Eli Manning On Bold Picks: In Bourbon And In Fantasy Football

Forbes

11 hours ago

Eli Manning signs his hand-selected Knob Creek single barrel. Knob Creek
If there are two things I can talk about all day, every day, it's football and whiskey. As a lifelong football fan and an 17-year spirits veteran, two of my favorite pastimes naturally intersect every NFL season. Whether it's sipping whiskey while watching a football game, tailgating at the stadium, or simply talking sports with friends over a glass of bourbon, whiskey and football have always been a cultural fit.
In early 2025, a special Knob Creek Single Barrel Selection called 'Eli Manning's 2025 Bold Pick' was released in limited markets. The pick was a collaboration between Knob Creek and former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
I recently spoke with Manning about his partnership with Knob Creek and the concept of 'bold picks' with respect to whiskey, fantasy football and life. As it turns out, there are a lot more similarities than you think.
For Manning, the partnership with Knob Creek just made sense. 'I've been a big fan of Knob Creek for a long time, so to partner with them on their Knob Creek Bold Picks was very exciting.'
Rather than grace the label of a single barrel selection in name only, Manning was hands-on for the whiskey selection process, under the guidance of Eighth Generation Master Distiller Freddie Noe.
Manning relished the opportunity 'to go down to the James B. Beam Distillery, meet with Freddie Noe and learn the real history of Knob Creek. To get to pick out my own single barrel bourbon at full cask strength was such an incredible experience.'
Manning had a wide range of barrel options to choose from. 'They selected barrels that they thought would be a good match, from different warehouses and different floors. We got to open them up and taste them right out of the barrel.'
Freddie Noe lended his expertise to help Manning through the process. 'I relied on Freddie for his guidance. Compared to him, I am a rookie, but I was excited for this year. The fact that it was at full cask strength—they weren't going to water it down—is exciting.'
Like anyone who has done a single barrel selection before, though, you can typically determine the barrels you like best pretty quickly. Manning added, 'I liked the ones where you could smell a little bit of cinnamon and had that full bodied taste.'
Knob Creek bourbon, especially at high proof, is generally heavy on rich sweetness (brown sugar, caramel), dark/dried fruit, and persistent spice (generally pepper and cinnamon) notes. Manning's 2025 Bold Pick, released in January of 2025, was particularly spice forward. How does the 2026 Edition compare?
Eli Manning worked again with Beam Master Distiller Freddie Noe for his Bold Pick. Knob Creek
'Last year's was definitely more spicy, which was appealing to me at that time.' Manning recalled. 'This year's is a little bit different than that. It will still have that full flavor—that boldness—but more oaky and not quite as spicy.'
Part of the versatility of cask strength bourbon is that the word 'bold' can take on different meanings depending on the prevalent flavor of a whiskey. 'Bold' can mean oak-heavy, but it can also mean deep sweetness, intense fruitiness or spice-forward flavors depending on the bourbon's profile. Because every barrel has its own unique, signature flavor, each edition of Bold Picks will be different from the last.
Manning took a thorough, yet instinctual approached to the selection process. 'I think it's [about] trusting your gut for this process...talking to Freddie, getting his insights and always asking him questions. What am I tasting? That one's different...what is that? It's learning what those flavors are,' Manning said.
'And from there, you say, 'Would I want this for a whole drink? Is it good for one sip? Is that good for drinking on the rocks or mixing into an Old Fashioned? When this drops in January and you've got a cold January night in New York, do you want a full glass of this?' Fantasy Advice As Bold As His Bourbon
The 2026 Bold Pick expression is slated for release just in time for the NFL post-season, but the concept of 'bold picks' means more than just whiskey for Manning.
August is a special time of year for the millions of fantasy football players preparing for the start of their season. Aside from bragging rights and cash prizes, many fantasy football leagues up the stakes significantly, with unique non-monetary prizes for first place and equally unique 'punishments' for the team that finishes last.
In other words, there's a lot to play for.
'We're going into the fantasy football season,' said Manning. 'Drafts are coming up and it's about making those bold decisions—not just doing what everyone else is doing, but believing in your own strategy and believing in the players that you want to go with.'
Manning's decision-making philosophy is versatile enough to be applied both on and off the field. 'A bold decision isn't a rash decision. It's very calculated. It's about really trusting the process. It's about believing in your preparation and being fully committed to your strategy.'
When you think about it, bold picks are only bold to those who don't understand the reasoning behind the decision. 'When you make that bold pick or that bold decision, it may seem like a bold pick to everyone else, but not to you,' Manning continued.
Manning's advice for early fantasy draft picks shouldn't be all that surprising. 'It's a tough decision when you have that first or second pick. Am I going to go with what everyone else is saying? Do you pick this person because of what they did last year? What teams are they playing this year? Are they playing all great defenses? How's their quarterback situation?'
As for his own first round fantasy draft selection, Manning was understandably tight-lipped, for fear of letting the secret out too early. 'The nine other guys in my fantasy football draft are listening. So I'm going to hold my player quiet.'
Last year's "Bold Pick" 2025 Edition Knob Creek Bold Picks In Life
Manning's philosophy around bold picks can be applied more broadly in life. The past is an important reference point and certainly holds value when making a decision, but it can only tell so much about the present and the future. I asked Manning what bold decision he has made off the field that turned out to be the right move. The answer surprised me.
'Trusting my brother that this idea of going on Monday Night Football and announcing together from our basement was going to be a good idea. We've never worked together. We've helped each other and we were brothers together, but we've never been on the same team. We'd have to be on the same team, talk football, and game plan together for our job.'
Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, colloquially known as the Manningcast, launched in 2021 and quickly became a popular alternative broadcast for Monday Night Football, winning a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Series in 2022. Manning attributes the show's success to preparation.
'We did practice rounds and preseason games some years before and went through a strategy of what we might talk about. We trusted what we were doing. We trusted our ability. And we knew we wanted a theme...what it's like to sit on a couch and watch football. We're committed to that style, but we're coachable. We can try different things and make those bold decisions each week—each year—to adjust, change and try to make it better.'
Knob Creek Eli Manning's 2026 Bold Pick will be available in limited quantities nationwide in January 2026.
Follow me on Instagram at @singlemaltsavvy. Book your next private spirits tasting at chrisperugini.com. More from Forbes Forbes The Oldest I.W. Harper Bourbon Ever Raised $50,000 From Just 5 Bottles By Chris Perugini Forbes Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Marks A Brand Revival Decades In The Making By Chris Perugini Forbes Rosebank, The King Of The Lowlands, Is Working To Reclaim Its Throne By Chris Perugini Forbes A Japanese Whisky Check-In With The President Of The House Of Suntory By Chris Perugini