A Bourbon Nerd's Single Barrel Showdown | Russell's Reserve vs Knob Creek Single Barrel BLIND

[@dustincannarella8077]

“Sneaking in the back door.” “That’s what she said,” literally.

[@Scott-co4dq]

I'm glad that this blind featured two fairly available bottles - so many we see are the latest "wow" bottles. For me $60 is a weird price point - for less I can get Rare Breed and for slightly more ECBP, both of which I enjoy more than either either of these.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That’s a very fair point actually. We’re in the same boat honestly.

[@sitori663]

Completely agree. Though a store near me had an amazing KC 120 9.5 yo store pick in 2022.

[@knight946]

Two great bottles, Knob Creek 120 was my first high proof whiskey.

[@jeffdavenport8104]

This episode turned into Stuff and Geography....and I LOVE IT!

[@drgallup]

I generally prefer the Russell's, I've got 2 from '21 that I paid $63 and $45! for, would have a hard time paying over $80. I've got 3 of the Knob Creek's that were all around $50. The Knob Creeks are such a good value and ALWAYS available. Being single barrels preference can easily switch back and forth.

[@brentworls8509]

This is an epic head-to-head between two bottles that I buy a lot of. A lot for me, anyways. They are the essential bottles I compare everything against. I found a store pick KC that I bought several spares for because I loved it so much. RR and KC are at the center of my bourbon universe.

[@callmebender]

I choose both, even thou KC SiB is still an amazing deal, sometimes you can spot a standard Russell's Sib for under $60, Store picks at $80, much harder deal. But sometimes I crave the peanut butter profile and sometimes I crave the Jam. Cheers!

[@dennismcnerny8258]

Grew up in Kansas and Yes Oklahoma is south of Kansas.

[@billjoynes3433]

Never had a bad RR SiB or Knob Creek SiB.... Excellent pours 🥃 ! Russell's SiB is $62 here . 😊

[@sweetsinnndy5201]

I love Jim Beam products, have only tried the Knob Creek Single barrel, I think it's amazing.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Knob Creek may well be the only Jim Beam product that most people need if you ask us. It's their best line in our book.

[@soomatty]

It's a chef with tennessee is the frying pan and kentucky is the chicken

[@jonathangrauer3050]

I get a bit of that fake sweet on Wild Turkey distillate too. I’ve come To prefer the Knob Creek and Four Roses 🌹 profiles as my favorites.

[@jamesstreet1144]

These are both good. Tough choice. Elite and Mulligan’s in Clarksville still has the Russell’s Store Pick. $62.99

[@edwardrice146]

Thanks for linking the sample bottles. I just got some to trade pours with a co-worker. I just gave him a Port Charlotte and he brought me in Ardbeg WeBeastie and "The Octave" which is something that was only available in Scotland. FWIW, I have never heard that geography trick and my wife used to teach geography.

[@WhiskyForBeginners]

I've never had Russell's, but I have a Knob Creek single barrel store pick which is absolutely glorious.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

The KC is a favourite of mine. Thanks for sharing the thoughts here!

[@MikeCassimatis]

Where do you get your flight boards from? Those are super cool!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

They were made by a friend of ours and we agree that they’re very cool. If said friend ever decides to make them a public product we’ll be sure to post about it. Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@fileep131]

You can' go wrong with either bottle. I will have both in my cabinet at all times.

[@RebeccaPaige]

Since you two are in Nashville, if you ever find yourself about 45 minutes north in Clarksville check out Bill's package store. Great little shop with some harder to find bottles at great prices. He'll even take reasonable offers.

[@StacheXXL]

I have RRSB, KCSB, and RareBreed, I would rank them 1. RareBreed, 2. RRSB and 3. KCSB. I love me some RareBreed! Great Blind head-to-head! Oklahoma! Good job Josh!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Those are rankings we can get behind!

[@jonathangrauer3050]

Thankfully Russell’s and Knob are both regularly available near me for 55 or under. Price of the Russell’s Has come down a bit from 12 months ago. For me, both are great and the reason I won’t pay more than 60 For any bourbon when the quality is there from these two beauts.

