Knob Creek loses age statement

[VAGentleman]

Don't think I've seen this discussed, didn't find anything in a search.  I went into the ABC store today and Knob Creek now says Patiently aged instead of aged 9 years.  This was the small batch not sure about the single barrel yet but since they both had the 9 then aged nine years in print, I wouldn't count on that keeping it either.  Too bad

[mouch]

Online it shows their small batch and single barrel are still showing 9 years but the straight rye and maple have the new "perfectly aged" statement.  I'm sure the others will follow soon.  

[tanstaafl2]

1 hour ago, mouch said:

Online it shows their small batch and single barrel are still showing 9 years but the straight rye and maple have the new "perfectly aged" statement.  I'm sure the others will follow soon.  

I am not sure the rye was ever anything but "patiently aged". Some of the whiskey was claimed to be "up to 9 years old" but I don't think it was ever age stated.

It was the bourbon, both the 100 pf small batch and the newer 120 pf single barrel, that was 9yo initially as I recall so it would be a shame to see the 120 proof single barrel in particular lose its age statement.

Edited January 21, 2016 by tanstaafl2

[miller542]

2 hours ago, mouch said:

Online it shows their small batch and single barrel are still showing 9 years but the straight rye and maple have the new "perfectly aged" statement.  I'm sure the others will follow soon.  

Wouldn't put much into the website, they are very slow to keep up.  I'd believe what you see in the store. 

[miller542]

2 hours ago, VAGentleman said:

Don't think I've seen this discussed, didn't find anything in a search.  I went into the ABC store today and Knob Creek now says Patiently aged instead of aged 9 years.  This was the small batch not sure about the single barrel yet but since they both had the 9 then aged nine years in print, I wouldn't count on that keeping it either.  Too bad

Too bad indeed.  Even the stalwarts like this and EC12 have now lost their age statements.   I kinda feel like I'd be better with them dropping it to 8yrs instead of completely NAS now. 

 

And while an age statement might not be everything, it is something.  And good age-stated whiskey is getting harder and harder to find.  

 

[flahute]

I have it straight from someone at Beam that this is not true. Says it was a major talking point at the national sales meeting and that losing the age statement is not going to happen.

VAGentleman, are you sure you looked in the right place on the bottle?

[miller542]

20 minutes ago, flahute said:

 losing the age statement is not going to happen.

 

Until it does.  Based on the numerous iterations of the Knob Creek label where the "9" "small batch" "100 proof" and "aged nine years" have moved around a lot, the current label has the age in the least prominent size and location.  Still speculation at this point, but the next logical step in this label progression is to remove the age statement.  Based on what is happening in the industry coupled with the Knob Creek shortage a few years ago, this is not a huge leap to think the age statement will disappear, if not now, then soon.  I hope I'm wrong because this might just be my favorite age-stated bourbon, but the trend of dropping age statements is more than just a trend at this point..

Edited January 21, 2016 by miller542

[flahute]

3 hours ago, miller542 said:

Until it does.  Based on the numerous iterations of the Knob Creek label where the "9" "small batch" "100 proof" and "aged nine years" have moved around a lot, the current label has the age in the least prominent size and location.  Still speculation at this point, but the next logical step in this label progression is to remove the age statement.  Based on what is happening in the industry coupled with the Knob Creek shortage a few years ago, this is not a huge leap to think the age statement will disappear, if not now, then soon.  I hope I'm wrong because this might just be my favorite age-stated bourbon, but the trend of dropping age statements is more than just a trend at this point..

When it does, then it's time to wring hands, but that time is not now. It never hurts to be proactive though and stock up if it's one of your favorites.

[VAGentleman]

5 hours ago, flahute said:

I have it straight from someone at Beam that this is not true. Says it was a major talking point at the national sales meeting and that losing the age statement is not going to happen.

VAGentleman, are you sure you looked in the right place on the bottle?

I swear its true.  I'll go back next week and validate but I'm pretty darn sure what I saw, unless I was dreaming...

[VAGentleman]

Heres a picture of it being sold in England.  Interesting that the 9 year old bottle on that site is sold out

https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/jim-beam/knob-creek-knob-creek-kentucky-straight-bourbon-whiskey/?srh=1

[beasled]

Hasn't this been like it for a while? I've been avoiding KC 'patiently aged' for a while now, eeking out the 9 year bottles left.

[petrel800]

I can't add much about the current bottling, I haven't seen one without the age statement.  That being said, the fact that Costco appears to have had to go elsewhere for their Kirkland Bourbon source may be telling here about the inventory of aged stocks at Beam.  The Kirkland carried a 7 year old age statement and I always felt it was very similar to regular Knob Creek.

 

If the age statement is going away, here's to hoping its similar to the EC12 change.  Gone on the regular offering and stays on the premium SB bottle.

 

I do think it's clear, the distilleries no longer have the inventory to maintain age statements on their lower priced regular offerings.  I also think they've realized that they can also command a premium for an age statement based off the current market conditions.

[Kyjd75]

Interesting.  I recently participated in a single barrel selection for Eric at Packages & More and the barrel we selected was 10 yrs 2 mos old, even though the label still says 9 years.  We passed on an 11 yr+ barrel, by the way.  I am very skeptical that the age statement is going away on KC.

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[flahute]

56 minutes ago, Kyjd75 said:

Interesting.  I recently participated in a single barrel selection for Eric at Packages & More and the barrel we selected was 10 yrs 2 mos old, even though the label still says 9 years.  We passed on an 11 yr+ barrel, by the way.  I am very skeptical that the age statement is going away on KC.

 

It's not going away as now confirmed by multiple sources at Beam. They have a lot of barrels that are older than 9 years.

[Paddy]

Makes sense to me guys, as the store pick I've been working on is age stated @ 11 years...

[flahute]

6 minutes ago, Paddy said:

Makes sense to me guys, as the store pick I've been working on is age stated @ 11 years...

They have them at 14 and 15 years that I know of. 

[Paddy]

2 minutes ago, flahute said:

They have them at 14 and 15 years that I know of. 

Wow, they only need to 'lose them' for another 6-7 years to... well, you know! 

[ethangsmith]

I too had discussed this with a Beam contact that I have. He too said they were not going to drop the 9 year old age statement at least at this time. Supply is tight!