Eli Manning and Knob Creek Reunite for Limited-Edition Bourbon Release

(Photo: Knob Creek)

With the Super Bowl approaching in a matter of weeks, Eli Manning has once again joined forces with the legendary James B. Beam Distilling Co. for a limited-edition whiskey offering.

On Wednesday, the brand unveiled (*deep breath*) Knob Creek Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon, Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch. The elaborately named whiskey is now available nationwide at proof points ranging from 112.2 to 121.6, hosting a suggested retail price of $69.99 per bottle. Though the bourbon does not declare an age statement front and center on the label, it appears to have been barreled on April 14, 2016, and bottled on Dec. 10, 2025, meaning that it’s approximately nine years and eight months old.

According to the team, fans can expect robust aromas of vanilla and toasted oak, followed by flavors of roasted nuts and warm spice on the palate.

“At this point in the season, you’ve made your calls, and it’s now about seeing them through,” Manning said in a news release. “Hand-picking this barrel was a bold pick of its own – balanced, uncompromising, and full of character. 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.”

Bourbon fans, ourselves included, have been keeping an eye out for this release. We had a chance to try last year’s Eli Manning 2025 Bold Pick and were impressed, though we did note that its oak flavor occasionally teetered into overwhelming territory. Otherwise, it was a sweet and thoroughly tasty bourbon, offering flashes of cherry, cinnamon and orange blossom that segued into butterscotch and fluffy banana bread on the finish. Read our full review here.

Eli’s brother and fellow quarterback, Peyton Manning, also has his own spirits brand, a blend of Kentucky and Tennessee bourbons dubbed Sweetens Cove Kennessee. The jury is still out on whose whiskey reigns supreme.

“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,” Beam eighth-generation Master Distiller Freddie Noe added. “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.”