Knob Creek Introduces Limited Edition Cast Iron Collab with Smithey Ironware

Just in time for the advent of the gift-giving season, Jim Beam’s Knob Creek Bourbon has announced a perfectly fitting collaboration with Smithey Ironware, creating a high-quality cast iron skillet all their own. In conjunction with the most recent re-release of Knob Creek 18 Year Old Bourbon, which we first reviewed at Paste last year, the two companies have collaborated to create an 18-times seasoned, limited edition piece of cookware–15 times more than Smithey’s traditional flagship skillets, which works to create a naturally non-stick cast iron surface “with a rich, deep copper color and easy-to-clean finish.”

“Knob Creek fans appreciate the quality of intentional workmanship, and we’re excited to re-release our extra-aged Knob Creek 18 Year Old for a limited time,” said Seventh Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe in a statement. “The partnership between Knob Creek and Smithey Ironware came from the passion that both brands have for the details, whether it’s with cooking or in a fine glass of bourbon. With this special 18x seasoned cast iron skillet, we were able to come together and create a product that celebrates those fine details, alongside the re-release of Knob Creek’s oldest release to date.”

The skillets, now available online for a limited time, show off the seasoning process via application after application of pure grapeseed oil. This process is traditionally meant to build up naturally through the user’s careful cleaning and use of the pan, but Smithey’s extra-seasoned version effectively provides the consumer with a shortcut, making the pan handle as if it’s already been diligently used and cleaned over a longer period of time. This advantage, combined with the versatility, durability and even heating that cast iron is known for, make for a premium piece of cookware, with an MSRP to match: $300. As a bonus, however, customers also receive two custom Clayton & Crume leather coasters, and a collection of Knob Creek-inspired recipes from Brian Landry, the Executive Chef of Jim Beam’s The Kitchen Table restaurant in Clermont, Kentucky. Not included: A bottle of Knob Creek 18 Year Bourbon, which you’ll have to hunt down for yourself.

Although one of these weighty skillets may not have the potential to stuff into a stocking, it seems like an obvious potential gift for the cooking geek in one’s life, not to mention the whiskey geek. There aren’t many whiskey-related gifts one can give that have the potential to be useable for decades to come, but this would be one of them.