Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 9 Year Old

Some things are better as an idea. Some things sound great in theory, but don't always pan out in practice. (Insert communism/capitalism/marriage joke here) Knob Creek Single Barrel may suffer from the same trappings.

What is Knob Creek?

Knob Creek is produced by Beam Suntory at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. It is one of the four Jim Beam small batch bourbon brands targeted for the high-end liquor market. There are many references to Knob Creek as a "pre-prohibition" style of bourbon. What does that mean? According to their website:

What is Pre-Prohibition Style whiskey? In short: It’s whiskey that refuses to cut corners. But since you’re still here, we’ll give you the longer version. When the Prohibition was lifted in 1933, bourbon makers had to start from scratch. Whiskey takes years and years to make, but the drinking ban was overturned overnight. To meet their sudden demand, distillers rushed the process, selling barrels that had hardly been aged. Softer, mild-flavored whiskey became standard from then on. Full flavor was the casualty. But we brought real bourbon back. Over 25 years ago, master distiller Booker Noe set out to create a whiskey that adhered to the original, time-tested way of doing things. He named it Knob Creek. We age every batch in maximum-char barrels to pull every bit of natural sweetness from the oak. Then we bottle it at an uncommonly balanced 100 proof. Knob Creek is whiskey the way its supposed to be: full flavored. We make every drop count so that you can make every minute count. Without ever having to cut any corners.

There. Clear as mud.

So 100 proof (50% ABV) is the standard for Knob Creek and the Single Barrel offering is a big, bold 120 proof (60% ABV). And while the standard Knob Creek 100 Proof Small Batch has recently dropped the 9 year age statement, the Single Barrel expression still guarantees the whisky is at least nine years old. I was a fan of the 9 Year Old Small Batch and I still enjoy the NAS, 100 Proof version. So how does the Single Barrel taste?

Tasting notes

• Nose (undiluted): Toffee, vanilla, maple syrup and oak
• Palate (undiluted): toffee, vanilla, a little bit of sour cherry chewing gum, oak and a bit of coconut
• Finish: surprisingly short, nutty, more vanilla, coconut and oak

Sipped neat, I would NOT have guessed this bourbon to be 120 proof. There is very little tongue burn or "prickliness" to Knob Creek Single Barrel. Adding some water brought out more oakiness, and made the whiskey surprisingly "hotter" and sharper. Drunk neat, the sweetness isn't overbearing or cloying, and it's pushed a bit further back when diluted. But the balance is just a bit “off”. It tastes like a generic bourbon, but with the vanilla and oak a little too prominent in the mix. It isn’t a gentle, floral vanilla either. It tastes a bit like store-brand artifical vanilla extract.

Despite the 120 Proof, I prefered this one neat.

It's difficult to make any kind of definitive pronouncement on a single barrel whiskey. Each barrel is different, so the next batch could have completely different tasting notes. "Single barrel" is the type of marketing idea that appeals to enthusiasts and purists. But as is often the case, these seemingly great ideas are not without their possible pit-falls. This bourbon was good. Not great, not surprising or incredibly unique. My first impression of it was "This tastes like bourbon". Obvious perhaps, but I was expecting more. Nevertheless, this is a decent product at a respectable ABV. Try before you buy if possible.

An unexpected irony: When I first encountered bourbons, my first purchase in 2013 was Booker’s and I was thoroughly impressed. Given its scarcity in these parts, sometime in 2014 (I believe) I decided to shore up my holdings with a bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel. This was to be replaceable, less expensive bourbon to stretch my supply of the “good stuff”.

Since that time the KCSB 9 YO has been discontinued in favour of NAS, and though I picked up 2 last year “just in case”, In the past 3 years I’ve accumulated and tasted from at least 7 batches of Booker’s, finished 2 bottles, and some of the ones I bought (in Calgary or US) were cheaper than the KCSB… So much for cheap and replaceable. Not to mention OGD114 which is cheaper, I have more of (though not all here), and I like better.

I believe I opened it in 2014. I have progressed through the bottle slowly, gassing each time. There is a little under a third of a bottle left.

This expression is reviewed in my usual manner, allowing it to settle after which I take my nosing and tasting notes, followed by the addition of a few drops of water, waiting, then nosing and tasting.

---

Nose:

Neat – At first it’s very closed. No surprise since it’s been gassed for who knows how long. With time, swished around the glass and covered, it starts to open and become fruity, with gentle caramel and vanilla. A little dusty. Maybe a hint of menthol. Apple Schnapps? No, apple pie filling made from granny smith apples with just a little sugar and cinnamon. The longer I nose it (it’s been a good 20-25 min) the more I like it. For 60% it’s quite gentle on the nose. 22/25

With water – No change in the nose.

