands, Knob Creek. An ad that ran in Monday’s Wall Street Journal confirmed that, yes, there is officially a shortage. Knob Creek, a Bourbon, has strict aging requirements—it must sit for nine years in barrel. In 2000, the distillery underestimated how much whiskey they’d need to make (who could have anticipated that a huge recession would cause us all to drink more Bourbon?) and now, they are completely sold out. The next batch will be ready for bottling in late October and will hit the market soon after. It’s a great reminder that even highly commercial whiskey must be raised with love and care—that it doesn’t come out of a faucet. Thankfully.

Knob Creek Shortage is Real

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