[@neilrobertson6849]

I got both of these fairly recently so I thought I would sip along with you guys. I think my palate is closer to Josh's - they are surprisingly close, but for me the RR has more flavor and a fruitier richness while the KC is little flat in the middle. I don't get the artificial fruit sweetness at all. Definitely prefer Russell's over Rare Breed (which I don't think I'll replace if I ever finish my current bottle). RR was about $82 and KC $68 in Seattle. Both equally hard to find.

[@LP23D6]

I'm from Iowa and never heard that. Learned something today.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Whaaaaaaaat!?

[@terrencemcdermott5840]

I did not pick up on nuttiness for the longest time. Then once I got it, it was all downhill from there. I am finding I am not as big of a fan when I get peanut on them. I have found some that were peanut butter that I enjoyed. KC picks around me in WI are around 70. RR are 80-90. Standard products are both roughly 45-55.

[@loganbutler1016]

With the state elf thing- the elf is holding a platter (Tennessee) of fried chicken (Kentucky).

[@keano41]

I live in Iowa and never heard of MIMAL…😂 but that’s great!

[@chipgar63]

I'm with Erin on this one. I believe in point of dimishing return. I'm a tightwad. I do splurge occasionally but I have to really want it. Knob Creek pick at 50 all day long. I have a on the shelf RR single barrel that I paid 72 for. It's good but not 72 dollars good.

[@chipgar63]

I will backtrack on that a bit. I don't regret buying it. And I am not ruling out buying another one. But like the two of you I do blind head to heads. I am always looking for value. Not cheap but bang for your buck. I have a monthly budget that does not permit me to spend over 100 dollars on a whiskey more than once a year. But that's okay. My super power allows me to resist fomo and not pine away for bottles I can't get. I feel I can still drink really good whiskey

[@jeffreyjennings1640]

I have not had RR SiB but I do have and enjoy the 10 year. I do have a couple bottles of KC SiB and I really enjoy it. For 120 proof the KC drinks very smooth. The KC is $60 is my market and Rare Breed is $52 so I have to settle for them both (shuckey darns).

[@youngstarplakat2896]

Knobcreek single barrels 120 proof store’s pick are great, or either really really really super great. And some are even aged 15 years. Also Erin sips a high proof like a low proof. That’s why it burns more than being able to taste it. 😂. Smaller sips will allow Erin to enjoy more delicious flavors notes from high proof. That’s from my experience.

[@WhiskyForBeginners]

Even with a lower proof small sips work better. If your mouth is full, you can't move the whiskey around as well, and so you can't get all the flavors, or at least you can't get 'em as easily. Besides, good whisky is *sippin'* whisky. 🙂

[@whiskeyisajourney]

The first "nutty" bourbon I had was the Knob Creek 12 and I was not a fan! Eventually, my palate came around and I started to enjoy it. I don't think I prefer it over other profiles, but it has its place.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Queue the, “sometimes you feel like a nut” Mounds and Almond Joy song. We’re in the same boat as you, Peter. Not our favorite profile but it has its place.

[@davidhargest9889]

I never picked up a nutty note on any Beam product until I had OGD 114. That smells like straight skippy peanut butter to me and has from the first time I had it. After that I started to get it a little bit of nuttyness on KC and other Beams.

[@chads5968]

Woah! ... You made a wrong turn in Albuquerque. 😆

[@stuffandwhiskey]

😂😂

[@Brockthedog315]

For my money, nothing except barrell bourbon beats RRSB. Was unavailable for awhile in KC. Now about $60.

[@reevinriggin3570]

Don't feel bad Erin, I never did pick up the "nutty" as well. UNTIL I had some of that exact same Knob Creek single barrel select that you guys did in this head to head. When I get down to an empty glass, and then nose the glass, it smells just like a roasted peanut barrel at the Roadhouse Bar and Grill. Blew me away. NOW I can pick up on the subtle nuance in some of the "nuttier" whiskeys. True story. Thanks to the both of you guys. Fun channel!

[@michaelhoffer9172]

I just bought a bottle of each of these this week as these are two that are always on my shelf. The best part of the video was the geography lesson, however. lol

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It was the best worst part *or* the best worst part, but either way, it was definitely something 😂

[@trekkingteerex]

Love your guys' blinds as they have helped with my own decision making. But as a geography teacher, thought I would blow your mind a bit more and let you know that CHEF (not elf) MIMAL is also holding a nice piece of KFC (Tennessee is the platter and Kentucky is a drumstick). Cheers to you both and keep making great content.

