Country: USA
Brand: Knob Creek Small Batch
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 9 Years
ABV: 50%
Date: 07/11/2012
Colour: Deep Amber
Nose: Very complete Nose with Sweet Corn, Charred Oak, Maple Syrup, Citrus Peel (Orange), Raisins, Rye, Brown Sugar, Toffee/Caramel, Blueberry Pie and Vanilla. Fruity tones as well (Think of Plums, Cherries and Peach). Despite the ABV of 50%, the Alcohol is reasonably discrete. I advise you to Nose this dram from all possible angles. Don't limit yourself to the centre of the glass.
Taste: This is serious stuff! Strong, Woody and Spicy with Charred Oak, White Pepper,Maple Syrup, Caramel, Licorice, Cloves, Nuts, Raisins, Plums, Citrus Peel and Cinnamon. Hints of Dark Chocolate. It's a dram to be chewed!
Finish: Bit of a Bite there but nothing out of control. Quite Dry. Vanilla, Nuts, Herbal Tea, Grapefruit Juice and Oak.
I added a few drops of Water and the Nose becomes Sweeter with Buttered Toast, Honey and Cinnamon to accompany the Maple Syrup. Palate and Finish basically are watered down. The Spices are milder of course. More Licorice in the Finish. I prefer it neat or over some Ice.
Rating: 84
Nose: 22- Taste: 21- Finish: 20 - Overall: 21
General Remarks: Knob Creek (named for the area in Kentucky where Abraham Lincoln grew up) is part of Jim Beam's Small Batch Bourbon Collection that also includes Baker, Basil Hayden and Booker. This collection aims to reproduce Bourbons as they were said to be before the Prohibition period. It is distilled at the Jim Beam/Knob Creek Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky and matures for 9 years in Charred White Oak. The Bourbon I'm tasting today comes from barrels that were hand selected for Buster's Liquors and Wines in 2010. Price: Around US$ 35.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good
Conclusion: It's not so easy for me to draw a conclusion on this Knob Creek. Let me start by saying that it's a quality dram. No doubt about that. And I really like the Nose. Nothing to complain there. On the Palate however I find the Charred Oak and the Spices a bit too dominant. Nine years is a long time of course! With water on the other hand, the Sweet components take control. In a perfect world Sweet, Spice and Oak would be completely in balance. That's not entirely the case here. So while I recognise the quality of the Knob Creek Small Batch I don't think I would buy another bottle. If you like your Bourbon quite woody and spicy however, go out and Seek the Creek!
Jan van den Ende November 2012
