Knob Creek 12 Year Small Batch Bourbon

Color is a dark copper, lots of legs after a swirl Nose - Oak, leather, dark brown sugar, red apple, orange, roasted nuts, a bit of ethanol. Palate - Roasted peanuts, oak, burnt caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and baking spices. The vanilla, spices and oak continue on the moderate finish along with some drying tannins. I wouldn't say the mouthfeel is thin, but it's also not thick or oily. This will inevitably get compared to the 120 proof KC store picks, which can be anywhere from 9-15 years and are $10-15 cheaper. This is different, less oily/rich, a bit drier; but I would also say more complex than the single barrels tend to be. Not necessarily better or worse, just different. One thing this expression should have going for it is consistency due batching; I've had some great KC single barrel picks, but some of them have been pretty meh, and I think some of those older picks are from barrels that weren't in the best warehouse locations, and Beam doesn't know what else to do with them. It's temping to ding this 12 year on value compared to the KC single barrel picks, but really it's hard to argue that it's overpriced for a 12-year 100 proofer compared to the rest of the market.

Delicious!