Knob Creek Drops Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Single-Barrel Bourbon
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The regular season might be over, but now we’re getting into the playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl, which takes place on February 8 this year. That means it’s pretty good timing for the second single-barrel collaboration between Jim Beam’s Knob Creek bourbon brand and former quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning to drop, and we have the details to share.
The full name of this new whiskey is Knob Creek Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon, Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch. That’s a lot to chew on, but you get the gist—this is a barrel-proof, single barrel bourbon from the Knob Creek lineup, one of the core members of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection that is produced at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. While Beam has closed one of its main distilleries for all of 2026, the company is certainly still making whiskey and has new releases like this one in the pipeline. According to the brand, Manning “hand selected” the barrels for this release by tasting through samples at the distillery in Clermont, KY. Proof will depend on the particular barrel, but it ranges from 112.2 to 121.6, far above the standard 100 proof used for most Knob Creek releases—but staying (thankfully) far away from hazmat territory.
Eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe did not spare any football analogies when describing the whiskey and the collaborative process. “Football teams are built on trust—trusting your picks, your preparation, and your instincts, whether you’re on the field or managing your fantasy lineup,” he said in a statement. “That same mindset guides how we make bourbon. Working with Eli last year set a high bar and bringing him back this season raised it. We put some of our finest barrels in front of him, and this one stood out right away.”
“Hand-picking this barrel was a bold pick of its own—balanced, uncompromising, and full of character,” added Manning. “It held up every time I came back to it, and that’s exactly what I expect from Knob Creek when it counts most: a bourbon worthy of the biggest moments.”
That’s all well and good, but how does the bourbon actually taste? Like the proof, tasting notes will vary a bit depending on the barrel, but overall this is what you’d expect from Knob Creek—classic bourbon flavors that are dialed up because of the higher strength. That means big notes of vanilla, caramel, oak, dried fruit, cinnamon, and, of course, that signature Beam nuttiness on the palate, with a healthy dose of heat on the finish. Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 (SRP $70) is available at retailers nationwide and at websites like Total Wine now.
