Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon (Eli Manning's 2025 Bold Pick)

Warehouse P Floor 5 Rickhouse 7 Barreled 9/1/15 Selected 12/13/24 Color: Medium Amber. Nose: Cinnamon red hots; burnt sugar; maple. Palate: (drank with a large ice ball) Sweet and nutty right off the bat (as you'd expect from Beam); mild chest hug appears on the second sip, as does "spicy". Slightly "bitter" on the tongue — but not in a bad way. I get that same "bitterness" from similarly high-proof bottles. At the same time, it doesn't really drink per its proof. At 120, it's surprisingly drinkable. As the ice dilutes it, some subtle smokiness and the oak/barrel char starts to come through. Second pour... I like to see if anything different comes through on the second time around. Same sweetness and nuttiness. I'm also getting some "cherry" and something akin to "buttery", as well. This may have been present on the first pour, but not detected. Finish: Medium with baking spices and bitterness lingering on the sides of the tongue. Final thoughts: This is a solid pour. I happen to live in one of only three states this was made available (California)... the other two being Louisiana and New York. So I figured I'd grab a bottle. Glad I did. I've had one other Knob Creek Single Barrel in the past, and it's been a while since I had it. So I can't really draw any comparisons. I would have to think that this is at least is as good as that one. If you happen to live where it's available, I would definitely recommend you grab a bottle. 4 stars.