Hardin's Creek Jacob's Well

The nose is bold and rich starting with a mix of powdered sugar dusted caramelized peaches, butterscotch crème brûlée and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate covered pretzels and pipe tobacco followed by sautéed apples, cherry pie filling and mandarin orange that transitions to light spearmint, cloves, ginger and polished mahogany with low ethanol burn. The taste is a rich and oily mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruit, butterscotch pudding and dusty leather-bound books then blonde roast espresso, dark chocolate covered candied peanuts and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed apples, maraschino cherries and mandarin oranges that transitions to light spearmint, cloves, ginger and polished mahogany with low ethanol burn. The finish is long with sautéed cinnamon apples, butterscotch pudding, caramelized peaches, blonde espresso, candied peanuts, light spearmint, mild black pepper, dusty leather-bound books and polished mahogany. This is phenomenal bourbon that has aged gracefully over the years with those well-aged oak notes incorporated into bold and rich traditional bourbon flavors that drinks far lower than its proof with an exceptional balance of flavors that was expertly composed. With every sip, I was amazed and captivated by just how easy sipping and rich this is that before I finished my sample; I had placed an order for two bottles to allow me to explore this glorious elixir further. For now, I’m going with a 4.75, but could certainly see myself pushing this up to a 5 with further contemplation when my bottles arrive. Thanks so much for the generous sample @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington as this likely would have been one that I wouldn’t have tried otherwise.

We (as in @pkingmartin , @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , @Richard-ModernDrinking and @ctbeck11 ) had our quarterly online tasting. This was one of the spectacular pours of the evening, this one courtesy of @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington. The other four were 1) Bardstown Chateau Laubade batch 1 2) Craigellechie 13 Armagnac finished , 3) Barrell 20yr Seagrass, and 4) 2021 Lagavulin 12 I’ve had the Knob Creek 15 before, which I bought for a mere $60 when it came out. I thought it was okay, but at $60, I’m not going to complain. Originally, I assumed this might be the same Knob Creek, just a different label. It’s not…way more complex. Nose is dark fruits, vanilla, oak. Classic bourbon. Palette—-classic high quality bourbon. Leather wrapped, oak, some rye, vanilla and maple. This is the definition of high quality classic bourbon. Not sure the price on this…but anything less than $150, I’d be a buyer. The layers of complexity launches it to a whole new level of that store pick 15yr Knob Creek I had some time back. Thanks to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for the pour!

Nose: sweet and buttery and thick. A typical good bourbon nose from Beam. Strong and nutty Palate: thick and rich. Nutty and the Kentucky hug is very much there. Finish: a little peppery finish much like a really good knob creek private pick. Lingers around like Booker’s does Overall: I’d compare this to a really good 15 year KC pick like they used to do. it’s 108 proof it drinks right at it. The color is insanely dark and you can tell it’s well-aged. From the initial pour after opening I’m loving this. The price is insanely high when you compare it to the old 15 year KC picks, but with a new label, extra stuff like leather strap and a can to put the bottle in, and a good story behind the label, and the infamous “limited release” tag…that’s what you’re paying for. Would I get multiple to drink? Just 2-3 extra bottles probably. It’s a great classic bourbon with a good story that’ll be brought out for special occasions but I don’t see this being an epic unicorn in a few years.

Full and viscous, nice legs on it. Nose is peanut and baking spice initially (nutmeg?), but if you continue nosing it there’s some dark fruit found towards the back end of it. Thick mouthfeel. Not as sweet as the nose might lead you to believe, leather and tobacco join the mix, coupled with that funky older oak characteristic of aged Beam. Finish is relatively short but pleasant. If this was a Knob Creek Single Barrel pick, it would be a solid one especially for the $50ish price point… but as someone who remembers those days, this is hard to swallow as an allocated release at the price points it is seeking.

I’ll keep it short, contrary to my usual hyperbole. This good, as one would expect for a 15 year old Beam whiskey. The nose demonstrates a bit of astringency following prolonged barre aging - furniture and leather polish. The palate is loaded with weathered notes - oak furniture, dusty attic, dark cigar wrapper, brown sugar, sorghum and a dash of cedar and clove. No score just yet - will have to think on this one for a bit. Just a lovely whiskey.

Aroma - Red apples, vanilla and wet oak… old and musty. Rye profile shows up with cinnamon and baking spices. Not extremely complex.. but it is a very enjoyable. Taste - wow. Oh man.. that is really freaking good. Just a flavor bomb going off right now and a nice long finish for 104 proof. Old wet oak, and leather.. vanilla, red apples, slight nuttiness, cinnamon. Super rich and decadent. The balance is fantastic. Easy 4.75 for me.