Knob Creek SiB ID Select Bourbon 1 Review

Hannah’s Knob Creek SiB ID Select Bourbon 1 Review

Original review written May 7, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

I got the chance to experience Barrel No. 1 at an actual tasting, and it does not disappoint. So beyond pleased and impressed with this aged, quality, and effortless pour. 96/100

Knob Creek SiB ID Select Bourbon 1 Review
VITALS:

– Made In: Clermont, KY, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Single Barrel; Private Select
– Age: 15 yrs.
– Vintage Yr: February 25, 2004
– Mash Bill: Corn=75%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 60% (120 proof)
– Cask: #7995a
– Warehouse: X
– Floor: 3
– Rack: 20
– Tier: 3
– Barrel Selector: Rick Baltadonis, Product Manager of Idaho State Liquor Division
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho

Visit knobcreek.com/single-barrel for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This bourbon screams for company, standing in the hustle and bustle of a square at Christmas time at night. The air is brisk; lights are strung from tree to tree, lamppost to lamppost with stands of roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate everywhere. People go about their lives, shopping bags hitched on elbows and shoulders, a carol on their lips. This bourbon will keep you warm amongst the crowd, making you smile and feel thankful for life’s complexity and overwhelmed with the recognition of humanity’s goodness.

Photo by Алсу Ягудина on Unsplash

NOSE:

Of course I’ll say more, but I MUST start with: This smells G-O-O-D, so much so that even the first draw has me salivating. Warm floral notes and dried fruits cover the nose and aren’t swallowed by the high ABV. Fruits include prunes, raisins and cherries, backed by allspice, white pepper and the barest hint of clove, which makes for a small, earthy element.

I can also find gingerbread cookies, dark vanilla custard and a burnt caramel/molasses mixture that adds to the richness. There’s a twinge of bitterness also, perhaps walnuts, that balances out the sweetness nicely. Not to mention the buttery oak that magically pairs with milk chocolate fudge squares to make for a fascinating base.

Though sugary sweetness abounds, there’s enough other elements that persuasively invite me to take a sip.

PALATE:
Knob Creek SiB ID Select Bourbon 1 Review

– Mouth Feel: Viscous and still rough and zingy – quite impressive.
– Balance: So many flavors that combine cohesively into one warm juice.
– Visual: Burnt amber in color, there are clinging droplets and thin legs that drop from a defined crown.

– Taste: Sharp orange citrus zest and alcohol pierce the veil on the first sip, creating instantaneous lift that seems contrary to the deep, dark richness of the nose. But don’t think for a second that that darkness has left the building, with cinnamon, black pepper and cloves mixing with dusty grain and wine tannins at the back of the sip.

Ripe grapes and raisins are the dominating fruits, but there are some pitted cherries too. Still, the tone of this seems resonant and earthy to me, with sprigs of thyme or rosemary that simultaneously lift and ground me.

Overall, this almost reminds me of having a warm port wine with an orange peel and cinnamon stick stirred in. The alcohol is zingy – not overbearing – and has so much texture, I feel as though I could somehow snuggle right in.

Wood is still here too, being old and spicy with a warm feeling. A Kentucky chew pulls intense piney freshness, chased away by fermented cherries. Regardless, it leaves me salivating and my tongue tingling minutes after putting the Glencairn down.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Very long. The zing of this one hangs around and continues to provide an incessant warmth in the throat and upper chest region.
– Between Sips: Orange zest, cinnamon and apple mingle with sawdust between sips. As delectable as this pause is… I want another sip, please.

– No More: As I get further into the glass, I sense another fruit, tart and bursting with flavor on every sip, almost as if it is its own flavor explosion, but it’s tricky to identify. … If you look at our Whiskey Wheel, you would be hard-pressed to find a flavor that isn’t detectable in some concentration in this bourbon. The balance still manages to remain impeccable, regardless.

The empty Glencairn is filled with caramel, black pepper and oak. Though the caramel is new to me, the pour wasn’t missing anything without it. This was an amazing pour, start to finish, and I’m already looking forward to my next dram.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Absolutely. If you like a bit of heat and are a balance-junkie, this bourbon is for you. As it’s only a single barrel (and a private select at that), I understand it may be tricky to find. But if you ever find a bottle that seems to have come from a barrel that was close to ours in the warehouse, snatch it up! You won’t be disappointed!

KNOB CREEK SIB ID SELECT BOURBON 1 REVIEW RATING: 96/100

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To access other whiskies from this brand, click Knob Creek.