[@jlongshoreman8493]

I really enjoy the chemistry as much as the content. Stinky feet and pbj. Not just pbj but sweet and low jelly. Lol

[@Robert.Sheard]

I'm with you, Erin. I don't get the nutty notes most of the time, either. Both of these are about $60 here, but not sure if they're actually on the shelf. The joys of a control state.

[@WhiskyForBeginners]

10:15 For me, nuttiness is a Dickel characteristic - their juice is full of pecans. And Evan Williams bottled in bond gives me strong peanut shells on the nose. But I've never gotten nuttiness from any Jim Beam juice. Palates are very different - which is a good thing, because it motivates distillers to do different things. 🙂🥃

[@deangood6682]

2 of my favorites. cheers🥃

[@OGbrick420]

#2 showed up to the party through the backdoor with a pimp slap.

[@89sooner]

This gave me reason to crack of of my two KC picks...yesterday or the day before, which leads to fresh crack irony. Obviously varying single barrels are super-comparable, but I am picking up what Erin is putting down on the palate with the RR pick. Then came the "Linger" of the finish which makes me wanna queue up The Cranberries. The KC started out with a noticeable extra ethanol kick...but then I'm with Josh on the balance of the KC. For my bottles, the KC was a quick and clear winner...which is a personal brand shocker for me...and it is a new bottle. I mean can you beat this for a battle of the reliable single barrel pick titans! (I want the ECBP picks to join these when it comes to consistency)

[@89sooner]

Yes Josh...from the Sooner State...it's Oklahoma! Unlike our neighbors to the south, our panhandle earns its moniker.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

100% agree on ECBP picks getting on this same level of consistency. That’s a GREAT point!

[@terrencemcdermott5840]

It is Oklahoma! Y’all need to brush up on your geography. I mean being from WI I’m used to people not knowing where it is, but come on, I was expecting more from you two! Plus, obviously you already know this but the UP!!! Beautiful and underrated part of the country for sure!! And it is not an elf. It is absolutely a chef. Look up how to find where Kentucky is, you find the chef holding the pan(TN, y’all) and the Kentucky fried chicken is in the pan! Haha!!

[@JolietZett]

Lmfao the last 2 min

[@stuffandwhiskey]

The little nuggets me leave for the folks who stick around. Thanks so much for watching!

[@patrickq7489]

Erin gets a 👍just for the 'that's what she said' comment at the beginning. 😂

[@JaredHardwick]

I will say, with some of these Knob Creek picks, they can be deceptive. I have a pick that doesn't taste nutty whatsoever. But the regular KC SiB that you can typically grab at the store, it's about as peanut buttery as you can get. And I've never had a peanutty Russel's, so that must be tied to that specific store pick. Either way, I love both of these bottles. Outside of Rare Breed, these are some of the best values for bourbons that can deliver very unique flavors every time.

[@umami0247]

Knob Creek everyday! It’s great and not badly priced.

[@terrencemcdermott5840]

Oh yee thy fleeting raisin… 😆 just thoughts that pop in my head when you two are giving notes. Are you sure the pb&j glass wasn’t the KC? Although I do get nuttiness off of turkey once in a while. My Russels store pick is pretty nutty. I was kind of disappointed. I had a standard red label off the shelf and it was better than the store pick!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Turkey can definitely get nutty from time to time. We like a little nuttiness. Snickers is the king of candy bars after all.

[@terrencemcdermott5840]

@@stuffandwhiskey whoa whoa whoa, that’s a bold statement. I don’t think anything that uses milk chocolate can claim the title of “best”. Come on now, let’s not get crazy. Haha!!

[@jamestaylor9258]

Jazz hands and back door? I need to try these... 🤷🏻‍♂️🤣

[@stuffandwhiskey]

😂😂

[@tsubakichan]

It's okay, Erin. I never learned whatever elf trick either

[@nicholasportonova8275]

I'd much rather have the kcsb especially for the money 💰

[@coltknight3945]

Hands down I prefer the Russells

[@michaelackley1560]

Love this blind. Both great affordable pours. Shows what you can buy if you ignore the FOMO. ALTHOUGH drinking EC A 1 23 as I watch this. 😂

[@stuffandwhiskey]

How is A123!? We’ve not seen it yet but definitely try to snag every ECBP release.

