Knob Creek 9 Year Single Barrel Reserve

KNOB CREEK SHOWDOWN Knob Creek NAS Small Batch Bourbon Knob Creek 9-Year Single Barrel Reserve Knob Creek 12-Year Small Batch Continuing to work through whiskies in my collection that I’ve yet to review. I have reviewed the 12-Year previously, but since I’d yet to review the NAS Small Batch and the 9-Year Single Barrel, I thought I’d group the three together for a side-by-side tasting. Knob Creek may be a little like the old Chevy Nova, which was spurned by Hispanic clientele because “no va” means “no go” in Spanish. I was at a bar in Manhattan a few years back with an English colleague and Knob Creek looked like a safe bet, so I ordered it. When he heard this he said “I would never order Knob Creek, mate.” While Knob Creek bourbon was named after the Knob Creek Farm in Kentucky, “Knob” in the U.K. means something else entirely. I have no idea what U.K. sales look like for this Jim Beam brand. Knob Creek NAS Small Batch Bourbon Color is a clear and bourbon-like caramel-colored Pantone 138. Nose shows sweet caramel, a little orange, and a healthy dose of oak and vanilla. The palate Knob Creek NAS Small Batch can be found for around $40. The 100-proof is not diluted to the bare minimum 80 proof, which is a good thing. But the $40 price tag is high relative to the market. I recently wrote a “BUDGET BOTTLED IN BOND BOURBON SHOWDOWN” review (September 24, 2023), and each of those three 100-proof, NAS bourbons (Evan Williams BiB, Old Tub, and Wild Turkey 101) can be had for nearly half the price. The Knob Creek NAS doesn’t differentiate itself enough from those to warrant a price nearly twice as high. There are no particular flaws; but it’s not a sipper, and while higher proof is good for cocktails, you can find far cheaper 100-proof bourbons that will perform just as well. Would I buy it again? No. 3.0 on the Distiller scale. 100 proof. NAS. Knob Creek 9-Year Single Barrel Reserve Virtually identical Pantone 138 color as the Knob Creek NAS. The nose is complex, and unsurprisingly outshines the NAS, with chocolate covered cherries, dried orange, Honey-Nut Cheerios, charred oak, vanilla, and noticeable but well-integrated alcohol, followed by a little cooling mint. The mouthfeel shows a very light creaminess and coats the tongue, and the palate shows dark caramelized sugar and bittersweet chocolate, which transitions to some light woody tannic bitterness, via the charred wood and vanilla on the finish. The 9-Year Single Barrel is a significant uptick from the NAS small batch, as one would expect. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s good, but not quite very good. This could definitely be a sipper for me, and it represents good value in today’s market with a retail price around $57. Would I but it again? Yes. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. 120 proof. 9-Year age statement. Knob Creek 12-Year Small Batch Even with the older age statement, the 12-Year is the same Pantone 138 hue as the NAS Small Batch and 9-Year. The nose is reticent; I’m not getting nearly as many notes as I did when I reviewed it over a year ago. There is a bit of toffee, nutmeg, and come cooling spearmint. The palate is an enormous improvement, with sweet banana bread, gobs of toasted oak and vanilla, and at last, the presence of the 100 proof lifting its head. Toasted oak and vanilla continue on the medium-length finish, which then shows some espresso-tinged bitterness, likely the result of woody tannins from the extra barrel age. I reviewed the Knob Creek 12-Year on its own back on June 22, 2022. I was a little disappointed then, as the 12-year age statement is rare in today’s market at a “reasonable price,” and I rated it at 3.25 on the Distiller scale. This tasting is marginally better than my previous assessment. The aromatics today were not the same for me as they were a year ago; perhaps this is because this tasting was preceded by the 9-year, which is deeper, richer, and more complex. I prefer the 9-year to the 12-year, which can be had for around $65. Would I buy it again? Yes. But it comes with a caveat: due to the age statement, the flavor profile could change year to year, and the 12-year age statement is enough to roll the dice. 3.5 on the Distiller scale. 100 proof. 12-year age statement. N.B. All spirts tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

I am very excited to revisit this technically different version of Knob Creek's single barrel cask strength bourbon, now just over 6 years since I first discovered it. The last bottle I had was engraved and had my wife and I's fingerprints on the wax top, and that was back before the new labels were created. We vowed to only drink this special bottle on our anniversary and no other Knob Creek products in the meantime, until our bottle was empty; as of last month, we finally unlocked the ability to revisit the brand. Distiller lists this as a different product than what I had before, although I recall the proof and age being the same, but I truthfully don't remember the stats of my older bottle. Either way, I am looking forward to treating this as an entirely new product anyway, and I'm so excited to finally come back to it, because 120 proof is an excellent proof, and a 9 year bourbon is absolutely unheard of in this current market (well, unless you're a Buffalo Trace "hunter" that chases 10+ year aged products for hundreds of dollars and a massive waste of time), both of which are found at a very attractive price point here. I would love it if the particular barrel stats and info were listed on the bottle, as this is such an easy piece of information to give to provide a much higher collector value to your single barrel products, but I digress. The color is a healthy chestnut brown, not much darker than similar whiskeys aged just a few years less, but noticeable if compared side-by-side. The nose is rich with light caramel, toffee, saltines, and a salty brine. Lesser notes include a bit of lemon zest, cocoa, peanuts, and a bit of lavender. The ethanol is very plain and not at all aggressive, which is surprising for this level. I don't normally like heavily specific tasting or smelling notes, but these honestly jump out to me quickly at this specificity compared to similar American whiskeys (with no additives or barrel finishings), which I think speak to both the professionalism and heritage of the Jim Beam product line. The toffee and caramel flavors are tasted almost immediately when the liquid hits the tongue. A spice begins to build that's mostly from the high proof, but also has easily distinguishable rye, which comes through as flavors of cinnamon, freshly cut grass, and red berries, while penetrating a medium amount through the gums. The finish begins to get a bit dry and nutty, while having a slight citrus note that doesn't quite swell, nor does it go away. Repeated sips do bring about that saltiness that was on the nose, but it's faint and doesn't get in the way of the other flavors. I would like to say this is underwhelming, but that would only be because of my own internally high expectations. This is a fine expression of cask strength/high proof bourbon, although I don't taste flavors or a body that would indicate 9 years of age, which should be pretty noticeable amongst a 4 year or less average in the current American whiskey market. Of course, with big distilleries having flagship products with similar ages (Bulleit, Wild Turkey, etc), it's not unexpectedx for Jim Beam to produce plenty of product lines with age options, but it's a little disappointing to see a single barrel variant amongst those options that doesn't quite stand out as much as the potential says it could. I'd love to try the lower proof batched bourbon from the Knob Creek line as a comparison, because I don't see myself returning to an unlabeled single barrel expression if the flavor alone can't justify the higher cost compared to the batched bourbon.

