Company: Knob Creek
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery
Region: Clermont, Kentucky
Aging: 9 Years 9 months
Barreled Date: March 5, 2013
Bottled Date: December 15, 2022
Warehouse: 2
Floor: 05
Rick: 055
ABV: 60%
Proof: 120 Proof
Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
MSRP Price: $70
Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon Tasting Notes
Appearance: Dark Amber
Nose: Rich caramel, heavy oak, heavy vanilla, tannic spice, clove, dark fruits, black cherry, plum, cinnamon spice, nutmeg, tobacco
Palate: Rich caramel and brown sugar, charred oak, dark fruits, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, baking spice, rye spice, leather, tobacco, pepper
Finish: Nice long finish with a ton of flavor and a lasting buttery and oily mouthfeel – leaves you with heavy oak and caramel paired with rich oaky tannic spice and black pepper on the tail end
Is Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon an Approachable Whiskey?
Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon is a big and bold whiskey.
It packs quite a punch but that punch is backed up by a ton of rich and exciting flavors.
This probably isn’t a bourbon for beginners since it is 120-proof and will really light up your taste buds.
Experience drinkers will still feel the heat on the first sip or two, but should appreciate the flavors as they settle into this pour.
Is Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon Complex?
This particular bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon was purchased as a store pick from my local Fine Wine and Good Spirits liquor store here in Pennsylvania.
This bottle is much older than the Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye I reviewed earlier last week.
Nearly 2 years older.
I’m not sure whether all barrel picks can be nearly 10 years old, but this one certainly shows its age and I enjoy it.
Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon is full of complex flavors and has a lot of depth.
Since it is 120-proof, you will feel quite a bit of heat on the pour which can seem a bit spicy on the first sips.
As you continue to sip on it, it starts to mellow out a bit and you’ll start to get more of the flavors shining through.
It starts with very heavy and rich caramel, charred oak, and vanilla notes that you would expect from a bourbon aged nearly 10 years.
A second layer of flavor then rolls through and you are met with extremely rich and oaky tannic spices.
The spice profile on this pour ranges from mellow baking spice and cinnamon all the way to rich rye spice and oaky tannic spices alongside clove, tobacco notes, and dark fruits.
The finish is rich and oily and leaves your mouth coated with flavor for quite a long time.
What are Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon’s strongest attributes are its big and bold flavors.
This whiskey really blasts you with flavor.
Is Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon a go-to whiskey?
Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon has a lot of heat and spice to it so it’s not a whiskey I would drink as regularly.
I’d reserve this bottle more for special occasions when I am in the mood for a nice and powerful bourbon that will really hit the spot after a long day of work or on a cold winter night.
The nice thing about single-barrel select bottles is that they are chosen by whoever selects the barrel (in this case it was my local liquor store) so the flavors vary from barrel to barrel.
You will never get the exact same flavor in another barrel, but overall the quality of Knob Creek single barrels seems to be quite consistently reliable.
I purchased this bottle after returning home from my Kentucky Bourbon Trail Trip with my dad where we were able to bottle our own bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon.
My dad and I are saving the bottles that we bottled ourselves for a special occasion, but when I saw this bottle at my store, I wanted one to review and share with him without having to crack our own bottles.
The bottles we barreled ourselves have our thumbprints in the wax, and our own labels, and was a unique experience that I was happy to have done on our tour.
Is Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon priced accurately to its quality?
Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon is priced pretty well for what it delivers.
It’s packed full of flavor and is a great price for a 120-proof bourbon, but I’m not fully sure whether I like the single-barrel select bourbon or the single-barrel select rye more.
Conclusion for Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon
Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon is quite delicious overall.
For $70, you get a nice high-proof well-aged bourbon that has a ton of flavor and will really give your taste buds a run for their money.
If you’re a fan of heavy-oak and oaky spice whiskey, this is a great purchase for you.
If you like a bit sweeter of a pour that isn’t quite as bold, I’d recommend going with the Knob Creek 12 Year which is the same price but a bit lower proof-point.
Either way, Knob Creek always delivers a solid bourbon and you can’t go wrong even with the Small Batch Bourbon for $25.
Also, if you’re willing to experiment, Knob Creek Smoked Maple Straight Bourbon is surprisingly delicious and is one that I highly recommend.
It is your standard Knob Creek bourbon but infused with all-natural maple syrup and it is so good I would pour it on pancakes for breakfast.
Conclusion… buy yourself a bottle of Knob Creek.
You really can’t go wrong.
Let Us Know What You Think
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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