Hannah’s Knob Creek 12 Year Review
Original review written August 24, 2021
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
12 Year is an easy sipper through and through. It’s warm, with unique sweet tones and pleasant earthy-woodiness to complement. Spice is sprinkled throughout the pour, and makes for a very decent dram. 87/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Clermont, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Age: 12 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=75%; Rye=13%, Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– Vintage Year: 2009
– ABV: 50% (100 proof)
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho
Visit knobcreek.com for more information
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the glass neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review for this bourbon here!
SETTING:
I imagine enjoying Knob Creek 12 Yr at a bakery with the bourbon in one hand and a croissant in the other. There may be a million different aromas surrounding you, but the warmth of the bourbon permeates it all, and the taste pairs with any pastry you could possibly want.
Photo by Mae Mu on Unsplash
NOSE:
This nose presents as spicy, but in a baking spice sense. Immediately, I find allspice with heavy nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. The cinnamon is reminiscent of red hot candies with a peppery sprinkle, but it still fits well with these natural baking spices too. The corn grain is also here, but it almost seems more like the corn husks after they’ve been dried out a bit (note: not completely dried out). There is a vanilla custard, soft oak, and toffee element also that blend quite well together, with none of the flavors seeming overbearing. If I really look, I can detect a dark berry, but it is hard to place exactly which one it is – it may even be dried, like a cranberry or maybe a lightly seasoned raisin.
Alcohol is definitely here on the nose, and can sting on deep inhales if you aren’t careful. Considering this is only 100 proof, I’m quite surprised at this feature, but all the same, very intrigued. Overall, this smells amazing, and I can’t wait to dig in.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: This is very smooth and oily, while still being light and easy to sip.
– Balance: Very well-blended. There is a bit of everything in this pour, but none of it overrides the other flavors to nonexistence while still allowing the woody-earthiness to be the hero.
– Visual: Auburn in color, this drops in sheets before quickly giving way to many long legs while leaving behind a distinct crown.
– Taste: Wood comes across the palate first, but it’s peppery in nature. It’s almost less like oak, and perhaps more like grilling hickory briquettes (maybe even cherry too?). Corn comes in the next wave, roasted but still dusty. With it comes leather and some of the other spices from the nose, though these have become much more subtle. Sweetness still remains, but it is less aggressive with its vanillas and toffees. Instead, it is almost pastry-like, flaky and buttery while being slightly dry – in a good way. In it is a seedy, chunky, but delicious fruit spread, like a peach or a similar stone fruit. There could be some toasted almonds thrown in for a mild sweetness also that just complements everything nicely.
The alcohol is incredibly mild in this pour. I can taste it with a bit of warmth, but otherwise, it is inoffensive and a very easy dram to sip. When I partake in a Kentucky chew, I find green grapes, oak, and some unsweetened syrup to accompany the fruit component. The heat kicks up, obviously, but it falls back quick enough.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Short-Medium. I get a tickle of lingering warmth and a hint of flavors but none of it strong.
– Between Sips: The aforementioned almonds appear between sips, along with roasted corn and the slightest hint of cherry, but it is very faint.
– No More: The empty Glencairn is straight up oak and barrel char, almost to the point of sweetness. It’s warm and rich and everything I could hope for at the end of a good glass.
WORTH THE PRICE?
For $60, I will admit, I have had whiskeys I enjoy more, but I do not think this is a bad value at all. It’s warm, it’s woody, it’s fruity, it’s spicy… it ticks all the boxes for me. And I would definitely pour myself another glass. I enjoy it a lot, and if you have the opportunity to try, and want a really well-blended bourbon with no aggressiveness, this is it.
KNOB CREEK 12 YEAR REVIEW RATING: 87/100
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