Taste:

Neat – Strong wave of flavour all over my mouth with the first sip. Minimal alcohol nip. There is lots of caramel and vanilla, a little bitterness (in a nice way, pepper maybe?) on the development. 21/25

With water – The flavours are the same but become slightly richer. (21.5/25)

Finish: medium sweet on the finish with a hint of menthol. It doesn’t last too long and I get a mild dryness at the end. 21/25 With water, the menthol is slightly more prominent.

Balance: This is a nicely balanced dram. Not too complex, but definitely pleasant and drinkable. 21.5/25

Score: Neat - 85.5/100 With Water: 86/100

Total Score based on experience and enjoyment: 86 /100

---

I like this. If Booker’s or OGD 114 were around (not to mention a BTAC) I would probably go there first. That’s probably why this bottle has lasted almost 3 years and may yet last another 1-2.

I think it is more balanced and presents better than the EH Taylor I just reviewed. So if I had to choose one (barrel) of the two, I would choose this one.

From the folks at Beam, Knob Creek Single Barrel is an example of how a whiskey can be greatly improved by increasing the ABV to near-cask strength. It has roughly the same flavor profile as the standard Knob Creek 9 yo—which, at 50% ABV, isn’t exactly kid stuff—but upping the volume by 10% results in a gutsy wallop of fiery candies and corn. I like the standard 9 yo, but I’ve always found it a little bland on the palate and rough down the gullet. For the single-barrel version, ABV could well stand for Abundant, Bountiful, and Vigorous.

I prefer this stuff with a healthy dollop of cool water, although I can take it neat in small sips. Terrific on the tongue when neat, but more complex in the finish with water. Your call.

Nose: Fire, cinnamon, and vanilla when neat; water elicits loads of citrus fruits, caramel, honey, and whiffs of leather and rye. The honey overwhelms everything, but nicely so, after a five-minute sit.

Palate: Rich, thick, and loaded with corn—all sorts of corn, in fact. Yellow and white corn of the sweet and supersweet varieties and a warm bowl of high-end popcorn as well. (As I live in Valparaiso, Indiana, with Orville Redenbacher’s farmlands just down the road, I know my popcorn.) There’s plenty of quality oak, vanilla, nutmeg, and fresh-from-the-oven peanut brittle as well. It teeters on the brink of over-sweetness, but never goes over the edge.

Finish: Long and luscious. Smoky wood, rich chocolate fudge, caramel, rye, and a whisper of mint at the final fadeout. I seem to get a slightly unpleasant note of ethanol with every other sip, but it’s something I never noticed until tonight. Perhaps my tongue is playing tricks on me tonight, but it’s enough to knock a point off my score.

Knob Creek Single Barrel has replaced Booker’s as my favorite in the Beam bourbon lineup. It’s a little on the bold side for an everyday bourbon (give me Elmer T. Lee for those purposes), but it’s a fine choice for special occasions—even with its everyday price tag.

As many folks who know me are aware of Knob Creek 9 year old is the whiskey that made me fall in love with both whisky and whiskey. It's the spirit that started me on my journey.

When it came into Australia I knew I needed to pick up a bottle, and I did, very happily. However the 9 year old single barrel, bottled at 60%, also came in, albeit in extremely limited quantities, I knew that I'd also have to pick up a bottle of this, especially given the fact that all of my American friends were telling me how much better it was then just the normal Knob Creek.

A very long day today, spent chatting whisky with newly made friends, and Knob Creek came up. I'd ended 2013 on the 9 year old and after the conversation today I knew I needed to crack open the single barrel.

So after a nice hot shower (who the hell takes a hot shower in Perth in the summer?! I mean seriously!?) I sat down to an episode of Justified, one of my favorite new TV shows, pulled up Facebook to do whisky related stuff, and cracked the bottle.

Into one of my trusty glencairns it goes, and I give the glass a look and a nose. It's oily, clinging to the glass with thick legs that slowly ooze down, and the nose hits me.

It's an aroma that I haven't smelled in forever, but brings back childhood memories. What the hell is that?!

BUTTERED POPCORN!

Oh that's awesome, and following the buttered popcorn are ripe cherries, red vine licorice and then the buttered popcorn resurfaces.

Caramel, Ooodles of vanilla, heaps of cinnamon, rye, nutmeg, brown sugar, maple, the nose is Knob Creek on steroids. It starts off sweet, but as the whisky opens up in the glass the spices really start to shine.

Time for a taste though...let's see how the palate holds up.

Delicious!

First the buttered popcorn, caramel, charred oak, vanilla, red vine cherries, then heaps of rye and spices, cinnamon and nutmeg, and a hint of leather. Again the whisky starts off sweet then goes quite spicy, especially with rye.

For myself the 60% was extremely mellow, with no intense burn.

The finish is long, intense, sweet and spicy, and as it tapers off the cherries linger on and on.

My friends in the states had informed me that this was by far the better bottling of Knob Creek and I'm pleased to see that they were indeed correct. This is an excellent bourbon, one that I'd love to have on my shelf all the time.

