Knob Creek 9 Year Single Barrel Reserve

N: Sweet! Vanilla, cocoa, oak, and leather. There is some red fruit. Theres some tobacco. It’s the best out of the first four. It’s spicy too but in spice Not heat. P: Maple comes out of nowhere. Vanilla continues and shows up slow. Theres more oak and molasses. The fruit continues. It’s Deep notes and not watered down. Finish: Warm and gives a nice long hug. The Proof allows for a non watered down finish. The same notes continue. It’s good!

Oaky and vanilla in the nose. Little burn in the flavor, but just a hint before cherry, oak, and caramel take over. Lovely whisky.

Open 6 weeks Nose - Heavy oak and caramel, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, cherry cordial, and strong ethanol. Palate - Maple syrup, caramel, rye bread, toasted vanilla and marshmallow, light cinnamon, cocoa powder, and light oak. Finish is medium-long with dry oak, caramel, baking spices, black pepper, light orange peel, light chocolate, and light ethanol. The one big difference between the nose and palate is you expect a much bigger alcohol burn from the nose but it's surprisingly light on the tongue. This is the first non-store pick I've had, and it's underwhelming. In the past I've had 14Y and 15Y picks, which were some of the best bourbons I've tasted. Sadly those are scarce these days as it seems Jim Beam is using those good barrels for other Knob Creek releases. This used to be one of the best values on the shelf at $45 and then $50, but now with an additional price increase to $60 I believe there are quite a few better options. Additionally, they provide zero information on the barrel which I find odd because Jim Beam, Baker's, and Booker's are all more transparent with batch or barrel info. I would skip the standard offering and pick up store picks if you can find them, you'll likely get a better product.

Very good, top notch bourbon at a decent price.