LeeEvolved
Knob Creek 9 Year Single Barrel Reserve
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
September 8, 2017 (edited February 4, 2018)
I found this bourbon at a local steakhouse while on my annual, fall golf trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. When the waitress told me I could get a double pour for $11 I tossed my keys to one of my non-drinking, hacker friends and commenced to getting downright toasted. "Would you like to chase it with something?", she added. I don't mind if I do- Beam & Coke, por favor...
Of course, I didn't jot down notes because my friends would never let me live that down so this review is based mostly from hazy memory. If I add notes like cow's blood or charred meat those had to be leftover from the 18oz porterhouse and not the whiskey.
It was a very dark amber in the highball glass (so not proper there in South Carolina), but it made some serious long legs that squirmed quickly back down into the glass. The 120 proof will make sure of that every time. There was a strong hit of charred oak and cinnamon wafting up along with the heavy burn associated with such a monster ABV.
The palate was heavy on the vanilla and typical burnt oak barrel that slowly sizzled my taste buds from front to back after only a few seconds. The first big sip caught me off guard and I gasped for breath before I remembered that I need to take better care when exhaling from such a strong whiskey. The ensuing sips seemed calmer after I exercised more restraint, especially on the breath out. I was able to contain the pepper and cinnamon flavors and really tell how surprisingly smooth it was. I even picked up on some sweet honey/vanilla this time.
The finish is just as you'd expect from such a beast of a bourbon. Burn, burn and then a little burn to round things out. The only way to describe the length is to say that I still tasted it even after a healthy slug from the Beam & Coke. It hangs with you. The oak spice kept things dry and hot, but it's smooth enough to not be offensive.
Overall, a wonderful bourbon that's brash enough to let everyone around know you're drinking a powerful whiskey, but just smooth enough to let you maintain some civility and not make those same people think you just drank battery acid. I believe this bottle runs $45 here in Virginia and that's not bad for what you get. Solid 4 stars. Cheers.
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You haven't lived until you tried smoky coke (Laphroaig 10 + Coke). Works fine with Ardbegs as well. Mixing rocks! Just don't put Hibiki 21 in diet coke....
@LeeEvolved back when I graduated high school, with a full scholarship to a top 5 chemical engineering program, my dad gave me his half bottle of a 1982 Macallan Gran Reserva, which he said he spent big bucks on ( a whole $100). I shared with my friends, mixing it Coke. A Macallan Gran Reserva. Which now goes for $2000. Mixed with Coke in cheap styrofoam cups. To be young and stupid.
@BeppeCovfefe - I didn’t mix this with Coca Cola. I had a Beam and “coke” with my dinner. The Knob Creek was my pre-meal sipper. I would never use a premium whiskey like KCSB as a mixer. I tried to imply I remember tasting the Knob Creek even after I hit the Beam and coke. Cheers.
Not sure why you diminish something this wonderful with "coke". Try a lime seltzer or something near that next time.
Glad you liked it. Plenty of cinnamon in that one
I just wanted to do a bit of an update to this whiskey. Generously Paul sent me another sample of Knob Creek Single Barrel that was selected by the Georgia Bourbon Society. This was bottled in 2016 and is actually 11 years, 2 months old. It is also 120 proof, like the other single barrel offerings. These special, single barrel releases are easily the best from Knob Creek. Nice cinnamon and oak flavor, pretty smooth with a hearty rye kick for good measure. Thanks again to Paul for wrangling this sample for me. Very tasty.
I got a bottle of this from my brother as a Christmas present last December. It will definitely put some hair on your chest to say the least. From what I recall its just how you described it, a lot of oak and vanilla with pepper spice that will stick with you till the morning. Surprisingly smooth for such a high ABV and makes an awesome pair with a maduro cigar. Will have to re-visit it soon. Cheers!!
@ Dreaming- yeah, I think I got my prices mixed up. That one is $44 here in VA. I don't know where I got that $80 price from. My bad.
Just wondering if you meant $40-50 -- Knob Creek SB isn't that expensive, I thought. It's definitely one of the best values in barrel strength (or close enough) bourbons, although I don't love Beam's oily profile.
Not an extra for the round, just one that I had planned on sending you. This is the one from the Georgia Bourbon society I got from a guy at work
@ Paul- Lol, did you just add that as an extra? I didn't check our google sheet before ordering or I'd have just waited. Tell me it's a different proof than the 120...that makes it a whole new whiskey to a "ticker" like me, haha.
There's another 2oz of this on its way to you next week. So I hope to see some updated notes. Mine was a cinnamon bomb