Price point runs around $110 to $120 in bottleshops over here, but can be difficult to find as in this shipment into the country there were only 1200 bottles.

Now if you'll excuse me I do believe I need another bottle of this.

Woah! This is a great experience. I have had Knob Creek Single Barrel ($52/750ml) for the past two nights, and both times about 4oz over a spherical ice ball. The initial nose has substantial alcohol burn (expected at 120 proof) that noticeably tapers off after about 5 minutes and allowing it to breathe/cool off a bit. I find vanilla toffee alcohol to be prevalent on the nose.

The first sip smacks you in the face (in the best way possible) and has a warm, cinnamon pepper peanut brittle burn that warms you mouth and chest like one would expect red-hot embers to; this rapidly becomes more subdued and dares you to take another sip.

The second mouthful is a bit more tame with the vanilla sweet cinnamon pepper toffee that lingers nicely- the alcohol burn exits fairly rapidly with the flavor lingering endlessly. Exhaling through the nose engulfs your entire head in this flavorful experience.

3rd sip, which is eagerly anticipated, settles you down an comforts you into knowing that there are many more to come.

The finish, in my opinion, is much tamer than expected for its strength. The alcohol doesn't overpower the flavor and there is very nice balance. Salivary glands kick into action as you continue to experience the lingering flavors. I am thoroughly enjoying this- Knob Creek Single Barrel reinforces why (we) drink bourbon. It is challenging, bold, satisfying, balanced......awesome.

If you have not already done so, give it a try.....it's got balls! (Thanks for reading and I hope this served you well)

I'm glad we're starting to see more of these single barrel offerings from bourbon producers. This one happens to be bottled from barrel #59, not sure how much they'll vary by barrel. Added a teaspoon of water.

Knob Creek was the first whiskey I really took a shine to, so I was excited at the prospect of a new version. This single-barrel expression is also aged 9 years and bottled at 120 proof.

After adding some water I put my nose up to the glass, trying to pick out specific aromas from the general "bourbon smell". The first impression I got, strangely, is of a musty cellar. Deeper in the glass there are sweet spices and that old smokey leather smell. Very rich, deep, expressive. Hot and oily. After a few minutes in the glass some lighter floral notes start to develop. Becomes sweeter and less musty. Very nice.

It prickles the tongue with cinnamon heart flavour, then that earthy/vegetal note that made me think of cellars. Robust and mouth-coating. Nice development from spicy to sweet to oaky. The finish is incredibly long and maintains all the flavours, leaving a lasting impression.

Overall I'm thrilled with this whiskey. It is fun to sip at full strength and feel the burn but it really shines after a bit of water is added. Tastes a touch more refined than the Small Batch version to me.

Jim Beam White Label is the best-selling bourbon in the United States (after recalling the fact that Jack Daniels doesn’t technically qualify as a bourbon), but the Jim Beam mash bill is used for several other brands of whiskey. In particular, Old Taylor, Old Crow, and three of Beam’s “Small Batch” series—Baker’s, Booker’s, and Knob Creek—are also based on this tried and true recipe.

Over the last few months, I have tasted Baker’s, Booker’s, and Knob Creek Single Barrel alone and against one another in order to discover their commonalities and their distinctions. The differences among them are subtle, perhaps more so than I would like; still, each is quite good. I reviewed Baker’s some time ago (connosr.com/reviews/bakers/…), and here I review Knob Creek Single Barrel.

The nose has a deep note of cocoa overtop of cherries, peppermint, and cinnamon. It is oaky, yeasty, and buttery. Altogether, it is something of a sweet-and-savory dessert.

The palate is slightly astringent, hot, and spicy, with orange peel, chocolate, banana, and a streak of molten cinnamon running through its core.

If Baker’s is the cashew brittle and Booker’s the candy bar of the trio, then Knob Creek Single Barrel is dark chocolate. It is dry and deep, slightly bitter and subtle.

Knob Creek 9 Year Old Single Barrel Reserve is the select single barrel version of the standard Knob Creek Jim Beam Small Batch Bourbon. Knob Creek shares the standard Beam medium rye mashbill with the Beam White Label,Black Label, Baker's and Booker's bourbons. The Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve is bottled at 120 proof, in contrast to the standard Knob Creek which is bottled at 100 proof

Nose: fragrant honey, caramel, spice, and vanilla

Taste: intense caramel, intense spices, lots of vanilla, very sweet, with strong bass oak notes. This is very rich and delicious. The flavours are smooth and easy at 60% ABV

Finish: Rich, long, and deep. The spice, wood, and caramel remain like the hot embers of a warm fire keeping the house toasty for hours...

Balance: I didn't expect that Jim Beam would surprise me anytime soon, but this bourbon truly surprises me. Even though it is another variation on the theme of the standard Beam mash bill, it is to my palate the best of the entire Beam product line, being the richest in flavour of all of them. There is nothing wrong with Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve and everything right. I highly recommend this one to anybody