Knob Creek 25th Anniversary Single Barrel Reserve

You're immediately greeted with aromas of caramel, vanilla, and spicy maple syrup. The rich taste and mouth feel are obvious, with elements of oak, brown sugar, and baking spices. It is warm and spicy on the tongue, but the burn is far from overpowering, especially for the high proof. The oaky finish is light and delicate. This is truly an exceptional example of single barrel, cask strength bourbon.

In my opinion, this is a pinnacle of bourbon making. Cherry, vanilla, fig, and oak permeate the nose. The mouth feel is rich and buttery. The palate is cherries, caramel, and dark fruits with an oak backbone and a lovely spice. The finish is warming and lingering. I didn't think 120+ proof could be this smooth. Wow.

Neat. Opened for a year or more. I loved this on my first taste but since then I have found a steady stream of 13-15 year store picks. I wondered how this stood up to time. And the nose is fantastic. Gosh. Classic nuttiness surrounded by ripe and gushing cherries. Deep deep oak and leather. A gray burnt caramel. French vanilla. I could spend a long time with this because it has a nose that plays all these beautiful notes. Goes between light bright notes to deep dark notes and everything in between. And of it is so rich and crisp. I don’t have a side by side but this does strike me as a level beyond the store pick barrels. I was honestly going into this thinking it was over priced in retrospect... maybe not? Super syrupy and thick. Brown sugar and oak on the tongue, so dark. Then uppercuts you with the cherry and vanilla. Leaves you with the burnt caramel, oak and a hint of the nuttiness. Drinks like 100 proof. The finish goes on and on and on. Yeah, this truly is a definitive Knob Creek experience. I recently finished my Knob Creek 2001 Batch 1 and that one lost its luster a bit as time went on. This one is special. $120 is a lot for a Knob Creek single barrel but I think a bottle of this is worth two store picks. It’s a step beyond them off memory.

nose- Cherry, Menthol, oak, vanilla palate- Cherry, cinnamon, chocolate, oak, leather, menthol finish- Long finish. oak, apple, menthol, cream