Distillery: Jim Beam
Proof: 120
Age: 9 Years
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
BACKGROUND: Knob Creek Single Barrel Selects are some of the best value bourbons on the market depending on the selection. They use the same mashbill as all of the Knob Creek Bourbons and can sometimes get as old as 15 years old. We've had some private barrels that have blown our mind. This specific pick is 9 years old which is in line with most single barrels but younger than their 12 year release at 100 proof and new limited 15 year release at 100 proof. We got this bottle at Davidoff's of Geneva in Tampa, FL. If you're ever in the area they have a fantastic whiskey and cigar selection.
NOSE: For a high proof nose this was more of a sweet and classic nose with scents of caramel, vanilla, honey, oak, hints of maple, toffee and spice. We loved this nose as it was well balanced and did not burn at all. (22/25)
PALATE: This sip is warm and inviting with a sweet palate similar to the nose. As soon as the whiskey touched out lips we were met with notes of vanilla, maple, brown sugar, rye spice and oak. Our mouth was tingling as the whiskey sat which was a reminder of the proof on this whiskey. This single barrel pick had a creamy and rich mouthfeel that left our mouth tingling from the proof. (35/40)
FINISH: There was loads of rye spice, cracked pepper, leather, and oak on the finish. The finish was long and oily leaving me wanting another sip. With a drop of water the finish is like a sweet caramel pie with cinnamon sprinkled on top. (22/25)
VALUE: Knob Creek Single Barrel Picks have an SRP of $50 which is a little high for some of the private barrels, but once you surpass the 12 year range $50 is an incredible purchase. (8/10)
Overall: 87/100
FINAL THOUGHTS: This private barrel pick was a delicious and flavorful whiskey. It was nothing spectacular compared to some of the other private barrels we've tasted from Knob Creek. If you're ever at a liquor store and see a private barrel select from Knob Creek, we recommend checking out the age statement and if it is north of 10 years we highly recommend buying yourself a bottle. On the younger bottles you can probably get away with just getting the Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve.
Similar & Slightly Better Whiskey: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C919
Similar & Equal Whiskey: Old Ezra 7
Similar & Slightly Worse Whiskey: 1792 Full Proof
Tell us what you think and give us some feedback!
Scoring Legend:
96-100: The perfect dram, juice of the gods
90-95: Near perfect, truly incredible whiskey
85-89: Amazing whiskey, will always try to keep a backup bottle of this
80-84: Very good, some minor flaws here or there
75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink, Will try and keep a bottle on the shelf
70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get this
60-69: Decent, would offer this up to non whiskey drinkers
50-59: Not my cup of tea
