Knob Creek Partners With NFL Legend Eli Manning for a New Single Barrel Bourbon

The Super Bowl is just a few weeks away, and James B. Beam Distilling Co. is getting in on the fun with some recent football-themed collaborations. Last week, Jim Beam announced a partnership with comedian Keegan-Michael Key—known for his role on the sketch comedy show Key & Peele—which included gift packages designed to help football fans cope with their team losing on game day. Today it’s Knob Creek’s turn, with the release of Bold Pick: a new single barrel bourbon made with help from NFL icon Eli Manning.

Eli Manning earned two Super Bowl rings and numerous other awards, accolades, and titles during his long career with the New York Giants. After retiring in 2020, he joined ESPN as an analyst—most notably on “Manningcast,” a live broadcast he co-hosts with his older brother and fellow renowned quarterback Peyton Manning. But when he isn’t playing or talking about football, Eli winds down by drinking Knob Creek. Now, thanks to this new partnership with Beam, he’s able to share his very own single barrel pick with fans.

“I partnered with Knob Creek because it’s my favorite bourbon,” said Manning in a statement. “Whether it’s the 9 year old in an Old-Fashioned, or sipping 12 year old neat for something a little more special, Knob Creek is always my go-to, and I’m excited for fans to try my single barrel Bold Pick.”

As part of the collaboration, Manning was invited down to the distillery where he was able to taste through a bevy of Knob Creek barrels alongside master distiller Freddie Noe. The pair eventually landed on a lot of 9 year old bourbon which was rife with notes of vanilla, butterscotch, cherry, toffee, brown sugar, and espresso. The final product was bottled at 60% ABV—the standard proof point for Knob Creek’s single barrel expressions.

“Our family knows bourbon as well as Eli knows football, so it is an honor to collaborate on this release,” added Freddie Noe. “It was a pleasure to welcome Eli to our campus and into the rackhouse, where, together, we developed a full-flavored single barrel bourbon that truly stands out. I’m confident football and bourbon fans will enjoy it as much as we do.”

Knob Creek Eli Manning’s 2025 Bold Pick Single Barrel is available at retailers in three markets: Los Angeles, New York Metro area, and Eli’s hometown of New Orleans. It has a suggested retail price of $60.

Along with the new bourbon, Beam announced a new sweepstakes that promises an all-expenses-paid trip to the Fred B. Noe Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky for a look behind the curtain. The winner and three guests will be invited to a private tour of the facility and an exclusive look at the warehouse selection process for Knob Creek. The winner will also receive a $1,000 gift card to Beam’s American Outpost gift shop. Interested parties can enroll online before February 10th.

The release comes at a time of renewed interest in single barrel expressions from Beam. For some time the distillery’s primary single barrel brand has been Baker’s—a much quieter label compared to the likes of Jim Beam and Booker’s, but one that has consistently scored highly with our tasting panel. But more recently, Knob Creek has made some moves in the single barrel space as well. In December Beam announced an expansion of its single barrel program, which would allow visitors to the Clermont campus the opportunity to buy and bottle their very own barrel of Knob Creek bourbon or rye. The distillery is considering adding some of its other labels to that single barrel program, so time will tell if we see more of these collaborative single barrel picks released to the general public sometime down the line.