[@michaelackley1560]

@@stuffandwhiskey was very good. No face punch. Long finish with strong EC tasting notes. Subtle fruit was first pour. Opened well in glass. Happy hunting. Never found B OR C 2022. Paid 70 dollars.

[@travisrobeson306]

I smell Matt Madness training in the works! Both of these are great if they aren't marked up. Saw the KC on an allocated shelf recently. ☹

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Whaaaat!? Say it ain’t so!

[@bowhuntingsoul2149]

It’s not an elf. It’s a baker. Minnesota is the bakers hat.

[@lindawithguy01]

Oh, Erin! You're a better woman than I, I couldn't have let Josh slide with that comment lol

[@manhattan7055]

I can't with good conscience refer either of these two whiskies or Jack D Barrel Proof to anyone looking to get a premium bottle these days. In my neck of the woods the Whiskey boom has caught up to WT KC and JD's quality, for me it's been noticeable in RR and KC SingleB within 5yrs and with JD SBBP bottles since 2022 bottlings. High prices and demand are overriding quality in these upper middle class products. I know there's a lot of other good whiskies out there to be found but I'm not willing to shuck out the required 50-100 bucks left and right like a fool trying to win that carnival prize in a rigged game. I've been sticking to what rarely fails me WT101, RareBreed Rye, OGD 114, or a yearly store pick of Knob C 12O or Rye (which my local store has been doing for the last few years with good results). Otherwise, its Foursquare Rum or Additive Free Tequila like El Tesoro, Don Fulano. Siete Leguas. ect. ect. those prices also keep increasing but I have not detected a downturn in quality...yet. Cheers.

[@877-MASH-NOW]

WHISKEY CHEERS 🍻

[@bullseye0112]

Erin, oh snap at the same time, jinx you owe me a coke 🤣. When you have had so many whiskeys you definitely figure out where to spend your money. Knob Creek I just can't do. It is too nutty like peanut brittle and I can't stand peanut brittle haha

[@CountryTortoise]

I pick up the nutty and for the longest i wasn't sure what it was but i didnt like it 😂 so I googled tasting notes and all the whiskeys i didnt like that had that weird taste and the common taste was "nutty" but to be fair i havent had a higher proof version of the "nutty" profiles.

[@motohead077]

Mmmm Wanted to buy 1 (or 2) of your Russell's Picks, or do I follow the advice here & not buy. Lol. Still getting the KC Picks $45-60 (Rye-Bourbon) & age is going up.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

When it comes to picks it’s all about the palate picking them in our book. Excited to see how the two Russell’s picks we selected turn out. Last year’s Russell’s pick was like an Old Fashioned as far as flavor notes. This year’s are even better in our book!

[@robd8167]

Great H2H

[@jamestaylor9258]

Ok... Sweet &Low is better than stevia or NutraSweet. From someone who has to drink diet ... 🤷🏻‍♂️😏 Now, the Russell's barrel reserve I've had are fantastic. I feel yours isn't a winner. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@robschoenung9543]

The KC is so much better. Higher proof, lower price...you can't beat it.

[@Whiskey_BS]

Time for you to watch the Geography King KZbin channel.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It’s definitely a weak point for us 😂

[@terrencemcdermott5840]

What accent was that?! Haha!! 😆

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We’re still not sure 😂

[@terrencemcdermott5840]

@@stuffandwhiskey 😂

[@johnhunt1725]

You can't compare single barrel products like this in any kind of meaningful way. The very nature of single barrel bottlings makes this video totally pointless.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

While you’re not wrong in theory, 1) single barrel products do exist, 2) distillery profiles are pretty comparable even in single barrel expressions, and 3) we had fun comparing them, so the merit or pointlessness of it is pretty subjective. Palates differ so much anyway that we’d argue all “reviews” are pointless and this is all for fun, but we’re not pros and don’t take any of this (or ourselves) too seriously. Either way, cheers and thanks for watching.

[@pwrbomb1970]

This isn’t even close in my opinion. RR SiB by a landslide. Jmho.