Brian’s Knob Creek 12 Year Old Bourbon Review:
reviewed 24-August-2021
KNOB CREEK 12 YEAR BOURBON REVIEW:
Knob Creek 12 Year Old Bourbon (Knob Creek 12Yr) is an all around fine bourbon. Its aromas of dusty grains, fruits, spices, and sweets pass through to the palate and there is plenty of wood to go around as well. The only detractor is its medium finish … it simply fades away too fast. Still, Knob Creek 12Yr scores near the my top of my rating tiers.
KNOB CREEK 12 YEAR BOURBON VITAL STATS:
Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Region: Clermont, KY, USA
Distillery: Knob Creek
Country: United States
Mash Bill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel entry proof: 125
Vintage Year: 2009
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
Purchase Price: $59.95 USD (2021 – Idaho)
“These barrels were primarily located in the center cut of Knob Creek rackhouses, ensuring the most consistent environment for the bourbon to patient age.”
– Knob Creek
Click Knob Creek to learn more.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
For the evaluation, alternate amounts equaling about 4 ounces, were poured into Glencairns from a newly opened bottle. Knob Creek 12Yr was then enjoyed neat with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.
Check out her review for this bourbon here!
KNOB CREEK 12 YEAR BOURBON NOSE:
Knob Creek 12Yr opens dry with a little burn. Once the nose becomes accustomed to the ethanol tickle, I can coax herbal roasted corn, dusty grain and faint notes of pipe tobacco from the glass. There are also soft apples, plums and raisins along with spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and rye to entertain the nose. As the fruits and spices mingle I am thinking, “Mmm, Apple pie.” Further nosing brings cocoa infused vanilla custard and sweets of lightly burnt brown sugar caramel and heavily roasted peanuts in dark toffee. While not wood forward I do sense dry seasoned oak and hazy toasted barrel which compliment the aroma of weathered leather.
KNOB CREEK 12 YEAR BOURBON PALATE:
Knob Creek 12Yr tastes much like it smells. There is an initial light ethanol bite but the liquid warms after the mouth acclimates to the sip. I also find the familiar roasted and dusty corn along with rich pipe tobacco, soft apples, prunes and a new sensation of grilled lemon zest. The spices of cinnamon, ginger, pepper and rye blend to make me think of cinnamon-apple pie filling mixed with plums and chopped raisins. Light vanilla pairs nicely with the nearly burnt brown sugar caramel. And like I sensed on the nose, dark toffee poured over roasted peanuts pass to the palate as do strong dry and seasoned oak, hazy and toasted barrel char, and worn leather.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
The first sip of Knob Creek 12Yr is easy to hold as the mouth acclimates quickly to the initial heat. This bourbon is dangerously easy to drink. It is full, solid and well blended and rich and oily in my mouth. As the nectar is sipped and swirled, a thick sheet of liquid in the Glencairn gives way to long clinging legs, returning the whiskey to the auburn colored pool leaving behind a well defined crown.
KNOB CREEK 12 YEAR BOURBON FINISH:
Knob Creek 12Yr finishes dry and with dusty warmth. I sense plums, spices of ginger and pepper and sweets of simple sugar and buttery caramel. Like on the nose and palate (but much more faint) there are roasted nuts, dry oak, hazy toasted barrels and leather. And when the last dram is downed, the aroma of an old fashioned carpentry shop wafts from the empty Glencairn. In my mind the only detraction from this fine bourbon is its medium length finish … I wish it would linger much longer in my mouth and throat before it fades away.
MY RATING: 92/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Other than the basic Knob Creek 9 Year, all of the Knob Creek offerings I’ve enjoyed have been stellar. I will absolutely grab another when I see one on the shelf.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 92/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Knob Creek.
WHISKEY TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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