Knob Creek 12 Year Cask Strength Bourbon

Once again I don't get how I'm the first to add this but here we go. Nose - Rich caramel, oak, sweet sweet notes all over this. French vanilla, cherry, even some gummy candies. It's a sweet sweet beam profile. Yeah there's a touch of that dusty oak, but I"m not getting a nutty profile yet. Taste - This is one to unwind. There's a mess of fruits, nuts, oak, caramel, but they're all so tightly packed and it's hard to deal with all of it at once. Some chocolates are starting to come out too. This is a hot one, it's way hotter than any normal single barrel I've had. I add a few drops of water and the oak complexity comes out. Really interesting flavors and profile coming out. Well, I'm once again just floored by the quality that Knob creek CAN do, but I'm also worried I'll once again hear horror stories of bad bottles (my first 12 year non CS sucked). Still this bottle is a 3.25, this is contending with ECBP, Stagg Jr, and the likes. One last note, the proof came in at 120.5 which has me thinking, did they use a bunch of under proofed barrels that couldn't make it to 120 and then used a few higher proof ones to balance it? Now my experience with knob, I've gotten to do some picks and to be fair most of their barrels come in JUST a hair over 120, but to be THIS just a hair over with a blend. I wonder if they used some that lost proof and I think that might be why this is so good.

I have seen this release at 120.5 proof and 124.3 proof and I've only had the latter of the two. That said, this is perfect. I'm not sure how this release just absolutely few under the radar. There's only 4 reviews here at the time of my review. At roughly the same price point, Knob Creek 15 doesn't hold a candle to this. I'm glad I was able to find a couple more of these with a light coat of dust several months after my first purchase.

Delicious and full-bodied bourbon. Coconut, oak, a hint of cherry. Barrel char and baking spices. Long finish. The cask strength is evident here as its very thick and the barrel char is definitely there. Reminds of ECBP B520 where you get that rickhouse scent and full barrel flavor. Overall an elevated product from KC12 and 15 and easily outshines Bookers. If you're a fan of Knob Creek I recommend it.

Very syrupy mouthfeel and full bodied flavors. Dark cherry mixed with coconut, oak, nuttiness and baking spices. The finish is outstanding and pretty long. It starts off a bit spicy but each sip gets better and better. It's like Knob Creek 12 but way more concentrated. Like Bookers but more balanced.

Neck pour, neat. Dark cherry and a hint of vanilla, not proofy at all. Silky mouthfeel. Taste of cinnamon and some ginger and orange pith. Warm, medium length finish of spice and nuttiness. Very balanced, but rounds out nicely with a drop of water. Very enjoyable sipper.

The very best of the Knob Creek 12 year. The Cask Strength version allows for a better mouthfeel and more flavor. I would have finished this bottle a long time ago except i don't have another and i fear not having any CS KC12 in my house.