Knob Creek Quarter Oak

Beam has done some fun things with the Knob Creek line in the past couple of years. There was bumping the flagship KC back up to a 9-year, as well as adding a 12 and a 15 (not sure if the latter is permanent.) There were also a ton of 9-15 year SB barrel proof offerings. And then there is one, which could easily go unnoticed. I grabbed one before it was gone, so let’s see what the Quarter Oak has to offer. Nose: Classic Beam peanut brittle. Caramel, cocoa, and brown sugar. More woody and nutty notes. Orange citrus and a floral note. Tobacco smoke. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and heavy oak. More peanut brittle/peanut butter. Caramel, cocoa, and vanilla. Toffee and a very light banana note.Orange citrus. Wood spice, sawdust, and almond. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Talk about a palate that matches the nose. Finish: Orange citrus. Cocoa, tobacco, and brown sugar. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Long finish. It may have been overlooked in the Knob Creek continuum, but it is not without its merits. It holds its weight on the line, and despite not being tremendously complex, it does a great job of embodying the spirit of one my favorite lines of whiskey. 4/5. This is a damn good value at $44. Another great representative of the Knob Creek line and Beam distillery at large. Glad I grabbed this one.

Nose is medium strength aroma of vanilla, caramel, apple, plum, Brazil nut, grass, and freshly cut oak. A hint of floral underneath which is odd for a Knob Creek product. Appealing. Palate opens with a standard caramel + baking spices vibe along with the plum from the nose turning into more of a prune. Not much going on in the mid-palate; cuts quickly to the finish. But just when you think this might be boring or sub-par, in comes a delightful medium-long finish of milk chocolate, walnut, and more of that fresh oak from the nose. (I am a sucker for a good finish so this scored pretty well with me) Mouthfeel is a little thinner than I would like for this flavor profile, but it’s a minor flaw. Suuuuper dry. Like “bleached cows jawbone in the Arizona desert” dry. A little bit of prickly tingle on the tongue that really started to add up with repeated sips, almost like the building heat of eating chili peppers. Overall I really enjoyed and feel it’s worth the $57 I paid. Knob Creek has been knocking it out of the park lately with their new expressions. If you are a KC fan (as I am) then run don’t walk to grab this before it’s gone and the 12 year version as well. You won’t be disappointed.

The nose starts with charred oak and cherry syrup, followed by burnt caramel, molasses and some slight rye spiciness. The palate is dry but rich and starts off full of vanilla and charred oak while the cherry doesn’t fill carry over. It is joined by caramel, creamy rye and plenty of char. The finish is medium with vanilla and oak that sticks around for a while before slowly fading leaving a bit of rye spice.

I was curious to buy this, and finally saw it at my local warehouse. Did not disappoint for the price. I get a lot of similar (but of course a bit less pronounced) notes to the Booker’s Country Ham that I picked up recently. I wonder if the same cooperage was used for some of that batch. This is very nice - a bit hot at first, then mellows out with a lot of wood and fruit. 91/100

This one surprised me on how delicious this was. Knob Creek profile, however, the nose is sweet and very pleasant. Unfortunately, as this aired, the flavor profile changed. The sweetness turned more pnutty(Jim Beam), hence a lower rating. Worth a try, especially if you love knob Creek, but not worth stocking up on

While I appreciate the approach, I don’t care much for the end result. It’s so intensely sweet and as it sits and opens it turns to peanuts, to the point that’s nearly all I’m getting towards the end of a glass. Love the experimentation, but it’s not an improvement over the original Knob Creek.