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Knob Creek 09 YR Small Batch Review

Hannah’s Knob Creek 09 YR Small Batch Review

Original review written December 7, 2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

A Jim Beam product, I don’t know why this isn’t valued as a more premiere bourbon than it’s brother, Basil Hayden’s. If you like wood-forward bourbons, this is for you! 84/100

VITALS:
Knob Creek 09 YR Small Batch Review

– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: 9 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=77%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=10%
– Casks: New charred oak; Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 50% (100 proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho

Visit knobcreek.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

It’s a misty, cloudy day in the Redwood National Forest of California, but the air somehow remains crisp. Trees tower over you and your smallness in the scope of the universe could not be more apparent, and this gives you a warm peace to anchor to.

Photo by Nina Luong on Unsplash

NOSE:

There is vanilla and dried cranberries that greet the nose that mix to an almost biscotti aroma. (YUM). The vanilla has an alcohol bite, lending itself to a fine richness that’s appropriate for the proof. Cloves and rye accompany the sweet for a pleasant balance. I can also find a toffee element on the deeper inhales, lightened up by a dash of vanilla. Mellow and sweet oak blend all of the flavors together in a very inviting way.

PALATE:
Knob Creek 09 YR Small Batch Review

– Mouth Feel: Gentle feel, but the proof kicks you back before you get used to it.
– Balance: This is a good blend, but I wish other flavors could bloom a little more.
– Visual: Tawny in color, many legs move quickly to coat the glass and create an uneven crown.

– Taste: Wood-forward on the first sip, coupled with the alcohol burn. However, it’s a soft wood – maybe pine? Other flavors include some rye and a barely-there bread at the back of the palate. Peanuts can be tasted with the bourbon resting in the middle of the tongue – almost to the point of becoming the peanut butter just under the surface of a coating of peanut oil in a fresh jar. It eventually fades back into the wood.

I’m hunting for the fruit component observed on the nose, but it is not distinguishable.

With a Kentucky chew, the wood is a commanding force and not much else can be identified. However, the chew does appear to be where the fruit resides, albeit subtle. If I had to pick a fruit, it could be currants, but not in their raw form.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Short. My main complaint of this bourbon.
– Between Sips: There’s maybe a hint of currant, but you’re left with the impression of wood more than anything else.

– No More: No matter how far I get in the glass, the wood stays dominant, and I’m not complaining. This is quite enjoyable.

The empty Glencairn is naturally an overwhelming oak, but there is an alcohol essence that makes a resurgence just at the end.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Definitely. It deserves a spot in the bunker.

RATING: 84/100

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Click 84/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
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Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Review

Brian’s Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Review

written on 28-April-2019

KNOB CREEK SINGLE BARREL RESERVE REVIEW:

Knob Creek is an entry level offering in Jim Beam’s Small Batch Collection.  This Single Barrel Reserve is hot, intoxicating and with not much of a detectable flavour profile.  Water does tame the beast, however it washes out any subtleties as well.  While not a “bad” bourbon, KC SiBR left me wondering … Does this nine year single barrel offering really have family ties to the likes of Bookers?

KNOB CREEK SINGLE BARREL RESERVE VITAL STATS:
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Review

– Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Region: Clermont, KY, USA
– Distillery: Jim Beam
– Mashbill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
– Cask: New charred oak
– Barrel Char: #4
– Barrel entry proof: 125
– Age: 9 years old
– ABV: 60 (120 Proof)
– Price: $39.95 USD in Idaho
Note: This bottle had no label markings distinguishing from which barrel it was drawn.

https://beamsuntory.com/

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I drank this spirit neat, from a Glencairn glass.  In later tastings several drops of distilled water were added hoping to coax out its flavors. Other than taming the heat, no change in the initial profile was noted.

NOSE:

On the nose, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve (KC SiBR) is dry and alcohol forward with plenty of intense ethanol heat.  A subtle simple syrup sweetness is there, but it is hard to coax from the dram with normal nosing.

PALATE:

The first and subsequent sips of KC SiBR are strong with plenty of throat burn.  It is harsh, fiery and hot.  After each swallow, dry flavors of dusty corn and figs can be sensed but only deep in the throat.  Its spices of clove, white pepper and rye overpower burnt sugar and toffee sweetness and barely give way to any barrel flavor.

Balance, Body, Look and Feel:
I look forward to nuances when enjoying fine bourbon KC SiBR is so well blended, few individual flavors can be identified. I find this disapointing. KC SiBR is thin and watery, displaying medium legs which drop back in the Glencairn’s mahogany and henna tinted pool.

FINISH:

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve’s medium long finish leaves one with a deep throat and chest warming sensation.  When the last dram is gone, only a faint light oak aftertaste remains.

MY RATING: 83/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? No
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

To access other whiskies from this brand, click Knob Creek.

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