I was gifted a bottle of this...my first NAS sample of Knob Creek. Knob Creek has been my go-to "dining out bourbon" simply because I think that it is very good served on the rocks and serves as most chain restaurants' (Outback, Carabas, etc) top shelf pour. The oak profile on the 9 year old version always manages to stand up to dilution and make for a great sipper. How does the NAS fair? Let's see... Nose: The notes from the 9 year are there, just fainter than I remember. Cinnamon, vanilla, and oak. I'm worried when I detect a note of peanut...something I didn't get from this one before, and something I don't care for in younger Beam. Neat: The Cinnamon, vanilla and oak from the nose are there. The peanut as well, but not like I get from White Label or Bonded. Again, I don't recall getting that from the 9yr. A pleasant warming on the finish with the cinnamon and oak hanging out on the palate. Rocks: This is the test (for me at least). Will the oak that I really liked in the age stated punch through the dilution of the ice melt? On the rocks everything becomes muted. The oak is there, but also muted. Verdict: The loss of an age statement seems to have hurt the Knob Creek more than it has hurt most. To me, the more time in the barrel that Beam products can get, the better. That 9yr seemed to be the sweet spot. This was a rare bottle purchase for me before (so many better options at less than the $40 it commands) and I don't see myself buying it at all now that it is NAS. I think I'm going to have to switch to WT101 as my "dining out bourbon". It seems to handle the ice melt better than the NAS Knob Creek. THREE & A QUARTER stars from me.