Liquor City Uncorked pick, "Gallenstein Selection #38" Warehouse Z; Floor 04; Rick 023 Barrel Filled 11/09/2011 Bottled on 06/13/2021 Age - 9 years, 7 months, 4 days Open 7 months Nose - Kettle corn, caramel, honey roasted peanuts, toasted marshmallow, tobacco, medium oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Burnt caramel, oak extract, peanut shells, toffee, brown sugar, and old leather. Finish is medium-long with lots of tannic dry oak, burnt popcorn, salted caramel, and strong ethanol. These used to be a tremendous value, but I think those days have passed. Let me bring you back 6 years on a trip to bourbon nostalgia where these picks were easily one of the best buys in the market. I first got into store picks in 2018-19, and a Knob Creek SiB pick that was over 15 years old at my local ABC store was $45. It was amazing. To this day one of the best bourbons I've ever had. It was so good I bought another on my grad school stipend. And that's that. Those bottles sat at that store for months. I could've bought cases. In the year or so after that pick, I turned up my nose at Knob Creek SiB picks that were 12-13 years old. I thought, I'll just wait for another 14-15 year old. Then the price started creeping up, first to $50, then to $60. Not a huge deal, for a 9+ year nearly barrel proof bourbon, that's still great value. But then the older store picks dried up at the same time. Good luck finding anything over 10 years. Then Jim Beam revealed the reason this was all happening. Knob Creek 12, Knob Creek 15, and Knob Creek 18. Now to get the older stuff, you have to pay more, and it's only 100 proof. Were they losing money on these old store picks? I doubt it. Did they see the bourbon market exploding and rejigger their Knob Creek line to make more money. Very likely. Knob Creek 12 is good, but please release a cask strength version? And I have little desire to pay the money for the 15 or 18 year. I know they would both be disappointing. Oh back to this pick. It's fine. It's better than a lot of bourbons around this price, but there's nothing great about it. It lacks sweetness and is too dry and oaky for its age. I probably won't be buying any more of these picks until I get to try them first.

This was a self-bottled distillery bottle i picked up while with @robwalker in Kentucky in May, 2023. Tasting notes are based on a dilution to about 94 proof. Nose: Classic bourbon nose - caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a touch of maple, but turned up to 11. This nose just begs to stop smelling and start tasting. Palate: Initially very sweet and creamy. This reminds me of French toast, although skightly burnt. Shortly thereafter the spice starts to activate the tip of the tongue and persists, leading into a delicious finish. Finish: Long and sweet with a delicious peppery spice that takes over and lingers for some time. I also get a hint of bitter orange peel here. Overall, this is fantastic and one of my new favourite bourbons. I haven't compared to any of the other single barrel select bottlings, which would be interesting. Regardless, if I come across another bottle in the future I will be sure to pick it up.

The nose is sweet and spicey. Sweet notes of maple syrup, vanilla, caramel, and ripe red apple are mixed with spicey oak, rye and black pepper notes. Further wafts relinquish citrus and melon. Sipping it fills the throat with the spices but not in an overpowering manner. The roof of the mouth begins to salivate from the sugars coating the teeth and palate. The proof does not go unnoticed with some ethanol notes also adding to the flavor profile and creating a long lasting finish. This is a very good bourbon and for the price bats well above its price point. Adding a few drops of water releases more of the melon and citrus notes as well as the nuttiness associated with Jim Beam products. I like the standard 100 proof 9 year Knob Creek but like this one even more. Overall Impression: Nose - 4.25/5; Taste 4.25/5; Finish 4.0/5 Overall 4.25/5 Repurchase: Yes Type: Friday night Pour/Special Occasion

Color: Deep amber. Nose: When I first opened the bottle, I got punched in the face with molasses. But it's odd how that seemed to dissipate with time. This nose is reminiscent of some Booker's batches that I have had. Leather is also present on the nostrils. Palate: Again... very Booker's-esque. Oaky, spicy, slightly sweet. Does not drink per its proof — pretty smooth for 120. As I continue to sip, I'm getting some "graham cracker". But "Spice" is the predominant profile on this one. Spicy, woody, smokey with a nice dose of sweetness to balance things out. Finish: Long with much of the palate carrying over. I seldom give ratings over 4.25. But this for me, personally, is quintessential Bourbon. It checks all the boxes. So I am giving this one a well- deserved 4.5! Excellent pour. Will definitely buy again.